bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry for carbon stable‐isotope analysis of carbohydrates
Authors: Moerdijk‐Poortvliet Tanja C. W. , Schierbeek Henk , Houtekamer Marco , van Engeland Tom , Derrien Delphine , Stal Lucas J. , Boschker Henricus T. S.
Published: May 2015

Rationale

We compared gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) and liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) for the measurement of δ13C values in carbohydrates. Contrary to GC/IRMS, no derivatisation is needed for LC/IRMS analysis of carbohydrates. Hence, although LC/IRMS is expected to be more accurate and precise, no direct comparison has been reported.

Methods

GC/IRMS with the aldonitrile penta‐acetate (ANPA) derivatisation method was compared with LC/IRMS without derivatisation. A large number of glucose standards and a variety of natural samples were analysed for five neutral carbohydrates at natural abundance as well as at 13C‐enriched levels. Gas chromatography/chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (GC/CIMS) was applied to check for incomplete derivatisation of the carbohydrate, which would impair the accuracy of the GC/IRMS method.

Results

The LC/IRMS technique provided excellent precision (±0.08 ‰ and ±3.1 ‰ at natural abundance and enrichment levels, respectively) for the glucose standards and this technique proved to be superior to GC/IRMS (±0.62 ‰ and ±19.8 ‰ at natural abundance and enrichment levels, respectively). For GC/IRMS measurements the derivatisation correction and the conversion of carbohydrates into CO2 had a considerable effect on the measured δ13C values. However, we did not find any significant differences in the accuracy of the two techniques over the full range of natural δ13C abundances and 13C‐labelled glucose. The difference in the performance of GC/IRMS and LC/IRMS diminished when the δ13C values were measured in natural samples, because the chromatographic performance and background correction became critical factors, particularly for LC/IRMS. The derivatisation of carbohydrates for the GC/IRMS method was complete.

Conclusions

Although both LC/IRMS and GC/IRMS are reliable techniques for compound‐specific stable carbon isotope analysis of carbohydrates (provided that derivatisation is complete and the calibration requirements are met), LC/IRMS is the technique of choice. The reasons for this are the improved precision, simpler sample preparation, and straightforward isotopic calibration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
LAWRA: a layered wrapper feature selection approach for network attack detection
Authors: Bhattacharya Sangeeta , Selvakumar Subramanian
Published: May 2015

The feature selection phase in network attack detection is mostly classifier based, while clustering techniques are used for labeling and creating compact training datasets. Because clustering finds natural groupings in the data, in this paper, a clustering‐based layered wrapper feature selection approach, LAWRA, has been proposed for selecting appropriate features for attack detection. The existing layered feature selection approaches in attack detection are unable to give results with high precision and recall because of the dependence on classifier accuracy, fitness value, and so on. Hence, in this paper, LAWRA uses external cluster validity indices, F‐measure, and Fowlkes–Mallows index, for feature selection. The two indices are the harmonic and geometric mean of precision and recall, respectively. Each index identifies features that give high precision and high recall of the attack detection algorithm. The first layer of LAWRA identifies the feature subset that best distinguishes between normal and attack instances and the second layer identifies the best cooperating features using cooperative game theory. Experiments have been conducted on NSL‐KDD dataset, and LAWRA has been compared with the existing approaches using different classifiers. The results show that LAWRA gives better overall accuracy and F‐measure value than the other approaches. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MOSKG: countering kernel rootkits with a secure paging mechanism
Authors: Yan Guanglu , Luo Senlin , Feng Fan , Pan Limin , Safi Qamas Gul Khan
Published: May 2015

The kernel‐level rootkits compromise the security of operating systems. In the current research studies, virtualization is used as a key tool against these attacks with virtualization‐based memory protection. There are glitches in the memory protection mechanism, and it is vulnerable to page mapping attack and hard to be used for protecting dynamic data. To address these problems, we proposed a secure paging mechanism and constructed an external and transparent architecture named multiple operating systems kernel guard (MOSKG), which can protect critical kernel data in different operating systems like Windows and Linux, both of 32‐bit and 64‐bit. To evaluate our proposed architecture, we applied some experiments that are based on the study of kernel rootkits. The results show that MOSKG can protect critical kernel data from dynamic kernel object manipulation and page mapping attack, and it defeats all of the kernel‐level attacks. It is also a significant conclusion that MOSKG only introduces a small performance overhead of 2.3%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultra‐bright and stimuli‐responsive fluorescent nanoparticles for bioimaging
Authors: Battistelli Giulia , Cantelli Andrea , Guidetti Gloria , Manzi Jeannette , Montalti Marco
Published: May 2015

Fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) are unique contrast agents for bioimaging. Examples of molecular‐based fluorescent NPs with brightness similar or superior to semiconductor quantum dots have been reported. These ultra‐bright NPs consist of a silica or polymeric matrix that incorporate the emitting dyes as individual moieties or aggregates and promise to be more biocompatible than semiconductor quantum dots. Ultra‐bright materials result from heavy doping of the structural matrix, a condition that entails a close mutual proximity of the doping dyes. Ground state and excited state interactions between the molecular emitters yield aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ) and proximity‐caused quenching (PCQ). In combination with Föster resonance energy transfer (FRET) ACQ and PCQ originate collective phenomena that produce amplified quenching of the nanoprobes. In this focus article, we discuss strategies to achieve ultra‐bright nanoprobes avoiding ACQ and PCQ also exploiting aggregation‐induced emission (AIE). Amplified quenching, on the other hand, is also proposed as a strategy to design stimuli‐responsive fluorogenic probes through disaggregation‐induced emission (DIE) in alternative to AIE. As an advantage, DIE consents to design stimuli‐responsive materials starting from a large variety of precursors. On the contrary, AIE is characteristic of a limited number of species. Examples of stimuli‐responsive fluorogenic probes based on DIE are discussed. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 8:139–150. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1351

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > In Vitro Nanoparticle-Based Sensing

Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Two Modifications of Tin(II) Bromide
Authors: Eckold Pierre , Hügel Werner , Dinnebier Robert E. , Niewa Rainer
Published: May 2015

Different temperature conditions in crystal growth of tin(II) bromide, SnBr2, lead to the formation of two modifications of the title compound. Applying a temperature gradient from 650 °C to room temperature along a silica glass ampoule, the stable room‐temperature modification, o‐SnBr2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (no. 62), with a = 839.08(4) pm, b = 423.54(2) pm, c = 1052.03(4) pm, and Z = 4. Changing the reaction conditions towards a decreased temperature gradient from 700 °C to 400 °C, a high‐temperature form h‐SnBr2 crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P63/m (no. 176), with a = 1228.24(5) pm, c = 435.68(2) pm, and Z = 6. The trigonal coordination of Sn with three Br atoms and the resulting one‐dimensional chains of corner sharing units 1∞[SnBrBr2/2] can be assigned as common structural motif of both modifications. In o‐SnBr2 pairs of these chains exhibit the motif of a hexagonal rod packing parallel to the crystallographic b axis. In h‐SnBr2 the chains are rearranged, which results in a lower packing density and in a change in topology from 63 to 34.6. Utilizing differential scanning calorimetry on o‐SnBr2 endothermal processes at 224 °C and 226 °C were assigned as possible phase transition temperatures prior to the melting point at 227 °C, supported by temperature depending powder X‐ray diffraction data.
Estimation of Surgery Capacity in Haiti: Nationwide Survey of Hospitals
Authors: Tran Tu M. , Saint‐Fort Mackenson , Jose Marie‐Djenane , Henrys Jean Hugues , Pierre Pierre Jacques B. , Cherian Meena N. , Gosselin Richard A.
Published: May 2015

Background

Haiti’s surgical capacity was significantly strained by the 2010 earthquake. As the government and its partners rebuild the health system, emergency and essential surgical care must be a priority.

Methods

A validated, facility‐based assessment tool developed by WHO was completed by 45 hospitals nationwide. The hospitals were assessed for (1) infrastructure, (2) human resources, (3) surgical interventions and emergency care, and (4) material resources for resuscitation. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare hospitals by sectors: public compared to private and mixed (public–private partnerships).

Results

The 45 hospitals included first‐referral level to the national referral hospital: 20 were public sector and 25 were private or mixed sector. Blood banks (33 % availability) and oxygen concentrators (58 %) were notable infrastructural deficits. For human resources, 69 % and 33 % of hospitals employed at least one full‐time surgeon and anaesthesiologist, respectively. Ninety‐eight percent of hospitals reported capacity to perform resuscitation. General and obstetrical surgical interventions were relatively more available, for example 93 % provided hernia repairs and 98 % provided cesarean sections. More specialized interventions were at a deficit: cataract surgery (27 %), cleft repairs (31 %), clubfoot (42 %), and open treatment of fractures (51 %).

Conclusion

Deficiencies in infrastructure and material resources were widespread and should be urgently addressed. Physician providers were mal‐distributed relative to non‐physician providers. Formal task‐sharing to midlevel and general physician providers should be considered. The parity between public and private or mixed sector hospitals in availability of Ob/Gyn surgical interventions is evidence of concerted efforts to reduce maternal mortality. This ought to provide a roadmap for strengthening of surgical care capacity.
Cognitive profile and activities of daily living: 35 patients with alpha‐mannosidosis
Authors: Borgwardt L. , Thuesen A. M. , Olsen K. J. , Fogh J. , Dali C. I. , Lund A. M.
Published: May 2015

Background

Alpha‐mannosidosis (OMIM 248500) (AM) is a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency of the alpha‐mannosidase enzyme. The typical signs consist of hearing impairment, intellectual disabilities, coarse facial features and motor function disturbances. We report on the cognitive function and activities of daily living in patients with AM.

Methods

Thirty five AM patients, age 6‐35 years, were included in the study. As a cognitive function test, we used the Leiter international performance scale–revised (Leiter‐R), which consists of two batteries: the visual function and reasoning battery and the memory and attention battery, the latter including a memory screening. Additional two questionnaires, The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and EQ‐5D‐5 L, were filled out.

Results

We found IQ in the range of 30‐81 in our cohort. The total equivalent age (mental age) was significantly reduced, between 3‐9 years old for the visual function and reasoning battery, between 2.3‐10.2 years for the memory screening. Data suggested a specific developmental profile for AM with a positive intellectual development until the chronological age 10‐12 years, followed by a static or slightly increasing intellectual level. All patients were to varying degrees socially and practically dependent and unable to take care of themselves in daily life.

Conclusions

Intellectual disability is a consistent finding in patients with alpha‐mannosidosis but with extensive variation. We assess that this group of patients has, despite their intellectual disabilities, a potential for continuous cognitive development, especially during childhood and early teenage years. This should be included and supported in the individual educational planning.
Applying cognitive load theory to medical education: construct and measurement challenges
Authors: Young John Q. , Sewell Justin L.
Published: May 2015

None
Identification of distinctive interdomain interactions among ZP‐N, ZP‐C and other domains of zona pellucida glycoproteins underlying association of chicken egg‐coat matrix
Authors: Okumura Hiroki , Sato Takahiro , Sakuma Rio , Fukushima Hideaki , Matsuda Tsukasa , Ujita Minoru
Published: May 2015

The vertebrate egg coat, including mammalian zona pellucida, is an oocyte‐specific extracellular matrix comprising two to six zona pellucida (ZP) glycoproteins. The egg coat plays important roles in fertilization, especially in species‐specific interactions with sperm to induce the sperm acrosome reaction and to form the block to polyspermy. It is suggested that the physiological functions of the egg coat are mediated and/or regulated coordinately by peptide and carbohydrate moieties of the ZP glycoproteins that are spatially arranged in the egg coat, whereas a comprehensive understanding of the architecture of vertebrate egg‐coat matrix remains elusive. Here, we deduced the orientations and/or distributions of chicken ZP glycoproteins, ZP1, ZP3 and ZPD, in the egg‐coat matrix by confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, and in the ZP1–ZP3 complexes generatedin vitro by co‐immunoprecipitation assays. We further confirmed interdomain interactions of the ZP glycoproteins by far‐Western blot analyses of the egg‐coat proteins and pull‐down assays of ZP1 in the serum, using recombinant domains of ZP glycoproteins as probes. Our results suggest that the ZP1 and ZP3 bind through their ZP‐C domains to form the ZP1–ZP3 complexes and fibrils, which are assembled into bundles through interactions between the repeat domains of ZP1 to form the ZP1–ZP3 matrix, and that the ZPD molecules self‐associate and bind to the ZP1–ZP3 matrix through its ZP‐N and ZP‐C domains to form the egg‐coat matrix. Based on these results, we propose a tentative model for the architecture of the chicken egg‐coat matrix that might be applicable to other vertebrate ones.
Can hedge funds time global equity markets? Evidence from emerging markets
Authors: Aiken Adam L. , Kilic Osman , Reid Sean
Published: May 2015

This paper examines the ability of global hedge funds to time a particularly volatile asset class — emerging market equities. In particular, we study whether or not these funds can either time emerging markets as a whole, or time their exposures to different regions. Using both pooled and calendar‐time approaches, we generally find no evidence of overall timing ability. However, we do find some evidence of period‐specific timing ability during the financial crisis and subsequent recovery.
Mortality from Parkinson’s disease in China: Findings from a five-year follow up study in Shanghai
Authors: Wang Gang , Li Xin-Jian , Hu Yi-Song , Cheng Qi , Wang Chun-Fang , Xiao Qin , Liu Jun , Ma Jian-Fang , Zhou Hai-Yan , Pan Jing , Tan Yu-Yan , Wang Ying , Chen Sheng-Di
Published: May 2015

Introduction: The mortality of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its associated risk factors among clinically definite PD patients in China has been rarely investigated. Our study aimed to identify the mortality rates and predictors of death in PD patients in China. Methods: 157 consecutive, clinically definite PD patients from the urban area of Shanghai were recruited from a central hospital based movement disorder clinic in 2006. All patients were regularly followed up at the clinic until December 31, 2011, or death. Mortality and associations with baseline demographics, health and medical factors were then determined within the cohort. Results: After 5 years, 11(7%) patients had died. The standardised mortality ratio was 0.62 (95% CI 0.32 to 1.07, P=0.104). The main causes of death were pneumonia (54.5%, 6/11) and digestive disorders (18.2%, 2/11), respectively. Age at onset, independent living, the mini mental state examination score, the Parkinson’s disease sleep scale score and the Epworth sleepiness scale score at baseline were statistically significantly different between the survival group and the deceased group (P<0.05). Across all participants, risk factors for death included low mini mental state examination score, and high Epworth sleepiness scale score according to a binary variable logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: This study confirms the similar survival of patients with PD to the control population up to a follow-up of 5 years. Interventions tailored to potential risk factors associated with death may offer further benefits.
Exact regularized point particle method for multiphase flows in the two-way coupling regime
Authors: Gualtieri P. , Picano F. , Sardina G. , Casciola C. M.
Published: May 2015

Particulate flows have mainly been studied under the simplifying assumption of a one-way coupling regime where the disperse phase does not modify the carrier fluid. A more complete view of multiphase flows can be gained calling into play two-way coupling effects, i.e. by accounting for the inter-phase momentum exchange, which is certainly relevant at increasing mass loading. In this paper we present a new methodology rigorously designed to capture the inter-phase momentum exchange for particles smaller than the smallest hydrodynamical scale, e.g. the Kolmogorov scale in a turbulent flow. The momentum coupling mechanism exploits the unsteady Stokes flow around a small rigid sphere, where the transient disturbance produced by each particle is evaluated in a closed form. The particles are described as lumped point masses, which would lead to the appearance of singularities. A rigorous regularization procedure is conceived to extract the physically relevant interactions between the particles and the fluid which avoids any ‘ad hoc’ assumption. The approach is suited for high-efficiency implementation on massively parallel machines since the transient disturbance produced by the particles is strongly localized in space. We will show that hundreds of thousands of particles can be handled at an affordable computational cost, as demonstrated by a preliminary application to a particle-laden turbulent shear flow.
Tracer trajectories and displacement due to a micro-swimmer near a surface
Authors: Mathijssen A. J. T. M. , Pushkin D. O. , Yeomans J. M.
Published: May 2015

We study tracer particle transport due to flows created by a self-propelled micro-swimmer, such as a swimming bacterium, alga or a microscopic artificial swimmer. Recent theoretical work has shown that as a swimmer moves in the fluid bulk along an infinite straight path, tracer particles far from its path perform closed loops, whereas those close to the swimmer are entrained by its motion. However, in biologically and technologically important cases tracer transport is significantly altered for swimmers that move in a run-and-tumble fashion with a finite persistence length, and/or in the presence of a free surface or a solid boundary. Here we present a systematic analytical and numerical study exploring the resultant regimes and their crossovers. Our focus is on describing qualitative features of the tracer particle transport and developing quantitative tools for its analysis. Our work is a step towards understanding the ecological effects of flows created by swimming organisms, such as enhanced fluid mixing and biofilm formation.
Long-Term Multicolour Photometry of the Young Stellar Objects FHO 26, FHO 27, FHO 28, FHO 29, and V1929 Cygni
Authors: Ibryamov S. I. , Semkov E. H. , Peneva S. P.
Published: May 2015

Results from long-term multicolour optical photometric observations of the pre-main-sequence stars FHO 26, FHO 27, FHO 28, FHO 29, and V1929 Cyg collected during the period from 1997 June to 2014 December are presented. The objects are located in the dense molecular cloud L935, named ‘Gulf of Mexico’, in the field between the North America and Pelican nebulae. All stars from our study exhibit strong photometric variability in all optical passbands. Using our BVRI observations and data published by other authors, we tried to define the reasons for the observed brightness variations. The presented paper is a part of our long-term photometric study of the young stellar objects in the region of ‘Gulf of Mexico’.
In situ ruminal degradation of phenolic acid, cellulose and hemicellulose in crop brans and husks differing in ferulic and p-coumaric acid patterns
Authors: CAO B. B. , WANG R. , YANG H. J. , JIANG L. S.
Published: May 2015

Lignification-associated phenolic acids are widely distributed in graminaceous plant cell walls. Nylon bags containing maize bran, wheat bran, millet husk and rice husk were incubated in the rumens of five Charolais (♂) × Nanyang (♀) crossbred steers for 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h. The in situ ruminal disappearance of ester-linked phenolic acids linearly increased in the brans with increasing incubation time, and the disappearance was greater for ester-linked ferulic acid (FAest) than for ester-linked p-coumaric acid (PCAest). The disappearances of FAest and PCAest were positively correlated with disappearances of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), cellulose and hemicellulose. The effective degradabilities of NDF, cellulose and hemicellulose in the brans were markedly greater than the effective degradabilities of these components in the husks, and were negatively correlated with the contents of Lignin (sa), ether-linked ferulic acid, PCAest and ether-linked p-coumaric acid in both the cereal brans and husks. These findings suggested that breeding forage crops with modified phenolic acid contents could represent an alternative strategy to promote further increases in fibre digestibility of cereal residue feeds for ruminant animals.
“Civil Religion” and Confucianism: Japan's Past, China's Present, and the Current Boom in Scholarship on Confucianism
Authors: Paramore Kiri
Published: May 2015

This article employs the history of Confucianism in modern Japan to critique current scholarship on the resurgence of Confucianism in contemporary China. It argues that current scholarship employs modernist formulations of Confucianism that originated in Japan's twentieth-century confrontation with Republican China, without understanding the inherent nationalist applications of these formulations. Current scholarly approaches to Confucianism trace a history through Japanese-influenced U.S. scholars of the mid-twentieth century like Robert Bellah to Japanese imperialist and Chinese Republican nationalist scholarship of the early twentieth century. This scholarship employed new individualistic and modernist visions of religion and philosophy to isolate fields of “Confucian values” or “Confucian philosophy” apart from the realities of social practice and tradition, transforming Confucianism into a purely intellectualized “empty box” ripe to be filled with cultural nationalist content. This article contends that current scholarship, by continuing this modernist approach, may unwittingly facilitate similar nationalist exploitations of Confucianism.
The Challenges of Writing Vietnamese History
Authors: Dutton George
Published: May 2015

I think it is fair to say that Keith Taylor's new history of the Vietnamese peoples, A History of the Vietnamese, is long awaited in at least two senses. Those who were aware that Professor Taylor was working on this project were eager to see how a senior scholar would present the broad sweep of the Vietnamese past. But even those who were not anticipating this particular work must have been waiting for the first serious and detailed English-language survey of Vietnam's long history. While there exist, for example, hundreds of such surveys in English on the history of China, until now there had been no serious effort by a respected scholar to set forth a similar work for Vietnam. In short, such a work is long, long overdue, and the field is deeply in Taylor's debt for having tackled such a daunting project.
China in Africa, Viewed from Brazil
Authors: Abdenur Adriana Erthal
Published: May 2015

In the Boane district of Mozambique, about halfway between Maputo and the border with Swaziland, the National Agrarian Research Institute in Umbeluzi hosts two experiments in development cooperation provided by fellow developing countries. Behind a gated wall, the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center—built in record time by China—experiments with different techniques of vegetable cultivation. Barely 500 meters away, technicians from the Brazilian Corporation of Agricultural Research, known as EMBRAPA, work with Mozambican counterparts from a food security program, installing an irrigation system along an open field. Taken together, the two projects are emblematic of an emerging tension within Brazil's and China's presence in Africa: does development cooperation in Boane represent competition or complementarity between these providers of development cooperation? In addition, does their proximity suggest a possibility of collaboration between these two providers?
Trade Competition and American Decolonization
Authors: Pepinsky Thomas B.
Published: May 2015

This article proposes a political economy approach to decolonization. Focusing on the industrial organization of agriculture, it argues that competition between colonial and metropolitan producers creates demands for decolonization from within the metropole when colonies have broad export profiles and when export industries are controlled by colonial, as opposed to metropolitan, interests. The author applies this framework to the United States in the early 1900s, showing that different structures of the colonial sugar industries in the Philippines, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico–diverse exports with dispersed local ownership versus monocrop economies dominated by large US firms–explain why protectionist continental-agriculture interests agitated so effectively for independence for the Philippines, but not for Hawaii or Puerto Rico. A comparative historical analysis of the three colonial economies and the Philippine independence debates complemented by a statistical analysis of roll call votes in the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act supports the argument. In providing a new perspective on economic relations in the late-colonial era, the argument highlights issues of trade and empire in US history that span the subfields of American political development, comparative politics, and international political economy.
A simulation study on the statistical monitoring of condemnation rates from slaughterhouses for syndromic surveillance: an evaluation based on Swiss data
Authors: VIAL F. , THOMMEN S. , HELD L.
Published: May 2015

Syndromic surveillance (SyS) systems currently exploit various sources of health-related data, most of which are collected for purposes other than surveillance (e.g. economic). Several European SyS systems use data collected during meat inspection for syndromic surveillance of animal health, as some diseases may be more easily detected post-mortem than at their point of origin or during the ante-mortem inspection upon arrival at the slaughterhouse. In this paper we use simulation to evaluate the performance of a quasi-Poisson regression (also known as an improved Farrington) algorithm for the detection of disease outbreaks during post-mortem inspection of slaughtered animals. When parameterizing the algorithm based on the retrospective analyses of 6 years of historic data, the probability of detection was satisfactory for large (range 83–445 cases) outbreaks but poor for small (range 20–177 cases) outbreaks. Varying the amount of historical data used to fit the algorithm can help increasing the probability of detection for small outbreaks. However, while the use of a 0·975 quantile generated a low false-positive rate, in most cases, more than 50% of outbreak cases had already occurred at the time of detection. High variance observed in the whole carcass condemnations time-series, and lack of flexibility in terms of the temporal distribution of simulated outbreaks resulting from low reporting frequency (monthly), constitute major challenges for early detection of outbreaks in the livestock population based on meat inspection data. Reporting frequency should be increased in the future to improve timeliness of the SyS system while increased sensitivity may be achieved by integrating meat inspection data into a multivariate system simultaneously evaluating multiple sources of data on livestock health.
Centrin-2 (Cetn2) mediated regulation of FGF/FGFR gene expression in Xenopus
Authors: Shi Jianli , Zhao Ying , Vonderfecht Tyson , Winey Mark , Klymkowsky Michael W.
Published: May 2015

Centrins (Cetns) are highly conserved, widely expressed and multifunctional Ca2+-binding eukaryotic signature proteins best known for their roles in ciliogenesis and as critical components of the global genome nucleotide excision repair system. Two distinct Cetn subtypes, Cetn2-like and Cetn3-like, have been recognized and implicated in a range of cellular processes. In the course of morpholino-based loss of function studies in Xenopus laevis, we have identified a previously unreported Cetn2-specific function, namely in fibroblast growth factor (FGF) mediated signaling, specifically through the regulation of FGF and FGF receptor RNA levels. Cetn2 was found associated with the RNA polymerase II binding sites of the Cetn2-regulated FGF8 and FGFR1a genes, but not at the promoter of a gene (BMP4) whose expression was altered indirectly in Cent2 morphant embryos. These observations point to a previously unexpected role of Cetn2 in the regulation of gene expression and embryonic development.
Exploiting lipopolysaccharide-induced deformation of lipid bilayers to modify membrane composition and generate two-dimensional geometric membrane array patterns
Authors: Adams Peter G. , Swingle Kirstie L. , Paxton Walter F. , Nogan John J. , Stromberg Loreen R. , Firestone Millicent A. , Mukundan Harshini , Montaño Gabriel A.
Published: May 2015

Supported lipid bilayers have proven effective as model membranes for investigating biophysical processes and in development of sensor and array technologies. The ability to modify lipid bilayers after their formation and in situ could greatly advance membrane technologies, but is difficult via current state-of-the-art technologies. Here we demonstrate a novel method that allows the controlled post-formation processing and modification of complex supported lipid bilayer arrangements, under aqueous conditions. We exploit the destabilization effect of lipopolysaccharide, an amphiphilic biomolecule, interacting with lipid bilayers to generate voids that can be backfilled to introduce desired membrane components. We further demonstrate that when used in combination with a single, traditional soft lithography process, it is possible to generate hierarchically-organized membrane domains and microscale 2-D array patterns of domains. Significantly, this technique can be used to repeatedly modify membranes allowing iterative control over membrane composition. This approach expands our toolkit for functional membrane design, with potential applications for enhanced materials templating, biosensing and investigating lipid-membrane processes.
Universal dependence of the spin wave band structure on the geometrical characteristics of two-dimensional magnonic crystals
Authors: Tacchi S. , Gruszecki P. , Madami M. , Carlotti G. , Kłos J. W. , Krawczyk M. , Adeyeye A. , Gubbiotti G.
Published: May 2015

In the emerging field of magnon-spintronics, spin waves are exploited to encode, carry and process information in materials with periodic modulation of their magnetic properties, named magnonic crystals. These enable the redesign of the spin wave dispersion, thanks to its dependence on the geometric and magnetic parameters, resulting in the appearance of allowed and forbidden band gaps for specific propagation directions. In this work, we analyze the spin waves band structure of two-dimensional magnonic crystals consisting of permalloy square antidot lattices with different geometrical parameters. We show that the frequency of the most intense spin-wave modes, measured by Brillouin light scattering, exhibits a universal dependence on the aspect ratio (thickness over width) of the effective nanowire enclosed between adjacent rows of holes. A similar dependence also applies to both the frequency position and the width of the main band gap of the fundamental (dispersive) mode at the edge of the first Brillouin zone. These experimental findings are successfully explained by calculations based on the plane-wave method. Therefore, a unified vision of the spin-waves characteristics in two-dimensional antidot lattices is provided, paving the way to the design of tailored nanoscale devices, such as tunable magnonic filters and phase-shifters, with predicted functionalities.
SOXE transcription factors form selective dimers on non-compact DNA motifs through multifaceted interactions between dimerization and high-mobility group domains
Authors: Huang Yong-Heng , Jankowski Aleksander , Cheah Kathryn S. E. , Prabhakar Shyam , Jauch Ralf
Published: May 2015

The SOXE transcription factors SOX8, SOX9 and SOX10 are master regulators of mammalian development directing sex determination, gliogenesis, pancreas specification and neural crest development. We identified a set of palindromic SOX binding sites specifically enriched in regulatory regions of melanoma cells. SOXE proteins homodimerize on these sequences with high cooperativity. In contrast to other transcription factor dimers, which are typically rigidly spaced, SOXE group proteins can bind cooperatively at a wide range of dimer spacings. Using truncated forms of SOXE proteins, we show that a single dimerization (DIM) domain, that precedes the DNA binding high mobility group (HMG) domain, is sufficient for dimer formation, suggesting that DIM : HMG rather than DIM:DIM interactions mediate the dimerization. All SOXE members can also heterodimerize in this fashion, whereas SOXE heterodimers with SOX2, SOX4, SOX6 and SOX18 are not supported. We propose a structural model where SOXE-specific intramolecular DIM:HMG interactions are allosterically communicated to the HMG of juxtaposed molecules. Collectively, SOXE factors evolved a unique mode to combinatorially regulate their target genes that relies on a multifaceted interplay between the HMG and DIM domains. This property potentially extends further the diversity of target genes and cell-specific functions that are regulated by SOXE proteins.
A transcription and translation-coupled DNA replication system using rolling-circle replication
Authors: Sakatani Yoshihiro , Ichihashi Norikazu , Kazuta Yasuaki , Yomo Tetsuya
Published: May 2015

All living organisms have a genome replication system in which genomic DNA is replicated by a DNA polymerase translated from mRNA transcribed from the genome. The artificial reconstitution of this genome replication system is a great challenge in in vitro synthetic biology. In this study, we attempted to construct a transcription- and translation-coupled DNA replication (TTcDR) system using circular genomic DNA encoding phi29 DNA polymerase and a reconstituted transcription and translation system. In this system, phi29 DNA polymerase was translated from the genome and replicated the genome in a rolling-circle manner. When using a traditional translation system composition, almost no DNA replication was observed, because the tRNA and nucleoside triphosphates included in the translation system significantly inhibited DNA replication. To minimize these inhibitory effects, we optimized the composition of the TTcDR system and improved replication by approximately 100-fold. Using our system, genomic DNA was replicated up to 10 times in 12 hours at 30 °C. This system provides a step toward the in vitro construction of an artificial genome replication system, which is a prerequisite for the construction of an artificial cell.
Morphological and molecular characterization of a sexually reproducing colony of the booklouse Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocodea: Liposcelididae) found in Arizona
Authors: Yang Qianqian , Kučerová Zuzana , Perlman Steve J. , Opit George P. , Mockford Edward L. , Behar Adi , Robinson Wyatt E. , Stejskal Václav , Li Zhihong , Shao Renfu
Published: May 2015

The booklouse,Liposcelis bostrychophila, is a worldwide pest of stored products. For decades, only thelytokous parthenogenetic reproduction was documented inL. bostrychophila. MaleL. bostrychophilawere first found in Hawaii in 2002. In 2009, a sexual strain was found in Arizona. We examined the morphology of both males and females of the Arizona strain and compared the Arizona sexual strain with the Hawaii sexual strain and the parthenogenetic strains ofL. bostrychophila. The sexual and parthenogenetic strains show some differences in eye morphology. To examine the relationship between sexual and asexual lineages, we sequenced the mitochondrial12Sand16Sribosomal RNA genes of males and females from the Arizona strain. Phylogenetic analyses ofL. bostrychophilaindividuals revealed that: 1) the sexually reproducing colony found in Arizona contains two closely related mitochondrial DNA haplotypes – one present in only females and the other in both males and females; and 2) the Arizona sexual strain was most closely related to a parthenogenetic strain in Illinois. We detectedRickettsiain all of the parthenogenetic individuals we checked but not in any Arizona sexual individuals. Further evidence is required to establish whether the presence ofRickettsiais linked to asexual reproduction inLiposcelis.
Topological nature and the multiple Dirac cones hidden in Bismuth high-Tc superconductors
Authors: Li Gang , Yan Binghai , Thomale Ronny , Hanke Werner
Published: May 2015

Recent theoretical studies employing density-functional theory have predicted BaBiO3 (when doped with electrons) and YBiO3 to become a topological insulator (TI) with a large topological gap (~0.7 eV). This, together with the natural stability against surface oxidation, makes the Bismuth-Oxide family of special interest for possible applications in quantum information and spintronics. The central question, we study here, is whether the hole-doped Bismuth Oxides, i.e. Ba1-xKxBiO3 and BaPb1-xBixO3, which are “high-Tc” bulk superconducting near 30 K, additionally display in the further vicinity of their Fermi energy EF a topological gap with a Dirac-type of topological surface state. Our electronic structure calculations predict the K-doped family to emerge as a TI, with a topological gap above EF. Thus, these compounds can become superconductors with hole-doping and potential TIs with additional electron doping. Furthermore, we predict the Bismuth-Oxide family to contain an additional Dirac cone below EF for further hole doping, which manifests these systems to be candidates for both electron- and hole-doped topological insulators.
Exercise intolerance and developmental delay associated with a novel mitochondrial ND5 mutation
Authors: Fang Hezhi , Shi Hao , Li Xiyuan , Sun Dayan , Li Fengjie , Li Bin , Ding Yuan , Ma Yanyan , Liu Yupeng , Zhang Yao , Shen Lijun , Bai Yidong , Yang Yanling , Lu Jianxin
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) deficiency. The complete mitochondrial genomes of 41 families with OXPHOS deficiency were screened for mutations. Mitochondrial functional analysis was then performed in primary and cybrid cells containing candidate mutations identified during the screening. A novel mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5) m.12955A > G mutation was identified in a patient with exercise intolerance and developmental delay. A biochemical analysis revealed deficiencies in the activity of complex I (NADH:quinone oxidoreductase) and IV (cytochrome c oxidase) of this patient. Defects in complexes I and IV were confirmed in transmitochondrial cybrid cells containing the m.12955A > G mutation, suggesting that this mutation impairs complex I assembly, resulting in reduced stability of complex IV. Further functional investigations revealed that mitochondria with the m.12955A > G mutation exhibited lower OXPHOS coupling respiration and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation. In addition, the cytotoxic effects, determined as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lactate levels in the present study, increased in the cells carrying a higher m.12955A > G mutant load. In conclusion, we identified m.12955A > G as a mitochondrial disease-related mutation. Therefore, screening of m.12955A > G is advised for the diagnosis of patients with mitochondrial disease.
Ion adsorption-induced wetting transition in oil-water-mineral systems
Authors: Mugele Frieder , Bera Bijoyendra , Cavalli Andrea , Siretanu Igor , Maestro Armando , Duits Michel , Cohen-Stuart Martien , van den Ende Dirk , Stocker Isabella , Collins Ian
Published: May 2015

The relative wettability of oil and water on solid surfaces is generally governed by a complex competition of molecular interaction forces acting in such three-phase systems. Herein, we experimentally demonstrate how the adsorption of in nature abundant divalent Ca2+ cations to solid-liquid interfaces induces a macroscopic wetting transition from finite contact angles (≈10°) with to near-zero contact angles without divalent cations. We developed a quantitative model based on DLVO theory to demonstrate that this transition, which is observed on model clay surfaces, mica, but not on silica surfaces nor for monovalent K+ and Na+ cations is driven by charge reversal of the solid-liquid interface. Small amounts of a polar hydrocarbon, stearic acid, added to the ambient decane synergistically enhance the effect and lead to water contact angles up to 70° in the presence of Ca2+. Our results imply that it is the removal of divalent cations that makes reservoir rocks more hydrophilic, suggesting a generalizable strategy to control wettability and an explanation for the success of so-called low salinity water flooding, a recent enhanced oil recovery technology.
Live Cell Characterization of DNA Aggregation Delivered through Lipofection
Authors: Mieruszynski Stephen , Briggs Candida , Digman Michelle A. , Gratton Enrico , Jones Mark R
Published: May 2015

DNA trafficking phenomena, such as information on where and to what extent DNA aggregation occurs, have yet to be fully characterised in the live cell. Here we characterise the aggregation of DNA when delivered through lipofection by applying the Number and Brightness (N&B) approach. The N&B analysis demonstrates extensive aggregation throughout the live cell with DNA clusters in the extremity of the cell and peri-nuclear areas. Once within the nucleus aggregation had decreased 3-fold. In addition, we show that increasing serum concentration of cell media results in greater cytoplasmic aggregation. Further, the effects of the DNA fragment size on aggregation was explored, where larger DNA constructs exhibited less aggregation. This study demonstrates the first quantification of DNA aggregation when delivered through lipofection in live cells. In addition, this study has presents a model for alternative uses of this imaging approach, which was originally developed to study protein oligomerization and aggregation.
Three-dimensional cage-like microscaffolds for cell invasion studies
Authors: Spagnolo Barbara , Brunetti Virgilio , Leménager Godefroy , De Luca Elisa , Sileo Leonardo , Pellegrino Teresa , Paolo Pompa Pier , De Vittorio Massimo , Pisanello Ferruccio
Published: May 2015

Cancer cell motility is one of the major events involved in metastatic process. Tumor cells that disseminate from a primary tumor can migrate into the vascular system and, being carried by the bloodstream, transmigrate across the endothelium, giving rise to a new tumor site. However, during the invasive process, tumor cells must pass through the extracellular matrix, whose structural and mechanical properties define the parameters of the migration process. Here, we propose 3D-complex cage-like microstructures, realized by two-photon (TP) direct laser writing (DLW), to analyze cell migration through pores significantly smaller than the cell nucleus. We found that the ability to traverse differently sized pores depends on the metastatic potential and on the invasiveness of the cell lines, allowing to establish a pore-area threshold value able to discriminate between non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic human breast cells.
The Local CNP/GC-B system in growth plate is responsible for physiological endochondral bone growth
Authors: Nakao Kazumasa , Osawa Kenji , Yasoda Akihiro , Yamanaka Shigeki , Fujii Toshihito , Kondo Eri , Koyama Noriaki , Kanamoto Naotetsu , Miura Masako , Kuwahara Koichiro , Akiyama Haruhiko , Bessho Kazuhisa , Nakao Kazuwa
Published: May 2015

Recent studies revealed C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and its receptor, guanylyl cyclase-B (GC-B) are potent stimulators of endochondral bone growth. As they exist ubiquitously in body, we investigated the physiological role of the local CNP/GC-B in the growth plate on bone growth using cartilage-specific knockout mice. Bones were severely shorter in cartilage-specific CNP or GC-B knockout mice and the extent was almost the same as that in respective systemic knockout mice. Cartilage-specific GC-B knockout mice were shorter than cartilage-specific CNP knockout mice. Hypertrophic chondrocyte layer of the growth plate was drastically reduced and proliferative chondrocyte layer, along with the proliferation of chondrocytes there, was moderately reduced in either cartilage-specific knockout mice. The survival rate of cartilage-specific CNP knockout mice was comparable to that of systemic CNP knockout mice. The local CNP/GC-B system in growth plate is responsible for physiological endochondral bone growth and might further affect mortality via unknown mechanisms.
Hierarchical Heteroaggregation of Binary Metal-Organic Gels with Tunable Porosity and Mixed Valence Metal Sites for Removal of Dyes in Water
Authors: Mahmood Asif , Xia Wei , Mahmood Nasir , Wang Qingfei , Zou Ruqiang
Published: May 2015

Hierarchical heteronuclear metal-organic gels (MOGs) based on iron (Fe) and aluminium (Al) metal-organic framework (MOF) backbones bridged by tri-carboxylate ligands have firstly been synthesized by simple solvothermal method. Monometallic MOGs based on Fe or Al give homogenous monoliths, which have been tuned by introduction of heterogeneity in the system (mismatched growth). The developed gels demonstrate that surface areas, pore volumes and pore sizes can be readily tuned by optimizing heterogeneity. The work also elaborates effect of heterogeneity on size of MOG particles which increase substantially with increasing heterogeneity as well as obtaining mixed valence sites in the gels. High surface areas (1861 m2/g) and pore volumes (9.737 cc/g) were obtained for heterogeneous gels (0.5Fe-0.5Al). The large uptakes of dye molecules (290 mg/g rhodamine B and 265 mg/g methyl orange) with fast sorption kinetics in both neutral and acidic mediums show good stability and accessibility of MOG channels (micro and meso-/macropores), further demonstrating their potential applications in catalysis and sorption of large molecules.