bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A circadian output circuit controls sleep-wake arousal threshold in Drosophila
Authors: Guo Fang , Holla Meghana , Díaz Madelen M. , Rosbash Michael
Published: April 2018

The Drosophila core circadian circuit contains distinct groups of interacting neurons that give rise to diurnal sleep-wake patterns. Previous work showed that a subset of Dorsal Neurons 1 (DN1s) are sleep-promoting through their inhibition of activity-promoting circadian pacemakers. Here we show that these anterior-projecting DNs (APDNs) also “exit” the circadian circuitry and communicate with the homeostatic sleep center in higher brain regions to regulate sleep and sleep-wake arousal threshold. These APDNs connect to a small discrete subset of tubercular-bulbar neurons, which are connected in turn to specific sleep-centric Ellipsoid Body (EB)-Ring neurons of the central complex. Remarkably, activation of the APDNs produces sleep-like oscillations in the EB and also raises the arousal threshold, which requires neurotransmission throughout the circuit. The data indicate that this APDN-TuBusup-EB circuit temporally regulates sleep-wake arousal threshold in addition to the previously defined role of the TuBu-EB circuit in vision, navigation and attention.
Mapping the Peaks: Fitness Landscapes of the Fittest and the Flattest
Authors: Franklin Joshua , LaBar Thomas , Adami Christoph
Published: April 2018

Background

Populations exposed to a high mutation rate harbor abundant deleterious genetic variation, leading to depressed mean fitness. This reduction in mean fitness presents an opportunity for selection to restore adaptation through the evolution of mutational robustness. In extreme cases, selection for mutational robustness can lead to “flat” genotypes (with low fitness but high robustness) out-competing “fit” genotypes with high fitness but low robustness—a phenomenon known as “survival of the flattest”. While this effect was previously explored using the digital evolution system Avida, a complete analysis of the local fitness landscapes of “fit” and “flat” genotypes has been lacking, leading to uncertainty about the genetic basis of the survival of the flattest effect.

Results

Here, we repeated the survival of the flattest study and analyzed the mutational neighborhoods of fit and flat genotypes. We found that flat genotypes, compared to the fit genotypes, had a reduced likelihood of deleterious mutations as well as an increased likelihood of neutral and, surprisingly, of lethal mutations. This trend holds for mutants one to four substitutions away from the wild-type sequence. We also found that flat genotypes have, on average, no epistasis between mutations, while fit genotypes have, on average, positive epistasis.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that the genetic causes of mutational robustness on complex fitness landscapes are multifaceted. While the traditional idea of the survival of the flattest effect emphasized the evolution of increased neutrality, others have argued for increased mutational sensitivity in response to strong mutational loads. Our results show that both increased neutrality and increased lethality can lead to the evolution of mutational robustness. Furthermore, strong negative epistasis is not required for mutational sensitivity to lead to mutational robustness. Overall, these results suggest that mutational robustness is achieved by minimizingheritabledeleterious variation.
A critical assessment of single-cell transcriptomes sampled following patch-clamp electrophysiology
Authors: Tripathy Shreejoy J. , Toker Lilah , Bomkamp Claire , Mancarci B. Ogan , Belmadani Manuel , Pavlidis Paul
Published: April 2018

Patch-seq, combining patch-clamp electrophysiology with single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq), enables unprecedented single-cell access to a neuron’s transcriptomic, electrophysiological, and morphological features. Here, we present a systematic review and re-analysis of scRNAseq profiles from 4 recent patch-seq datasets, benchmarking these against analogous profiles from cellular-dissociation based scRNAseq. We found an increased likelihood for off-target cell-type mRNA contamination in patch-seq, likely due to the passage of the patch-pipette through the processes of adjacent cells. We also observed that patch-seq samples varied considerably in the amount of mRNA that could be extracted from each cell, strongly biasing the numbers of detectable genes. We present a straightforward marker gene-based approach for controlling for these artifacts and show that our method improves the correspondence between gene expression and electrophysiological features. Our analysis suggests that these technical confounds likely limit the interpretability of patch-seq based single-cell transcriptomes. However, we provide concrete recommendations for quality control steps that can be performed prior to costly RNA-sequencing to optimize the yield of high quality samples.
Protein interaction energy landscapes are shaped by functional and also non-functional partners
Authors: Schweke Hugo , Mucchielli Marie-Hélène , Sacquin-Mora Sophie , Bei Wanying , Lopes Anne
Published: April 2018

In the crowded cell, a strong selective pressure operates on the proteome to limit the competition between functional and non-functional protein-protein interactions. We developed an original theoretical framework in order to interrogate how this competition constrains the behavior of proteins with respect to their partners or random encounters. Our theoretical framework relies on a two-dimensional (2D) representation of interaction energy landscapes with 2D energy maps that reflect in a synthetic way the propensity of a protein to interact with another protein. We investigated the propensity of protein surfaces to interact with functional and arbitrary partners and asked whether their interaction propensity is conserved during the evolution. Therefore, we performed several thousands of cross-docking simulations to systematically characterize the whole energy landscapes of 74 proteins interacting with different sets of homologs, corresponding to their functional partner’s family or arbitrary protein families. Then, we systematically compared the energy maps resulting from the docking of a given protein with the different protein families of the dataset. Strikingly, we show that the interaction propensity not only of the binding site but also of the rest of the protein surface is conserved for docking partners belonging to the same protein family. Interestingly, this observation holds for docked proteins corresponding to true but also to arbitrary partners. Our theoretical framework enables the characterization of the energy behavior of a protein in interaction with hundreds of selected partners and opens the way for further developments to study the behavior of proteins in a specific environment.
PCPE2 and SR-BI Partner to Impact Accumulation of Fat in Mice
Authors: Xu Hao , Kaul Sushma , Kallinger Rachel , Thomas Michael J. , Schill Rebecca L. , Sahoo Daisy , Sorci-Thomas Mary G.
Published: April 2018

LDL receptor knockout mice (LDLr-/-) were crossed with PCPE2 knockout mice to obtainLdlr-/-,Pcpe2-/-mice. The rationale of these studies was to examine the effects of an extracellular matrix protein, PCPE2, on fat storage in a dyslipidemic mouse model. MaleLdlr-/-,Pcpe2-/-mice were fed a Western diet for 25 weeks and their plasma triglyceride metabolism and triglyceride storage was examined. Interestingly, visceral but not subcutaneous fat pad were smaller in diet-fedLdlr-/-,Pcpe2-/-mice compared to controls. There was no difference in the fatty acid distribution in triglyceride and cholesteryl esters (CE) among the genotypes.Ldlr-/-,Pcpe2-/-mice have higher plasma triglyceride levels and reduced lipoprotein lipase activity. Immunoprecipitation of SR-BI from cell extracts co-precipitated PCPE2 suggesting that PCPE2 and SR-BI are tightly associated. This work also showed that in the absence of PCPE2 SR-BI does not transfer CE from HDL into the cell. These results suggest that HDL, PCPE2, SR-BI, and possibly LPL are associated in an interactome that is required for CE transport into the cell. In the absence of these interactions lipid transport is significantly disrupted.
Profound perturbation of the human metabolome by obesity
Authors: Cirulli Elizabeth T. , Guo Lining , Swisher Christine Leon , Shah Naisha , Huang Lei , Napier Lori A. , Kirkness Ewen F. , Spector Tim D. , Caskey C. Thomas , Thorens Bernard , Venter J. Craig , Telenti Amalio
Published: April 2018

Obesity is a heterogeneous phenotype that is crudely measured by body mass index (BMI). More precise phenotyping and categorization of risk in large numbers of people with obesity is needed to advance clinical care and drug development. Here, we used non-targeted metabolome analysis and whole genome sequencing to identify metabolic and genetic signatures of obesity. We collected anthropomorphic and metabolic measurements at three timepoints over a median of 13 years in 1,969 adult twins of European ancestry and at a single timepoint in 427 unrelated volunteers. We observe that obesity results in a profound perturbation of the metabolome; nearly a third of the assayed metabolites are associated with changes in BMI. A metabolome signature identifies the healthy obese and also identifies lean individuals with abnormal metabolomes – these groups differ in health outcomes and underlying genetic risk. Because metabolome profiling identifies clinically meaningful heterogeneity in obesity, this approach could help select patients for clinical trials.
Conditional control of fluorescent protein degradation by an auxin-dependent nanobody
Authors: Daniel Katrin , Icha Jaroslav , Horenburg Cindy , Müller Doris , Norden Caren , Mansfeld Jörg
Published: April 2018

The conditional and reversible depletion of proteins by auxin-mediated degradation is a powerful tool to investigate protein functions in cells and whole organisms. However, its wider applications require fusing the auxin-inducible degron (AID) to individual target proteins. Thus, establishing the auxin system for multiple proteins can be challenging. Another approach for directed protein degradation are anti-GFP nanobodies, which can be applied to GFP stock collections that are readily available in different experimental models. Here, we combine the advantages of auxin and nanobody-based degradation technologies creating an AID-nanobody to degrade GFP-tagged proteins at different cellular structures in a conditional and reversible manner in human cells. We demonstrate efficient and reversible inactivation of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and thus provide new means to study the functions of this essential ubiquitin E3 ligase. Further, we establish auxin degradation in a vertebrate model organism by employing AID-nanobodies in zebrafish.
The role of self-efficacy and customer satisfaction in driving loyalty to the mobile shopping application
Authors: Thakur Rakhi
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a model that examines the relationship between post-adoption self-efficacy, satisfaction, and loyalty in the usage of mobile shopping applications.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents who had used mobile shopping applications to make purchases. Data analysis was done using partial least square structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results show that self-efficacy and satisfaction have a positive impact on continuance intention; however, the same may not lead to advocacy. The results also show that some antecedents of self-efficacy and satisfaction at the post-adoption stage differ from the pre-adoption intention stage.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provide a better understanding of the factors likely to influence loyalty among customers using mobile shopping applications. The findings also provide valuable insights into the factors that e-retailers need to focus to build self-efficacy among their customers using mobile interface.

Originality/value

The contribution of the paper lies in eliciting the differences between customer choice model at the pre-adoption and post-adoption stage for mobile shopping. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the role of a cognitive factor of self-efficacy in loyalty at the post-adoption stage that is pre-dominantly researched with affective factor of satisfaction.
The proxies conundrum
Authors: Tashfeen Rubeena , Azhar Tashfeen Mahmood
Published: April 2018

Purpose

No systematic models are being used in empirical research that provide assurance for the choice of proxies that are being used. The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of the proxies being used in empirical research, and as a case study, it focuses on the area of financial derivatives.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors review results of proxies from the financial derivatives literature and follow with empirical tests to confirm the findings from the review.

Findings

The review shows that proxies provide mixed results. The findings are further supported by the results from empirical tests. It suggests that measures used in the studies related to financial derivatives theory may need to be refined and highlights that no solid bases or tests have been developed for the proxies used to measure the constructs.

Research limitations/implications

As individual proxies are examined across studies, a meta-regression analysis cannot be used, and there is no other available model to capture this type of examination. The approach adopted has some limitations but provides a basis for examining the reasonableness of proxies as measures of constructs.

Originality/value

This is the first study that attempts to examine the strength of proxies in capturing related constructs. The methodology is unique to a review of past studies in financial derivatives. It supports the need for developing more rigorous models/bases for the measures being used, and this is an area that has been ignored in empirical research.
Movement patterns and herd dynamics among South African giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa)
Authors: Deacon Francois , Bercovitch Fred B.
Published: April 2018

Giraffes reside in a fission–fusion social system, with sex, age proximity, kinship and home range overlap accounting for some of the variance in herd composition, while season, sex, age and time of day influence diet, home range size and distance travelled. To increase our knowledge of habitat use and fission–fusion herd dynamics, we placed GPS devices on eight adult female South African giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) living in the Khamab Kalahari Nature Reserve (South Africa). We tested four predictions about how season, kinship, home range and travel patterns influence habitat use and herd dynamics. Our two key findings were that females with a greater degree of home range overlap were more likely to form herds, but the degree of overlap was independent of the amount of time that they spent together in a herd, and that on the day prior to herd formation, females travelled about twice as far as their daily average and tended to move directly towards their future herd mate. We conclude that habitat use and movement patterns regulating fission–fusion dynamics reflect an interaction of ecological, social and reproductive factors operating in tandem, not independently.
Tell the story: How to write forAmerican Ethnologist
Authors: BESNIER NIKO , MORALES PABLO
Published: April 2018

To write a successful article for a major anthropology journal, authors can employ a number of strategies. The first and most essential is to familiarize themselves with the journal's mission. ForAE, authors must ground their arguments in current debates in the discipline, make a clear contribution to anthropological theory, support this contribution with ethnography, and demonstrate its relevance to contemporary sociocultural problems. Moreover,AEauthors must cite other authors appropriately, cohesively structure the article, and avoid various problems that afflict much of academic writing—such as evasive metadiscourse, inflated diction, serial citation, and unnecessary literature reviews. To maximize the article's online discoverability, authors should judiciously compose their titles and abstracts and carefully choose their accompanying keywords. [writing,composition, publishing,editing,theory,ethnography,American Ethnologist]
Yellow‐sticker shopping as competent, creative consumption
Authors: Kelsey Sarah , Morris Carol , Crewe Louise
Published: April 2018

This paper presents the preliminary findings of an empirical study into a specific and novel form of contemporary consumption: “yellow‐sticker shopping.” This type of consumption involves the active targeting for purchase of food products that have been reduced in price because they are approaching their expiry date. Given the complexities of food provisioning in austerity Britain, that include both non‐conventional sites like markets and food banks as well as conventional “discounters” and high street supermarkets, the analysis reveals how this form of food provisioning goes far beyond the “cost‐saving” accounts that might be expected. The research uses autoethnographic material in the form of vignette, constructed around research conducted in the North of England, together with analysis of an online discussion forum. Data are thematically analysed using literature on shopping and supermarkets and then organised according to the three dimensions of social practice: materials, competences and meanings. The paper makes three key contributions in relation to the practice of yellow‐sticker shopping. First, that it has distinct spatial and temporal qualities and the role played by the space of the supermarket and its associated fixtures and technologies is important. Second, that the uncertain supply of yellow‐sticker goods results in unpredictability. Successful shopping is celebrated and characterised in ways other than the drudgery often associated with the weekly shop. Third, it reveals an assemblage of competences, skills and knowledge not only in relation to grocery shopping but that take place in the home, around food, its storage and preparation and cooking and recipe knowledge. The paper concludes by outlining further planned research associated with the practice of yellow‐sticker shopping that will contribute to ongoing study into the alternative modes of food provisioning and their spatialities that are characteristic of life in contemporary Britain.
Contemporary management of adult‐acquired buried penis
Authors: Jun Min S. , Gallegos Maxx A. , Santucci Richard A.
Published: April 2018

Objectives

To describe our buried penis repair technique that includes penile release, tissue resection, wound closure, and penile reconstruction.

Patients and Methods

In all, 73 patients were treated from 2007 to 2017. Patients can be categorised into five stages: Stage I, involves only a phimotic band; Stage 2, required excision of diseased penile skin with split‐thickness skin grafting (STSG); Stage 3, requires scrotal excision; Stage 4, requires escutcheonectomy; and Stage 5, requires panniculectomy. Successful treatment hinges on adequate excision of diseased skin and de‐bulking followed by replacement of deficient skin with STSG.

Results

In all, 36 of 73 (49%) patients had Stage 1–3 disease, whilst 37 of 73 (51%) were Stage 4–5. There were complications within the first 30 days in 44 of 73 (60%) patients. In all, 62 of 73 (85%) patients either had no complications or Clavien–Dindo grade I–II complications and nine (12%) had complications beyond 30 days. Only five of 36 (14%) patients with Stage 1–3 disease had complications. One patient developed recurrent phimosis.

Conclusion

The buried penis is a challenging surgical entity where conservative treatment will most likely lead to failure. Surgery is the only means for a lasting cure in these patients and should be used as a first‐line treatment. One should expect complications postoperatively, especially within the first 30 days; however, these are mostly limited to Clavien–Dindo grade I–II complications.
Impact of cross‐sex hormone therapy on bone mineral density and body composition in transwomen
Authors: Fighera Tayane Muniz , da Silva Eliane , Lindenau Juliana Dal‐Ri , Spritzer Poli Mara
Published: April 2018

Objective

Cross‐sex hormone therapy (CSHT) has been associated with changes in bone and lean/fat mass. This study assessed bone mineral density (BMD), appendicular lean mass (ALM), and total fat mass in transwomen undergoing CSHT.

Patients and Design

We evaluated 142 transwomen (mean age: 33.7 ± 10.3 years; BMI: 25.4 ± 4.6; 86.6% with previous CSHT) during the first 3 months of regular oestrogen treatment (with or without anti‐androgens). A reference group including 22 men and 17 cis women was also studied.

Measurements

Clinical and hormonal evaluation and dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Results

Bone mineral density was similar in trans and reference women, and lower at all sites in transwomen vs men. Low bone mass for age was observed in 18% of transwomen at baseline vs none of the reference women or men. Appendicular lean mass and total fat mass were positively correlated with L1‐L4 BMD, explaining 14.9% of the observed variation in lumbar spine BMD and 20.6% of the variation in total femur BMD. Appendicular lean mass was similar in trans and reference women, and lower in transwomen vs men. Total fat mass was lower in trans vs reference women. Densitometry was repeated after a mean of 31.3 ± 6.5 months in 46 transwomen. There was a significant increase in total fat mass and a significant decrease in ALM. Bone mineral density remained stable over time.

Conclusions

The fairly high prevalence of low bone mass in this sample of transwomen from southern Brazil seems to be related to lower ALM. Non‐pharmacological lifestyle‐related strategies for preventing bone loss could be beneficial for transgender women receiving long‐term CSHT.
Too Much of a Good Thing: How Novelty Biases and Vocabulary Influence Known and Novel Referent Selection in 18‐Month‐Old Children and Associative Learning Models
Authors: Kucker Sarah C. , McMurray Bob , Samuelson Larissa K.
Published: April 2018

Identifying the referent of novel words is a complex process that young children do with relative ease. When given multiple objects along with a novel word, children select the most novel item, sometimes retaining the word‐referent link. Prior work is inconsistent, however, on the role of object novelty. Two experiments examine 18‐month‐old children's performance on referent selection and retention with novel and known words. The results reveal a pervasive novelty bias on referent selection with both known and novel names and, across individual children, a negative correlation between attention to novelty and retention of new word‐referent links. A computational model examines possible sources of the bias, suggesting novelty supports in‐the‐moment behavior but not retention. Together, results suggest that when lexical knowledge is weak, attention to novelty drives behavior, but alone does not sustain learning. Importantly, the results demonstrate that word learning may be driven, in part, by low‐level perceptual processes.
GABA: no longer the faithful neurotransmitter
Authors: Pearl Phillip L
Published: April 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Cortés‐Saladelafont et al. on pages 780–792 of this issue.
The role of accounting fundamentals and other information in analyst forecast errors
Authors: Monte‐Mor Danilo S. , Galdi Fernando C. , Costa Cristiano M.
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we study analyst forecast errors in the United States, and decompose these errors into two different sources: accounting fundamentals and other information. Using data from 1983 to 2012, our results lead to two conclusions. First, using the decomposition approach, we show that on average, the component of analyst forecast errors based on ‘accounting information’ is optimistic; however, the component of analyst forecast errors based on ‘other information’ is pessimistic. Second, although occasionally analysts make forecasts with small errors, the decomposition of such errors provide, on average, larger (positive) accounting errors, and larger (negative) other information errors. In this case, our results suggest that analysts' luck occasionally surpasses their skills.
The Influence of Administrative Traditions and Governance on Private Involvement in Urban Climate Change Adaptation
Authors: Klein Johannes , Juhola Sirkku
Published: April 2018

This qualitative study examines how administrative traditions and governance in two cities, New York City and Helsinki, have affected the interplay of public administration, the private sector, and citizens in climate change adaptation. The results show that both cities aim for an increased state‐market‐civil society interaction. However, their efforts have different points of departure and follow different trajectories. New York City's administration is within the Anglo‐American tradition of state‐market dualism, while the state‐market‐civil society interaction for adaptation is coordinated by newly created administrative organizations. This interaction has to be accommodated to the strong reliance on market mechanisms. Helsinki's administration has its roots in the welfare state administration with a strong role of the public administration. Increased state‐market‐civil society interaction results in a reduced influence of the public sector and the reliance on ad hoc projects and informal modes of cross‐sectoral cooperation.
Implicit Statistical Learning: A Tale of Two Literatures
Authors: Christiansen Morten H.
Published: April 2018

Implicit learning and statistical learning are two contemporary approaches to the long‐standing question in psychology and cognitive science of how organisms pick up on patterned regularities in their environment. Although both approaches focus on the learner's ability to use distributional properties to discover patterns in the input, the relevant research has largely been published in separate literatures and with surprisingly little cross‐pollination between them. This has resulted in apparently opposing perspectives on the computations involved in learning, pitting chunk‐based learning against probabilistic learning. In this paper, I trace the nearly century‐long historical pedigree of the two approaches to learning and argue for their integration under the heading of “implicit statistical learning.” Building on basic insights from the memory literature, I sketch a framework for statistically based chunking that aims to provide a unified basis for understanding implicit statistical learning.
Native language and acquired language as determinants of product‐level trade
Authors: Egger Peter H. , Toubal Farid
Published: April 2018

The present paper estimates response parameters of bilateral export flows at the disaggregated Harmonised System 6‐digit level to two fractional variables reflecting the language commonality between exporting and importing countries common native language versus common acquired language. In particular, the response to common acquired language is shown to vary systematically with the price (and trade) elasticity of demand across products and with the degree of product differentiation and competition across products. These findings support the notion that there is a relatively important role to play for foreign‐language acquisition in stimulating cross‐border trade and international integration, which are known to induce (average) consumer gains.
Thermoluminescence studies of calcium metaborate (CaB2O4) nanocrystals synthesized by solution combustion method
Authors: Tengku Kamarul Bahri Tengku Nurul Hidayah , Hussin Rosli , Ahmad Nor Ezzaty
Published: April 2018

This study reports the thermoluminescence properties of calcium metaborate (CaB2O4) nanocrystals prepared by solution combustion method. The characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was presented here. The XRD patterns showed the orthorhombic structure with the crystallite size at about 27 nm and the FESEM micrograph revealed the formation of irregular spherical shape nanoparticles. Weight fraction obtained from EDX analysis consequently lead to determination of effective atomic number. It was found that the effective atomic number of CaB2O4, Zeff= 14.13 was equivalent to the effective atomic number of the bone, Zeff= 13.23 with percent error 6.83 %. The samples were annealed using the TLD oven type LAB-01/400 and exposed to cobalt-60 source (Gammacell 220 Excel). TL glow curves were recorded using a Harshaw model 3500 TLD reader. The TL glow curve of this material showed a simple, single, peak located at around 150 °C. The most striking dosimetric feature of this nanomaterial was the excellence linearity response of a dose range from 1 Gy up to 100 Gy with R2= 0.9827 compared to the TLD-100 powder with R2= 0.9276. The high linear correlation between dose and TL response to gamma radiation suggest that calcium metaborate nanocrystals can be considered as a promising material to be used in thermoluminescence dosimetry.
Carbon source screening for nitrate remediation in permeable recative barrier: Ion chromatography technique
Authors: Dahiru Muntaka , Abu Bakar Nor Kartini , Yusoff Ismail , Ladan Magaji
Published: April 2018

In heterotrophic denitrification process, the integrity of carbon source within the gate of permeable reactive barrier(PRB) is as important as the remediation process itself. Problems of early depreciation rate of the electron source and pollution swapping have been reported to be amongst the recalcitrant factors. In an attempt to identify a new carbon source that can adress some of the above mentioned problems, multi layers extracts of selected seed materials (Moringa Oleifera, Tamarind and date seed) were subjected to ion chromatography screening for identification of denitrification active anion and antagonistic radicals. The results revealed that Moringa Oleifera seed cover had the highest sulphate content while tamarind seed had the highest chloride content with multiple untagged peaks within the 3-6min region. The date seed was found to be the most suitable on account of it’s less anion radicals and slow rate of decomposition. The ultrasonic-aided batch analysis for adsorbtion measurement carried out on the suitable seed (Date seed) revealed minor adsorption capacity (15%) for nitrate. It is recommended that the date seed be combined with fast degradable carbon substrate for effective exploitation in heterotrophic denitrification.
Wireless bipolar electrosurgical device by using power energy transfer
Authors: Alzaidi Ali Idham , Yahya Azli , Tian Swee Tan , Idris Norhalimah
Published: April 2018

This paper presents to develop a system of wireless power transfer for medical applications.Many surgeons use the bipolar electrosurgery system that runs on a battery for a different kind of surgery. This venture is intended to control a rechargeable cordless remote which is used in operation room/theatre. This venture is framed out from Alternating Current(AC) of 220 Volt(V) 50 Hz to 12V Direct Current(DC)  then converted to 12V AC at 20 kHz  in the circuit. DC battery is provided in an electrode of the 12 V bipolar electrosurgery system and the arrangement for charging battery is also prudently/properly made. The new design is an improvement based on specialists' complain regarding the visibility of wire/eletrical line of standard electrocautery instrument Theose wire always put them at risk of being  tangled on the searing instrument which can burn the hand. Not only that, it also restrict their hands movement from performing surgery. The electrical wire is a weakness/disadvantage as it requires an observation of eletrical wire from the hand position to guarantee that it stays sterile amid surgical operations.
The Effect of Career Decisions on Entrepreneurial Intention Levels of University Students Studying Sport Sciences
Authors: Yildiz Kadir
Published: April 2018

This study investigates the entrepreneurial intention levels and career decisions of a sample of 340 university students studying sport sciences. Entrepreneurship refers to a career-related choice that is driven by a risk-taking and innovation imperative. Entrepreneurs of the future are expected to make their career related choices well before they move into labor markets. In this context, this study attempts to designate young adults’ entrepreneurial intentions which are considered to be highly related with their career decisions. The study also tests the potential effects of career decisions on entrepreneurial intentions. The findings of the study evidence the significant effect of conscious career choice on entrepreneurial propensity. A blind career choice is found to be also correlated with entrepreneurial intentions, albeit less so than the conscious career choice. The environmental factors subscale of career choice proves to be insignificant in terms of entrepreneurial propensity within the scope of this study’s sample group. Findings are discussed with a view to practical implications.
RNase III Processing of rRNA in the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
Authors: Anacker Melissa L. , Drecktrah Dan , LeCoultre Richard D. , Lybecker Meghan , Samuels D. Scott
Published: April 2018

The rRNA genes of
Borrelia
(
Borreliella
)
burgdorferi
are unusually organized; the spirochete has a single 16S rRNA gene that is more than 3 kb from a tandem pair of 23S-5S rRNA operons. We generated an
rnc
null mutant in
B. burgdorferi
that exhibits a pleiotropic phenotype, including decreased growth rate and increased cell length. Here, we demonstrate that endoribonuclease III (RNase III) is, as expected, involved in processing the 23S rRNA in
B. burgdorferi
. The 5′ and 3′ ends of the three rRNAs were determined in the wild type and
rnc
Bb
mutants; the results suggest that RNase III in
B. burgdorferi
is required for the full maturation of the 23S rRNA but not for the 5S rRNA nor, curiously, for the 16S rRNA.

IMPORTANCE
Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne zoonosis in the Northern Hemisphere, is caused by the bacterium
Borrelia
(
Borreliella
)
burgdorferi
, a member of the deeply branching spirochete phylum.
B. burgdorferi
carries a limited suite of ribonucleases, enzymes that cleave RNA during processing and degradation. Several ribonucleases, including RNase III, are involved in the production of ribosomes, which catalyze translation and are a major target of antibiotics. This is the first study to dissect the role of an RNase in any spirochete. We demonstrate that an RNase III mutant is viable but has altered processing of rRNA.
Development of a Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay for Global Differentiation of Yellow Fever Virus Vaccine-Related Adverse Events from Natural Infections
Authors: Hughes Holly R. , Russell Brandy J. , Mossel Eric C. , Kayiwa John , Lutwama Julius , Lambert Amy J.
Published: April 2018

Yellow fever (YF) is a reemerging public health threat, with frequent outbreaks prompting large vaccination campaigns in regions of endemicity in Africa and South America. Specific detection of vaccine-related adverse events is resource-intensive, time-consuming, and difficult to achieve during an outbreak. To address this, we have developed a highly transferable rapid yellow fever virus (YFV) vaccine-specific real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay that distinguishes vaccine from wild-type lineages. The assay utilizes a specific hydrolysis probe that includes locked nucleic acids to enhance specific discrimination of the YFV17D vaccine strain genome. Promisingly, sensitivity and specificity analyses reveal this assay to be highly specific to vaccine strain(s) when tested on clinical samples and YFV cell culture isolates of global origin. Taken together, our data suggest the utility of this assay for use in laboratories of varied capacity for the identification and differentiation of vaccine-related adverse events from wild-type infections of both African and South American origin.
Broad-Spectrum Regulation of Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinases by the Bacterial ADP-Ribosyltransferase EspJ
Authors: Pollard Dominic J. , Berger Cedric N. , So Ernest C. , Yu Lu , Hadavizadeh Kate , Jennings Patricia , Tate Edward W. , Choudhary Jyoti S. , Frankel Gad
Published: April 2018

Tyrosine phosphorylation is key for signal transduction from exogenous stimuli, including the defense against pathogens. Conversely, pathogens can subvert protein phosphorylation to control host immune responses and facilitate invasion and dissemination. The bacterial effectors EspJ and SeoC are injected into host cells through a type III secretion system by enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EPEC and EHEC, respectively),
Citrobacter rodentium
, and
Salmonella enterica
, where they inhibit Src kinase by coupled amidation and ADP-ribosylation.
C. rodentium
, which is used to model EPEC and EHEC infections in humans, is a mouse pathogen triggering colonic crypt hyperplasia (CCH) and colitis. Enumeration of bacterial shedding and CCH confirmed that EspJ affects neither tolerance nor resistance to infection. However, comparison of the proteomes of intestinal epithelial cells isolated from mice infected with wild-type
C. rodentium
or
C. rodentium
encoding catalytically inactive EspJ revealed that EspJ-induced ADP-ribosylation regulates multiple nonreceptor tyrosine kinases
in vivo
. Investigation of the substrate repertoire of EspJ revealed that in HeLa and A549 cells, Src and Csk were significantly targeted; in polarized Caco2 cells, EspJ targeted Src and Csk and the Src family kinase (SFK) Yes1, while in differentiated Thp1 cells, EspJ modified Csk, the SFKs Hck and Lyn, the Tec family kinases Tec and Btk, and the adapter tyrosine kinase Syk. Furthermore, Abl (HeLa and Caco2) and Lyn (Caco2) were enriched specifically in the EspJ-containing samples. Biochemical assays revealed that EspJ, the only bacterial ADP-ribosyltransferase that targets mammalian kinases, controls immune responses and the Src/Csk signaling axis.

IMPORTANCE
Enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EPEC and EHEC, respectively) strains cause significant mortality and morbidity worldwide.
Citrobacter rodentium
is a mouse pathogen used to model EPEC and EHEC pathogenesis
in vivo
. Diarrheal disease is triggered following injection of bacterial effectors, via a type III secretion system (T3SS), into intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). While insights into the role of the effectors were historically obtained from pathological, immunologic, or cell culture phenotypes, subtle roles of individual effectors
in vivo
are often masked. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role and specificity of the ADP-ribosyltransferase effector EspJ. For the first time, we show that the
in vivo
processes affected by a T3SS effector can be studied by comparing the proteomes of IECs extracted from mice infected with wild-type
C. rodentium
or an
espJ
catalytic mutant. We show that EspJ, the only bacterial ADP-ribosyltransferase that targets mammalian kinases, regulates the host immune response
in vivo
.
A Biofilm Matrix-Associated Protease Inhibitor Protects Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Proteolytic Attack
Authors: Tseng Boo Shan , Reichhardt Courtney , Merrihew Gennifer E. , Araujo-Hernandez Sophia A. , Harrison Joe J. , MacCoss Michael J. , Parsek Matthew R.
Published: April 2018

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
produces an extracellular biofilm matrix that consists of nucleic acids, exopolysaccharides, lipid vesicles, and proteins. In general, the protein component of the biofilm matrix is poorly defined and understudied relative to the other major matrix constituents. While matrix proteins have been suggested to provide many functions to the biofilm, only proteins that play a structural role have been characterized thus far. Here we identify proteins enriched in the matrix of
P. aeruginosa
biofilms. We then focused on a candidate matrix protein, the serine protease inhibitor ecotin (PA2755). This protein is able to inhibit neutrophil elastase, a bactericidal enzyme produced by the host immune system during
P. aeruginosa
biofilm infections. We show that ecotin binds to the key biofilm matrix exopolysaccharide Psl and that it can inhibit neutrophil elastase when associated with Psl. Finally, we show that ecotin protects both planktonic and biofilm
P. aeruginosa
cells from neutrophil elastase-mediated killing. This may represent a novel mechanism of protection for biofilms to increase their tolerance against the innate immune response.

IMPORTANCE
Proteins associated with the extracellular matrix of bacterial aggregates called biofilms have long been suggested to provide many important functions to the community. To date, however, only proteins that provide structural roles have been described, and few matrix-associated proteins have been identified. We developed a method to identify matrix proteins and characterized one. We show that this protein, when associated with the biofilm matrix, can inhibit a bactericidal enzyme produced by the immune system during infection and protect biofilm cells from death induced by the enzyme. This may represent a novel mechanism of protection for biofilms, further increasing their tolerance against the immune response. Together, our results are the first to show a nonstructural function for a confirmed matrix-interacting protein.
Extracellular Electron Transfer Powers Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm Metabolism
Authors: Keogh Damien , Lam Ling Ning , Doyle Lucinda E. , Matysik Artur , Pavagadhi Shruti , Umashankar Shivshankar , Low Pui Man , Dale Jennifer L. , Song Yiyang , Ng Sean Pin , Boothroyd Chris B. , Dunny Gary M. , Swarup Sanjay , Williams Rohan B. H. , Marsili Enrico , Kline Kimberly A.
Published: April 2018

Enterococci are important human commensals and significant opportunistic pathogens. Biofilm-related enterococcal infections, such as endocarditis, urinary tract infections, wound and surgical site infections, and medical device-associated infections, often become chronic upon the formation of biofilm. The biofilm matrix establishes properties that distinguish this state from free-living bacterial cells and increase tolerance to antimicrobial interventions. The metabolic versatility of the enterococci is reflected in the diversity and complexity of environments and communities in which they thrive. Understanding metabolic factors governing colonization and persistence in different host niches can reveal factors influencing the transition to biofilm pathogenicity. Here, we report a form of iron-dependent metabolism for
Enterococcus faecalis
where, in the absence of heme, extracellular electron transfer (EET) and increased ATP production augment biofilm growth. We observe alterations in biofilm matrix depth and composition during iron-augmented biofilm growth. We show that the
ldh
gene encoding
l
-lactate dehydrogenase is required for iron-augmented energy production and biofilm formation and promotes EET.

IMPORTANCE
Bacterial metabolic versatility can often influence the outcome of host-pathogen interactions, yet causes of metabolic shifts are difficult to resolve. The bacterial biofilm matrix provides the structural and functional support that distinguishes this state from free-living bacterial cells. Here, we show that the biofilm matrix can immobilize iron, providing access to this growth-promoting resource which is otherwise inaccessible in the planktonic state. Our data show that in the absence of heme,
Enterococcus faecalis
l
-lactate dehydrogenase promotes EET and uses matrix-associated iron to carry out EET. Therefore, the presence of iron within the biofilm matrix leads to enhanced biofilm growth.
Palladin Compensates for the Arp2/3 Complex and Supports Actin Structures during
Listeria
Infections
Authors: Dhanda Aaron S. , Vogl A. Wayne , Albraiki Sharifah E. , Otey Carol A. , Beck Moriah R. , Guttman Julian A.
Published: April 2018

Palladin is an important component of motile actin-rich structures and nucleates branched actin filament arrays
in vitro
. Here we examine the role of palladin during
Listeria monocytogenes
infections in order to tease out novel functions of palladin. We show that palladin is co-opted by
L. monocytogenes
during its cellular entry and intracellular motility. Depletion of palladin resulted in shorter and misshapen comet tails, and when actin- or VASP-binding mutants of palladin were overexpressed in cells, comet tails disintegrated or became thinner. Comet tail thinning resulted in parallel actin bundles within the structures. To determine whether palladin could compensate for the Arp2/3 complex, we overexpressed palladin in cells treated with the Arp2/3 inhibitor CK-666. In treated cells, bacterial motility could be initiated and maintained when levels of palladin were increased. To confirm these findings, we utilized a cell line depleted of multiple Arp2/3 complex subunits. Within these cells,
L. monocytogenes
failed to generate comet tails. When palladin was overexpressed in this Arp2/3 functionally null cell line, the ability of
L. monocytogenes
to generate comet tails was restored. Using purified protein components, we demonstrate that
L. monocytogenes
actin clouds and comet tails can be generated (in a cell-free system) by palladin in the absence of the Arp2/3 complex. Collectively, our results demonstrate that palladin can functionally replace the Arp2/3 complex during bacterial actin-based motility.

IMPORTANCE
Structures containing branched actin filaments require the Arp2/3 complex. One of the most commonly used systems to study intracellular movement generated by Arp2/3-based actin motility exploits actin-rich comet tails made by
Listeria
. Using these infections together with live imaging and cell-free protein reconstitution experiments, we show that another protein, palladin, can be used in place of Arp2/3 to form actin-rich structures. Additionally, we show that palladin is needed for the structural integrity of comet tails as its depletion or mutation of critical regions causes dramatic changes to comet tail organization. These findings are the first to identify a protein that can functionally replace the Arp2/3 complex and have implications for all actin-based structures thought to exclusively use that complex.