bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship of body fat and body mass index in young Pacific Islanders: a cross‐sectional study in European, Melanesian and Polynesian groups
Authors: Frayon S. , Cherrier S. , Cavaloc Y. , Wattelez G. , Lerrant Y. , Galy O.
Published: July 2017

Background

Body mass index is the most often used indicator of obesity but does not distinguish between lean and fat mass. Adiposity at the same body mass index differs across ethnic groups.

Objectives

The twofold aim of this study was to determine whether body mass index (BMI)‐based references are correlated with body fat percentage (%BF) in a pluri‐ethnic population of Pacific Islanders and to assess the diagnostic accuracy of these references by using the percentage of body fat as the gold standard.

Methods

Height and weight were obtained, and triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses were measured in a sample of 796 adolescents (11–16 years) from the three main ethnic groups in New Caledonia: Melanesian, European and Polynesian. %BF was derived from the Slaughter equations, and BMI z score was calculated by using various international and national references.

Results

Melanesian teens had lower %BF compared with their European counterparts for the same BMI z score. Whatever the BMI‐based reference used to detect overfatness (%BF >25% for boys and >30% for girls), sensitivity was higher in Melanesian adolescents, while specificity was higher in their European counterparts. Diagnostic accuracy was better in Melanesian compared with European adolescents.

Conclusions

This study shows that Melanesian adolescents have lower %BF than their European counterparts for the same BMI z score. Therefore, the diagnostic accuracy of BMI to detect overfatness is related to ethnicity. Whatever the BMI‐based reference, sensitivity was higher in the Melanesian group, while specificity was higher in the European group.
Foetal fractional thigh volume: an early 3D ultrasound marker of neonatal adiposity
Authors: Roelants J. A. , Vermeulen M. J. , Koning I. V. , Groenenberg I. A. L. , Willemsen S. P. , Hokken‐Koelega A. C. S. , Joosten K. F. M. , Reiss I. K. M. , Steegers‐Theunissen R. P. M.
Published: July 2017

Background

The predisposition for obesity is suggested to originate in the prenatal period. Prenatal markers are needed to identify foetuses at risk for neonatal adiposity, as early marker of childhood obesity.

Objective

The aim of this study is to assess the association between foetal fractional thigh volume (TVol) and neonatal percentage fat mass from mid‐gestation onward.

Methods

In this perinatal cohort study, singleton pregnancies with term born infants were included. Foetal TVol was measured on three‐dimensional ultrasound scans (3D US) obtained at 22, 26 and 32 weeks of gestation. Neonatal body composition measurement (percentage body fat (%BF)) was planned between 42+0 and 42+6‐week postmenstrual age. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal linear regression analyses were performed.

Results

Seventy‐nine mother–child pairs were included. Median (interquartile range) TVol increased from 7.6 (7.1; 8.5) cm3 at 22 weeks to 36.5 (33.8; 40.9) cm3 at 32 weeks. Median neonatal %BF was 14.3% (11.7; 17.0). TVol at 22 weeks (β = −1.58, 95% CI −2.45; −0.70, explained variance 31%) was negatively associated with %BF, but no associations were found at 26 and 32 weeks of gestation. TVol growth between 22 and 32 weeks of gestation (explained variance 18%) was also statistically significantly negatively associated with %BF.

Conclusions

Foetal TVol is a promising 3D US marker for prediction of neonatal adiposity from mid‐gestation onward.
Functional characterization of the transcriptional regulatory elements of three highly expressed constitutive genes in the jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis
Authors: Shirk P. D. , Furlong R. B. , Dolan A. , Werren J. H.
Published: July 2017

The jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), is an easily reared parasitoid that is providing an ever increasingly malleable model for examining the biology and genetics of Hymenoptera. Utilizing genomic and transcriptome resources, 5' upstream transcriptional regulatory sequences (TREs) from three highly expressed genes were identified and cloned. Criteria for TRE selection included the presence of an adjacent gene 5' of the translation initiation site. One gene was methylated whereas the other two were nonmethylated. Each TRE, heat‐shock protein 70 (hsp70), activator of 90 kDa hsp ATPase protein 1 (hsp90A), and lipid storage droplet surface‐binding protein 1 (lsdp) was linked with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) coding sequence and cloned into both pDP9e somatic and piggyBac germline transformation vectors. EGFP expression patterns under control of each TRE were compared with patterns of DsRed fluorescence produced from the transformation vector cassette. Functional activity of each TRE was observed in cultured Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells and Drosophila melanogaster as well as in N. vitripennis embryos demonstrating that all three sequences had functional transcriptional regulatory activity in three different insect orders. Identification and functional characterization of these three TREs will provide critical and necessary resources for further genetic analyses of N. vitripennis, Hymenoptera and other insects.
Influenza virus‐like particles harboring H9N2 HA and NA proteins induce a protective immune response in chicken
Authors: Li Xin , Ju Houbin , Liu Jian , Yang Dequan , Qi Xinyong , Yang Xianchao , Qiu Yafeng , Zheng Jie , Ge Feifei , Zhou Jinping
Published: July 2017

Background

Avian influenza viruses represent a growing threat of an influenza pandemic. The co‐circulation of multiple H9N2 genotypes over the past decade has been replaced by one predominant genotype—G57 genotype, which displays a changed antigenicity and improved adaptability in chickens. Effective H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus vaccines for poultry are urgently needed.

Objective

In this study, we constructed H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus‐like particle (VLP) and evaluated its protective efficacy in specific pathogen‐free (SPF) chickens to lay the foundation for developing an effective vaccine against influenza viruses.

Methods

Expression of influenza proteins in VLPs was confirmed by Western blot, hemagglutination inhibition (HI), and neuraminidase inhibition (NI). The morphology was observed by electron microscopy. A group of 15 three‐week‐old SPF chickens was divided into three subgroups of five chickens immunized with VLP, commercial vaccine, and PBS. Challenge study was performed to evaluate efficacy of VLP vaccine.

Results and Conclusions

The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins were co‐expressed in the infected cells, self‐assembled, and were released into the culture medium in the form of VLPs of diameter ~80 nm. The VLPs exhibited some functional characteristics of a full influenza virus, including hemagglutination and neuraminidase activity. In SPF chickens, the VLPs elicited serum antibodies specific for H9N2 and induced a higher HI titer (as detected by a homologous antigen) than did a commercial H9N2 vaccine (A/chicken/Shanghai/F/1998). Viral shedding from VLP vaccine subgroup was reduced compared with commercial vaccine subgroup and control subgroup.
A novel Eu3+‐ and self‐activated vanadate phosphor of Ca4La(VO4)3O with oxyvanadate apatite structure
Authors: Yu Ruijin , Jeong Jung Hyun , Wang Yin‐Feng
Published: July 2017

Pure and Eu3+‐activated Ca4La(VO4)3O phosphors were prepared via three‐step solid‐phase synthesis. The phase formation and structure were investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) with Rietveld refinements. All the samples crystallized in an apatite‐type structure. The morphological properties were measured via by SEM and EDS measurements. Ca4La(VO4)3O is a new vanadate optical material with a direct band feature and a band energy of 3.1 eV. The undoped Ca4La(VO4)3O phosphor presents self‐activated yellow luminescence from 400 nm to 750 nm with a maximum wavelength of 525 nm originating from VO4 groups. Luminescence characteristics of Ca4La(VO4)3O indicate that the phosphor is not sufficient for practical applications. In Eu3+‐activated Ca4La(VO4)3O, there is an efficient energy transfer from VO4 to Eu3+ ions. The luminescence spectra, concentration quenching, decay curves, color chromaticity, and quantum efficiencies (QE) of Ca4La(VO4)3O:Eu3+ were investigated. The phosphor presents optimal Eu3+ doping concentration of about 20 mol%. The dominant red emission in Ca4La(VO4)3O:Eu3+ is 615 nm from electronic 5D0→7F2 dipole transitions. The quantum efficiency and the luminescence stability of the pure and Eu‐activated Ca4La(VO4)3O were reported. The luminescence was discussed on the structural characteristics.
High Na‐ion conducting Na1+x[SnxGe2−x(PO4)3] glass‐ceramic electrolytes: Structural and electrochemical impedance studies
Authors: Gandi Suman , Chinta Srinivasa Rao , Ojha Prasanta Kumar , Surendra Babu Manubolu Surya , Ravuri Balaji Rao
Published: July 2017

Na‐ion conducting Na1+x[SnxGe2−x(PO4)3] (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mol%) glass samples with NASICON‐type phase were synthesized by the melt quenching method and glass‐ceramics were formed by heat treating the precursor glasses at their crystallization temperatures. XRD traces exhibit formation of most stable crystalline phase NaGe2(PO4)3 (ICSD‐164019) with trigonal structure. Structural illustration of sodium germanium phosphate [NaGe2(PO4)3] displays that each germanium is surrounded by 6 oxygen atom showing octahedral symmetry (GeO6) and phosphorous with 4 oxygen atoms showing tetrahedral symmetry (PO4). The highest bulk Na+ ion conductivities and lowest activation energy for conduction were achieved to be 8.39 × 10−05 S/cm and 0.52 eV for the optimum substitution levels (x = 0.5 mol%, Na1.5[Sn0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3]) of tetrahedral Ge4+ ions by Sn4+ on Na–Ge–P network. CV studies of the best conducting Na1.5[Sn0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3] glass‐ceramic electrolyte possesses a wide electrochemical window of 6 V. The structural and EIS studies of these glass‐ceramic electrolyte samples were monitored in light of the substitution of Ge by its larger homologue Sn.
Controlling hypertension and reducing its associated morbidity and mortality in the Caribbean: implications of race and ethnicity
Authors: Colgrove Paige , Connell Kenneth L. , Lackland Daniel T. , Ordunez Pedro , DiPette Donald J.
Published: July 2017

Cardiovascular diseases and stroke, especially hypertension, represent a significant global disease burden for both morbidity and mortality, with a disproportionately higher impact in vulnerable low‐ to middle‐income countries. International initiatives such as the Centers for Disease and Prevention and the Pan American Health Organization Standardized Hypertension Treatment Project have been developed to address this burden on the Caribbean and Latin America populations. The disparity in disease burden observed in low‐ to middle‐income countries is explained, in part, by differences in disease risks for different racial and ethnic groups with high blood pressure more prevalent and hypertension‐related morbidity significantly higher in men and women of African heritage. In addition to the race and ethnic differences in indicators of socioeconomic status, access to care and health service delivery, the physiologic mechanism of high blood pressure including salt‐sensitivity, may also play a significant role in the disparities in hypertension and hypertension‐related outcomes. This article focuses on potential racial and ethnic differences in influences on the pathophysiology of hypertension in the Caribbean region of the world. The identification of such differences may be used in the development of population hypertension control strategies and treatment approach that address the excess disease burden in these populations. The consideration of strategies, such as salt reduction and hypertension awareness and treatment, are particularly relevant to the high‐risk Caribbean region.
Discovery and genomic analyses of hybridization between divergent lineages of Trypanosoma congolense, causative agent of Animal African Trypanosomiasis
Authors: Tihon Eliane , Imamura Hideo , Dujardin Jean‐Claude , Van Den Abbeele Jan , Van den Broeck Frederik
Published: July 2017

Hybrid populations and introgressive hybridization remain poorly documented in pathogenic micro‐organisms, as such that genetic exchange has been argued to play a minor role in their evolution. Recent work demonstrated the existence of hybrid microsatellite profiles in Trypanosoma congolense, a parasitic protozoan with detrimental effects on livestock productivity in sub‐Saharan Africa. Here, we present the first population genomic study of T. congolense, revealing a remarkable number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), small insertions/deletions (indels) and gene deletions among 56 parasite genomes from ten African countries. One group of parasites from Zambia was particularly diverse, displaying a substantial number of heterozygous SNP and indel sites compared to T. congolense parasites from the nine other sub‐Saharan countries. Genomewide 5‐kb phylogenetic analyses based on phased SNP data revealed that these parasites were the product of hybridization between phylogenetically distinct T. congolense lineages. Other parasites within the same region in Zambia presented a mosaic of haplotypic ancestry and genetic variability, indicating that hybrid parasites persisted and recombined beyond the initial hybridization event. Our observations challenge traditional views of trypanosome population biology and encourage future research on the role of hybridization in spreading genes for drug resistance, pathogenicity and virulence.
Comparative landscape genetics of pond‐breeding amphibians in Mediterranean temporal wetlands: The positive role of structural heterogeneity in promoting gene flow
Authors: Gutiérrez‐Rodríguez Jorge , Gonçalves João , Civantos Emilio , Martínez‐Solano Iñigo
Published: July 2017

Comparative landscape genetics studies can provide key information to implement cost‐effective conservation measures favouring a broad set of taxa. These studies are scarce, particularly in Mediterranean areas, which include diverse but threatened biological communities. Here, we focus on Mediterranean wetlands in central Iberia and perform a multi‐level, comparative study of two endemic pond‐breeding amphibians, a salamander (Pleurodeles waltl) and a toad (Pelobates cultripes). We genotyped 411 salamanders from 20 populations and 306 toads from 16 populations at 18 and 16 microsatellite loci, respectively, and identified major factors associated with population connectivity through the analysis of three sets of variables potentially affecting gene flow at increasingly finer levels of spatial resolution. Topographic, land use/cover, and remotely sensed vegetation/moisture indices were used to derive optimized resistance surfaces for the two species. We found contrasting patterns of genetic structure, with stronger, finer scale genetic differentiation in Pleurodeles waltl, and notable differences in the role of fine‐scale patterns of heterogeneity in vegetation cover and water content in shaping patterns of regional genetic structure in the two species. Overall, our results suggest a positive role of structural heterogeneity in population connectivity in pond‐breeding amphibians, with habitat patches of Mediterranean scrubland and open oak woodlands (“dehesas”) facilitating gene flow. Our study highlights the usefulness of remotely sensed continuous variables of land cover, vegetation and water content (e.g., NDVI, NDMI) in conservation‐oriented studies aimed at identifying major drivers of population connectivity.
Genetic networks controlled by the bacterial replication initiator and transcription factor DnaA in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Washington Tracy A. , Smith Janet L. , Grossman Alan D.
Published: July 2017

DnaA is the widely conserved bacterial AAA+ ATPase that functions as both the replication initiator and a transcription factor. In many organisms, DnaA controls expression of its own gene and likely several others during growth and in response to replication stress. To evaluate the effects of DnaA on gene expression, separate from its role in replication initiation, we analyzed changes in mRNA levels in Bacillus subtilis cells with and without dnaA, using engineered strains in which dnaA is not essential. We found that dnaA was required for many of the changes in gene expression in response to replication stress. We also found that dnaA indirectly affected expression of several regulons during growth, including those controlled by the transcription factors Spo0A, AbrB, PhoP, SinR, RemA, Rok and YvrH. These effects were largely mediated by the effects of DnaA on expression of sda. DnaA activates transcription of sda, and Sda inhibits histidine protein kinases required for activation of the transcription factor Spo0A. We also found that loss of dnaA caused a decrease in the development of genetic competence. Together, our results indicate that DnaA plays an important role in modulating cell physiology, separate from its role in replication initiation.
Nitrate reductases in Hydrogenobacter thermophilus with evolutionarily ancient features: distinctive localization and electron transfer
Authors: Kameya Masafumi , Kanbe Haruna , Igarashi Yasuo , Arai Hiroyuki , Ishii Masaharu
Published: July 2017

Dissimilatory nitrate reductase (NAR) and assimilatory nitrate reductase (NAS) serve as key enzymes for nitrogen catabolism and anabolism in many organisms. We purified NAR and NAS from H. thermophilus, a hydrogen‐oxidizing chemolithoautotroph belonging to the phylogenetically deepest branch in the Bacteria domain. Physiological contribution of these enzymes to nitrate respiration and assimilation was clarified by transcriptomic analysis and gene disruption experiments. These enzymes showed several features unreported in bacteria, such as the periplasmic orientation of NAR anchored with a putative transmembrane subunit and the specific electron transfer from a [4Fe‐4S]‐type ferredoxin to NAS. While some of their enzymatic properties are shared with NARs from archaea and with NASs from phototrophs, phylogenetic analysis indicated that H. thermophilus NAR and NAS have deep evolutionary origins that cannot be explained by a recent horizontal gene transfer event from archaea and phototrophs. These findings revealed the diversity of NAR and NAS in nonphotosynthetic bacteria, and they also implied that the outward orientation of NAR and the ferredoxin‐dependent electron transfer of NAS are evolutionarily ancient features preserved in H. thermophilus.
Willpower Satisficing
Authors: Chappell Richard Yetter
Published: July 2017

Satisficing Consequentialism is often rejected as hopeless. Perhaps its greatest problem is that it risks condoning the gratuitous prevention of goodness above the baseline of what qualifies as “good enough”. I propose a radical newwillpower‐basedversion of the view that avoids this problem, and that better fits with the motivation of avoiding an excessively demanding conception of morality. I further demonstrate how, by drawing on the resources of an independent theory of blameworthiness, we may obtain a principled specification of what counts as “good enough”.
Interleukin‐15 in obesity and metabolic dysfunction: current understanding and future perspectives
Authors: Duan Y. , Li F. , Wang W. , Guo Q. , Wen C. , Li Y. , Yin Y.
Published: July 2017

Obesity rises rapidly and is a major health concern for modern people. Importantly, it is a major risk factor in the development of numerous chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recently, interleukin (IL)‐15 has attracted considerable attention as a potential regulator for the prevention and/or treatment of obesity and T2DM. The beneficial effects include increased loss of fat mass and body weight, improved lipid and glucose metabolism, reduced white adipose tissue inflammation, enhanced mitochondrial function, alterations in the composition of muscle fibres and gut bacterial and attenuated endoplasmic reticulum stress. Although these beneficial effects are somewhat controversial, IL‐15, exogenously delivered or endogenously produced, may be a promising target in the prevention and treatment of obesity and T2DM.
Who often feels lonely? A cross‐sectional study about loneliness and its related factors among older home‐dwelling people
Authors: Tomstad Solveig , Dale Bjørg , Sundsli Kari , Sævareid Hans Inge , Söderhamn Ulrika
Published: July 2017

Aim and objectives

To investigate the prevalence of individuals who often feel lonely among a sample of Norwegian older home‐dwelling people aged ≥65 years old, as well as to identify any possible factors explaining their loneliness.

Background

Loneliness is known to be common among older people. To identify those older adults who are lonely, and to acquire knowledge about the complexity of their loneliness, is important to provide them with adequate help and support.

Design

This study employed a cross‐sectional design.

Method

A questionnaire was mailed to a randomised sample of 6,033 older home‐dwelling persons aged ≥65 years. A total of 2,052 persons returned the questionnaire and were included in the study. The questionnaire consisted of questions asking whether the subjects often felt lonely or not, as well as health‐related and background questions and instruments to measure the participants’ sense of coherence, mental problems, nutritional screening and self‐care ability. The data were analysed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods.

Results

A total of 11.6% of the participants reported often feeling lonely. Six factors emerged to be independently associated with often feeling lonely among the respondents: Living alone, not being satisfied with life, having mental problems, a weak sense of coherence, not having contact with neighbours and being at risk for undernutrition.

Conclusions

The study shows that often feeling lonely among older home‐dwelling persons is a health‐related problem that includes social, psychological and physical aspects. Moreover, these persons have limited resources to overcome feelings of loneliness.

Implications for practice

Lasting loneliness among older home‐dwelling persons requires an overall, person‐centred and time‐consuming approach by nurses. Nurses with advanced knowledge on geriatric nursing may be required to offer appropriate care and support. Healthcare leaders and politicians should offer possibilities for adequate assessment, support and help.
The Contextual Determinants of Support for Unilateral Action
Authors: Reeves Andrew , Rogowski Jon C. , Seo Min Hee , Stone Andrew R.
Published: July 2017

Recent scholarship shows relatively low public approval for the president's use of unilateral powers, yet public attitudes are often susceptible to framing effects. We conduct a series of survey experiments to explore attitudes toward unilateral power while varying a range of contextual features, including the identity of the president, the unilateral tool used, the justification for the action, and the policy pursued. We find little evidence that context affects attitudes toward unilateral powers except in circumstances that invoke explicitly political factors. Our findings have important implications for understanding how public opinion responds to presidential power.
Missing links between regulatory resources and risk concerns: Evidence from the case of food safety in China
Authors: Ma Liang , Liu Peng
Published: July 2017

Do resources available to regulatory agencies matter for public perceptions of social risks? In this paper we use the case of food safety in China to empirically examine the relationship between regulatory resources and risk concerns. The multilevel model estimates suggest that neither regulatory revenue nor personnel is significantly related to public concerns over food safety. There is also no significant interaction effect between regulatory resources and food scandals. Despite the fact that sufficient fiscal revenue and manpower are the prerequisites of effective food safety regulation, they do not elicit more favorable public perceptions. These are the two missing links leading to the insignificant effect of regulatory resource inputs. First, ineffective distribution and deployment of resources and the lack of external participation retard the growth of regulatory capacity. Second, underinvestment in risk communication and the amplification effect of risks undermine regulatory legitimacy. We discuss the theoretical and policy implications of the results, and conclude with research limitations and suggestions for future research.
Modelling Earnings Dynamics and Inequality: Foreign Workers and Inequality Trends in Luxembourg, 1988–2009
Authors: Sologon Denisa M. , Van Kerm Philippe
Published: July 2017

The paper exploits large-scale administrative data to analyse trends in male earnings inequality in Luxembourg during 20 years of rapid economic growth, industrial redevelopment and massive inflow of foreign workers. A detailed error components model is estimated to identify persistent and transitory components of (the trends of) log-earnings variance and to disentangle the contributions to it of native, immigrant and cross-border workers. The model is flexible and allows for a high degree of individual, age, time and cohort heterogeneity. We observe a surprising stability in overall earnings inequality as a result of more complex underlying changes, with marked increases in persistent inequality (except among natives), a growing contribution of foreigners and a decrease in earnings instability (primarily for natives).
Late Cretaceous tectonic switch from a Western Pacific‐ to an Andean‐Type continental margin evolution in East Asia, and a foreland basin development in NE China
Authors: Zhang Feng‐Qi , Dilek Yildirim , Chen Han‐Lin , Yang Shu‐Feng , Meng Qi‐An
Published: July 2017

The early Cretaceous structure of NE China was a result of slab‐rollback‐driven extensional tectonics, characteristic of Western Pacific‐type continental margins. Oblique docking of a microcontinent along the Asian active margin in the early Late Cretaceous induced a compressional stress regime that brought about an Andean‐type continental margin development. Partitioning of contractional–transpressional strain across NE China produced a retroarc foreland basin system, comprising, from east to west, an orogenic wedge, a foredeep (Songliao basin), a forebulge (Great Xing'an Range) and a back‐bulge depozone (Hailar and Erlian basins). A sub‐circular lacustrine depozone in the pre‐existing Songliao basin evolved into a NNE‐trending depocentre near the forebulge and acquired a westward flowing fluvial–deltaic drainage system during the Campanian. Development of this retroarc foreland basin system signals a significant tectonic switch from a Western Pacific‐type to an Andean‐type continental margin evolution in the geological history of East Asia.
Multimodality imaging of primary ureteral hemangiosarcoma with thoracic metastasis in an adult dog
Authors: Troiano Daniele , Zarelli Micaela
Published: July 2017

A 12‐year‐old spayed female standard Poodle was presented for investigation of severe hematuria. Abdominal ultrasound and thoracic and abdominal computed tomography identified severe hydronephrosis due to an obstructive ureteral mass with no evidence of metastasis. Histological examination after nephrectomy and ureterectomy confirmed an obstructive ureteral hemangiosarcoma. Forty days after surgery, the dog was presented with severe dyspnea. Survey radiographs of the thorax revealed a severe diffuse nodular interstitial pattern. Postmortem histological examination revealed pulmonary metastasis of hemangiosarcoma.
Evolution of salinity tolerance in the diving beetle tribe Hygrotini (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae)
Authors: Villastrigo Adrián , Fery Hans , Manuel Michaël , Millán Andrés , Ribera Ignacio
Published: July 2017

Some species of the diving beetle tribe Hygrotini (subfamily Hydroporinae) are among the few insects able to tolerate saline concentrations more than twice that of seawater. However, the phylogenetic relationships of the species of Hygrotini, and the origin and evolution of tolerance to salinity in this lineage, are unknown. In this work, we aim to reconstruct how many times salinity tolerance did evolve in Hygrotini, whether this evolution was gradual or if tolerance to hypersalinity could evolve directly from strictly freshwater (FW) species, and to estimate the probabilities of transition between habitats. We build a phylogeny with ca. 45% of the 137 species of Hygrotini, including all major lineages and almost all of the known halophile or tolerant species. We used sequence data of four mitochondrial (COI‐5′,COI‐3′, 16S + tRNAandNADH1) and three nuclear (28S, 18S and H3) gene fragments, plus ecological data to reconstruct the history of the salinity tolerance using Bayesian inference. Our results demonstrate multiple origins of the tolerance to salinity, although most saline and hypersaline species were concentrated in two lineages. The evolution of salinity was gradual, with no direct transitions from FW to hypersaline habitats, but with some reversals from tolerant to FW species. The oldest transition to saline tolerance, at the base of the clade with the highest number of saline species, was dated in the late Eocene‐early Oligocene, a period with decreasing temperature and precipitation. This temporal coincidence suggests a link between increased aridity and the development of tolerance to saline waters, in agreement with recent research in other groups of aquatic Coleoptera.
Comparative Analysis of Participation of Teachers of STEM and Non-STEM Subjects in Professional Development
Authors: Chiyaka Edward T. , Kibirige Joachim , Sithole Alec , McCarthy Peter , Mupinga Davison M.
Published: July 2017

School administrators continuously consider teacher professional development (PD) as one of the key strategies to improving teachers’ pedagogical skills. Modern proposals for advancing education by improving student learning outcomes are centered on high quality professional development for teachers. However, teachers face a number of barriers when it comes to participation in PD. Also, students in K-12 levels taking Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM subjects often report different learning experiences, most of which influence their decisions to enroll in STEM or non-STEM career-related programs in higher education. Understanding factors that influence the differential in teacher participation in PD is a critical step towards addressing student interest in STEM careers. Using the cross-sectional survey data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey of 2013, this study compared the participation of middle school STEM and non-STEM teachers in PD activities in the US. A bivariate analysis was used to compare STEM subject teachers versus non-STEM subject teachers’ participation in PD activities, its impact, and challenges. The findings showed that PD participation was higher among teachers of STEM subjects, but not significantly different from those for non-STEM subjects. Out-field teaching (no formal training of subject taught) accounted for 10.3% of the survey participants. Further, conflict with one’s work schedule was one of the major barriers to PD participation for teachers.
Paired motor cortex and cervical epidural electrical stimulation timed to converge in the spinal cord promotes lasting increases in motor responses
Authors: Mishra Asht M. , Pal Ajay , Gupta Disha , Carmel Jason B.
Published: July 2017

Key points

Pairing motor cortex stimulation and spinal cord epidural stimulation produced large augmentation in motor cortex evoked potentials if they were timed to converge in the spinal cord.

The modulation of cortical evoked potentials by spinal cord stimulation was largest when the spinal electrodes were placed over the dorsal root entry zone.

Repeated pairing of motor cortex and spinal cord stimulation caused lasting increases in evoked potentials from both sites, but only if the time between the stimuli was optimal.

Both immediate and lasting effects of paired stimulation are likely mediated by convergence of descending motor circuits and large diameter afferents onto common interneurons in the cervical spinal cord.

Convergent activity in neural circuits can generate changes at their intersection. The rules of paired electrical stimulation are best understood for protocols that stimulate input circuits and their targets. We took a different approach by targeting the interaction of descending motor pathways and large diameter afferents in the spinal cord. We hypothesized that pairing stimulation of motor cortex and cervical spinal cord would strengthen motor responses through their convergence. We placed epidural electrodes over motor cortex and the dorsal cervical spinal cord in rats; motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were measured from biceps. MEPs evoked from motor cortex were robustly augmented with spinal epidural stimulation delivered at an intensity below the threshold for provoking an MEP. Augmentation was critically dependent on the timing and position of spinal stimulation. When the spinal stimulation was timed to coincide with the descending volley from motor cortex stimulation, MEPs were more than doubled. We then tested the effect of repeated pairing of motor cortex and spinal stimulation. Repetitive pairing caused strong augmentation of cortical MEPs and spinal excitability that lasted up to an hour after just 5 min of pairing. Additional physiology experiments support the hypothesis that paired stimulation is mediated by convergence of descending motor circuits and large diameter afferents in the spinal cord. The large effect size of this protocol and the conservation of the circuits being manipulated between rats and humans makes it worth pursuing for recovery of sensorimotor function after injury to the central nervous system.
Thermodynamically Admissible Motion Past Rigid Obstacles With Isentropic or Nonisentropic Fluid–Solid Interfaces
Authors: Kleinstein Gerald G.
Published: July 2017

The motion of a fluid in a defined domain is called thermodynamically admissible if it satisfies the global system of the principles of balance of continuum mechanics and the principle of entropy or its equivalent differential system, consisting of differential equations and jump conditions. In an earlier publication, we have shown that the motion of a three-dimensional rigid body in an irrotational viscous and heat-conducting fluid violates the entropy jump condition, referred to as the Clausius–Duhem jump condition. Such a motion is thermodynamically inadmissible and could not persist. In a more recent publication, we have demonstrated that if the fluid–solid interface is isentropic, boundary conditions at a material interface, such as the no-slip condition and the continuity of the temperature, follow directly from the Clausius–Duhem jump condition. It is the purpose of this analysis to extend this methodology for the derivation of boundary conditions at isentropic material interfaces to nonisentropic material interfaces. We show that if the boundary conditions at the fluid–solid interface are a priori selected to satisfy the Clausius–Duhem jump condition, the resulting motion as described by the solution of the Navier–Stokes equations—whether the interface is isentropic or nonisentropic—is thermodynamically admissible.
Input-Constrained Controller Design of Linear Time-Varying Systems Based on Piecewise State Estimation
Authors: Tan Feng , Hou Mingzhe , Zhao Haihong , Duan Guangren
Published: July 2017

Finite-time control problem of linear time-varying systems with input constraints is considered in this paper. Successive ellipsoidal approximations are used to estimate the state evolution of linear time-varying systems during a certain finite-time interval. An algorithm to design a controller based on approximations of state evolution is proposed. According to the proposed algorithm, the speed of state approaching equilibrium is optimized piecewisely using admissible control. The controller gain can be obtained by solving several quasi-convex optimization problems, which makes the design process computationally tractable. Simulation results show that the proposed controller can quickly reduce state deviation without violating input constraints.
Estimation of Intake Oxygen Concentration Using a Dynamic Correction State With Extended Kalman Filter for Light-Duty Diesel Engines
Authors: Min Kyunghan , Shin Jaewook , Jung Donghyuk , Han Manbae , Sunwoo Myoungho
Published: July 2017

An accurate estimation of the intake oxygen concentration (IOC) is a prerequisite to develop the optimal control strategy because it directly affects the combustion and emissions. Since the IOC is determined based on the mass conservation law in the intake manifold, estimating the mass flow rate of the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is most critical. However, to estimate the EGR mass flow rate, the conventional orifice valve model causes extrapolation error or inaccurate estimation results under transient operating conditions. In order to improve the estimation performance, this study proposes a correction algorithm for estimating IOC. A dynamic correction state is determined for the orifice valve model. In addition, the intake pressure dynamics is also derived based on the energy conservation law in the intake manifold. Using these dynamic models, a nonlinear parameter varying model is determined, and an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is applied to derive the value of correction state. Furthermore, unmeasurable physical states of the nonlinear parameter varying model are estimated from an air system model that only requires the engine-equipped sensors of mass production engines. The correction algorithm is validated through the engine experiments that clearly demonstrate high accuracy of the IOC estimation during transient conditions, which may apply for the vehicle application.
Endogenous Sheet-Averaged Tension Within a Large Epithelial Cell Colony
Authors: Dumbali Sandeep P. , Mei Lanju , Qian Shizhi , Maruthamuthu Venkat
Published: July 2017

Epithelial cells form quasi-two-dimensional sheets that function as contractile media to effect tissue shape changes during development and homeostasis. Endogenously generated intrasheet tension is a driver of such changes, but has predominantly been measured in the presence of directional migration. The nature of epithelial cell-generated forces transmitted over supracellular distances, in the absence of directional migration, is thus largely unclear. In this report, we consider large epithelial cell colonies which are archetypical multicell collectives with extensive cell–cell contacts but with a symmetric (circular) boundary. Using the traction force imbalance method (TFIM) (traction force microscopy combined with physical force balance), we first show that one can determine the colony-level endogenous sheet forces exerted at the midline by one half of the colony on the other half with no prior assumptions on the uniformity of the mechanical properties of the cell sheet. Importantly, we find that this colony-level sheet force exhibits large variations with orientation—the difference between the maximum and minimum sheet force is comparable to the average sheet force itself. Furthermore, the sheet force at the colony midline is largely tensile but the shear component exhibits significantly more variation with orientation. We thus show that even an unperturbed epithelial colony with a symmetric boundary shows significant directional variation in the endogenous sheet tension and shear forces that subsist at the colony level.
Morphology and ultrastructure of Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov & Nikolskii (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Jiang Jueyingqi , Zhang Yannan , Guo Dandan , Zhang Jianping , Chen Jing
Published: July 2017

Tetranychus turkestani is a serious pest of cotton, corn, vegetables, fruit trees and forests in Xinjiang. All life stages of T. turkestani were observed using both light and scanning electron microscope. The egg is smooth and spherical. The eupathidial spinnerets of larva and protonymph are different from that of the deutonymph and adult in shape. The spinneret of adult female is obviously thicker and larger than that in male. The palpfemoral seta of adult male is a short, stout, spine-like process. T. turkestani has fourteen pairs of dorsal setae. The number of ventral setae increases regularly in number in each molt. The leg chaetotaxy has a great change from larva to deutonymph.
Structure of a symmetric photosynthetic reaction center–photosystem
Authors: Gisriel Christopher , Sarrou Iosifina , Ferlez Bryan , Golbeck John H. , Redding Kevin E. , Fromme Raimund
Published: July 2017

A homodimeric complex for anaerobic photosynthesis

In plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, large molecular complexes—photosystems I and II—convert light energy into chemical energy, releasing oxygen as a by-product. This oxygenic photosynthesis is critical for maintaining Earth's atmospheric oxygen. At their cores, photosystems I and II contain a heterodimeric reaction center. Reaction centers evolved in an atmosphere lacking oxygen, and the ancestral complex was likely homodimeric, encoded by a single gene. Gisriel
et al.
describe the structure of a homodimeric reaction center from an anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium. The structure shows perfect symmetry of the light-collecting antennae and elucidates the electron transfer chain.

Science
, this issue p.
1021
Draft Genome Sequence of
Anoxybacillus
sp. Strain UARK-01, a New Thermophilic Lignin-Utilizing Bacterium Isolated from Soil in Arkansas, USA
Authors: Alkahem Albalawi Thamir H. , Rhoads Douglas D. , Barabote Ravi D.
Published: July 2017

The draft genome of
Anoxybacillus
sp. strain UARK-01, a novel lignin-utilizing thermophilic soil bacterium, represents the first sequence of an
Anoxybacillus
isolate from the United States. The genome was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform,
de novo
assembled using SeqMan NGen, and annotated at NCBI. The genome sequence revealed genes for laccase and lignocellulose degradation enzymes.
Rhizospheric Microbiome Profiling of
Capsicum annuum
L. Cultivated in Amended Soils by 16S and Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 rRNA Amplicon Metagenome Sequencing
Authors: Asaff-Torres Ali , Armendáriz-Ruiz Mariana , Kirchmayr Manuel , Rodríguez-Heredia Raúl , Orozco Marcos , Mateos-Díaz Juan Carlos , Figueroa-Yáñez Luis , Baqueiro-Peña Itzamná , Verdín Jorge
Published: July 2017

Rhizospheric microbiomes of
Capsicum annuum
L. cultivated either conventionally or amended with a synthetic microbial consortium or a root exudate inductor, were characterized by 16S/internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) rRNA amplicon metagenome sequencing. The most abundant taxa found, although differently represented in each treatment, were
Gammaproteobacteria
,
Alphaproteobacteria
,
Actinobacteria
, and
Bacilli
, as well as Chytridiomycetes and Mortierellomycotina.
First Complete Genome Sequence of
Potato leafroll virus
from Argentina
Authors: Barrios Barón María P. , Agrofoglio Yamila C. , Delfosse Verónica C. , Nahirñak Vanesa , Gonzalez de Urreta Martín , Almasia Natalia I. , Vazquez Rovere Cecilia , Distéfano Ana J.
Published: July 2017

In this study, we determined for the first time the complete genomic sequence of an Argentinian isolate of
Potato leafroll virus
(PLRV), the type species of the genus
Polerovirus
. The isolate sequenced came from a
Solanum tuberosum
plant that had been naturally infected with the virus. Isolate PLRV-AR had a nucleotide sequence identity between 94.4 and 97.3% with several known PLRV isolates worldwide.
Complete Genome Sequences of Eight
Rhizobium
Symbionts Associated with Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Authors: Santamaría Rosa Isela , Bustos Patricia , Pérez-Carrascal Olga María , Miranda-Sánchez Fabiola , Vinuesa Pablo , Martínez-Flores Irma , Juárez Soledad , Lozano Luis , Martínez-Romero Esperanza , Cevallos Miguel Ángel , Romero David , Dávila Guillermo , Ormeño-Orrillo Ernesto , González Víctor
Published: July 2017

We present here the high-quality complete genome sequences of eight strains of
Rhizobium
-nodulating
Phaseolus vulgaris
. Comparative analyses showed that some of them belonged to different genomic and evolutionary lineages with common symbiotic properties. Two novel symbiotic plasmids (pSyms) with
P. vulgaris
specificity are reported here.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Torque teno indri virus 1
, a Novel Anellovirus in Blood from a Free-Living Lemur
Authors: Amatya Rina , Deem Sharon L. , Porton Ingrid J. , Wang David , Lim Efrem S.
Published: July 2017

We identified
Torque teno indri virus 1
(TTIV1), the first anellovirus in a free-living lemur (
Indri indri
). The complete circular 2,572-nucleotide (nt) TTIV1 genome is distantly related to torque teno sus virus. Phylogenetic and sequence analyses support TTIV1 as a putative member of a new genus within the
Anelloviridae
family.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Sourdough Isolate Lactobacillus zymae ACA-DC 3411
Authors: Kazou Maria , Alexandraki Voula , Pot Bruno , Tsakalidou Effie , Papadimitriou Konstantinos
Published: July 2017

Lactobacillus zymae
is a Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium belonging to the
Lactobacillus brevis
clade. Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of
L. zymae
ACA-DC 3411, which was isolated from traditional Greek wheat sourdough. Whole-genome analysis may reveal adaptive traits of strain ACA-DC 3411 in the sourdough ecosystem.
Genome Sequence of
Pantoea
sp. Strain 1.19, Isolated from Rice Rhizosphere, with the Capacity To Promote Growth of Legumes and Nonlegumes
Authors: Megías Esaú , Reis Junior Fábio Bueno , Ribeiro Renan Augusto , Megías Manuel , Ollero Francisco Javier , Hungria Mariangela
Published: July 2017

Pantoea
sp. 1.19, a plant growth-promoting bacterium (PGPB), was isolated from the rhizosphere of rice plants in Spain. Its genome, estimated at 3,771,065 bp, encodes 3,535 coding sequences (CDSs), carrying genes for synthesis of auxins, homoserine lactones, enzymes, siderophores, and quorum sensing. Several CDSs emphasize its biotechnological potential as an agriculture inoculant.
Complete Genome Sequence of Vibrio gazogenes ATCC 43942
Authors: Gummadidala Phani M. , Holder Michael E. , O’Brien Jacqueline L. , Ajami Nadim J. , Petrosino Joseph F. , Mitra Chandrani , Chen Yung Pin , Decho Alan W. , Chanda Anindya
Published: July 2017

Vibrio gazogenes
ATCC 43942 has the potential to synthesize a plethora of metabolites which are of clinical and agricultural significance in response to environmental triggers. The complete genomic sequence of
Vibrio gazogenes
ATCC 43942 is reported herein, contributing to the knowledge base of strains in the
Vibrio
genus.