bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Getting into it in the wrong way: Interpretative phenomenological analysis and the hermeneutic circle
Authors: Gyollai Daniel
Published: December 2019

This article critically analyses the hermeneutic commitment of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). In the theoretical framework of IPA, the role of preconceptions and prejudices is consistently downplayed; priority is given to the participant's own words. Paley has argued that IPA’s interpretative phase is always and necessarily determined by the researcher's fore‐conceptions, as opposed to the participant's narrative. I demonstrate that IPA’s failure to recognize the importance of an external frame of reference in interpretation may arise from the misunderstanding of the method's hermeneutic underpinnings. I essentially argue that bracketing the researcher's fore‐conceptions during the initial phases of IPA is merely an illusion. While it is beyond the scope of this article to dispute whether IPA is genuinely phenomenological, my claim ultimately poses a challenge to IPA’s phenomenological commitment on its own terms. The article concludes with a proposal to substantially improve IPA’s consistency with hermeneutic tradition and its grounding in phenomenological philosophy.
Managerial capacity in conflict environments: Management effects of private military and security companies in Iraq
Authors: Tkach Benjamin
Published: December 2019

An enduring challenge of public administration research is examining whether public management affects the delivery of public policy results. This study extends managerial influence to include public policy delivery in an active conflict environment. Individual manager training is critical in conflict environments because limited bureaucratic capacity and general environmental confusion are common. Organizations under stress use substitute managers. We argue that substitute managers' effectiveness is conditioned by two factors: managerial capability and networking capability. We examine substitute managers in a unique context, the US–Iraq War. Managers coordinated private military and security companies (PMSCs) to provide coalition forces and the civilian population with multiple services. We argue that managers with prior management experience and network capability are more effective substitute managers. The results suggest that managers with prior experience and networking capability are associated with decreases in civilian casualties. The results provide important policy insights into public management and defence policy.
Aesthetic hedonism and its critics
Authors: Van der Berg Servaas
Published: December 2019

This essay surveys the main objections to aesthetic hedonism, the view that aesthetic value is reducible to the value of aesthetic pleasure or experience. Hedonism is the dominant view of aesthetic value, but a spate of recent criticisms has drawn its accuracy into question. I introduce some distinctions crucial to the criticisms, before using the bulk of the essay to identify and review six major lines of argument that hedonism's critics have employed against it. Whether or not these arguments suffice to refute hedonism decisively, I argue that its privileged status, as the sole contender in aesthetic value theory, is detrimental to downstream research on aesthetic phenomena. The essay concludes with an overview of current work and promising avenues of inquiry into non‐hedonic alternatives.
Loss of nectin‐3 expression as a marker of tumor aggressiveness in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor
Authors: Hirabayashi Kenichi , Tajiri Takuma , Bosch Dustin E. , Morimachi Masashi , Miyaoka Masashi , Inomoto Chie , Nakamura Naoya , Yeh Matthew M.
Published: December 2019

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are rare, and prediction of aggressive characteristics, such as recurrence and metastasis and prognosis of PanNETs remain difficult. Nectins are cell adhesion molecules that regulate the formation of adherens and tight junctions. In this study, we investigated the clinicopathological significance of nectin‐3 expression in patients with PanNETs. Immunohistochemical analysis of nectin‐3 expression was performed on 78 cases of PanNET. Low nectin‐3 expression in the membrane (positive ratio ≤25%) was observed in 62 cases (79.5%) and was significantly correlated with larger tumor size (>20 mm; P = 0.003), G2/G3 tumors (P = 0.025), higher Ki67 labeling index (≥3%; P = 0.009), lymphatic involvement (P = 0.047), advanced pT‐factor (T2–T4; P = 0.003), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.006), advanced Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer‐stage (Stage II–IV; P = 0.001), advanced ENETS stage (Stage IIa–IV; P = 0.001), nonfunctioning tumors (P = 0.002), and a shorter disease‐free survival (P = 0.019). However, there was no significant correlation between nectin‐3 expression in the membrane and/or cytoplasm and the clinicopathological parameters. The present results suggest that decreased nectin‐3 expression in the membrane is associated with increased tumor aggressiveness of PanNETs. Clinically, immunohistochemical analysis of nectin‐3 may help predict tumor aggressiveness for PanNETs.
Fakeness: Digital Inauthenticity and Emergent Political Tactics in Armenia
Authors: Shirinian Tamar
Published: December 2019

Fake news and fake social networking profiles have recently come under a great deal of public attention. Much of this attention has focused on the dangers of politics as a space in which inauthenticity is now running rampant. Through an ethnographic exploration of how LGBT activists and their right‐wing nationalist opposition make use of fake information and fake social networking profiles in Armenia, I argue that rather than dismissing fakeness as an aberration of politics, it might be regarded as an emergent political tactic within a new informational logic that has risen through, and in interruption of, digital communication. While actors on the right in Armenia and beyond have used forms of such inauthentic politics, fakeness has the potential to be used in multiple directions and for various other political causes.
The Burden of Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence, Experience, and Persuasion
Authors: Gribaldo Alessandra
Published: December 2019

In domestic violence cases, the production of legal evidence faces several challenges. While scholars have amply discussed the issues of intimacy, dependency, and ambivalence, their relationship with evidence and persuasion appears undertheorized. The Italian context is particularly suitable for analyzing this issue, as the testimony of the victim is central in cases of intimate partner violence. Drawing on ethnographic research into domestic violence and the law, I analyze the two components of the burden of proof: evidence and persuasion. The first corresponds to the reconstruction of facts based on eliciting the victim's experience in the form of a story; the second to how the persuasiveness of testimony is judged based on the performance of authenticity. Questioning the notion that one of the qualities of evidence—in law as in anthropology—is to be free of human intention, the article suggests that these two components of proof appear, in cases of intimate violence, not only mutually implicated but also in a relationship of intractable contradiction.
Phylogenomic analysis of the beetle suborder Adephaga with comparison of tailored and generalized ultraconserved element probe performance
Authors: Gustafson Grey T. , Baca Stephen M. , Alexander Alana M. , Short Andrew E. Z.
Published: December 2019

Adephaga is the second largest suborder of beetles (Coleoptera) and they serve as important arthropod predators in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The suborder is divided into Geadephaga comprising terrestrial families and Hydradephaga for aquatic lineages. Despite numerous studies, phylogenetic relationships among the adephagan families and monophyly of the Hydradephaga itself remain in question. Here we conduct a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of the suborder using ultraconserved elements (UCEs). This study presents the first in vitro test of a newly developed UCE probe set customized for use within Adephaga that includes both probes tailored specifically for the suborder, alongside generalized Coleoptera probes previously found to work in adephagan taxa. We assess the utility of the entire probe set, as well as comparing the tailored and generalized probes alone for reconstructing evolutionary relationships. Our analyses recovered strong support for the paraphyly of Hydradephaga with whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) placed as sister to all other adephagan families. Geadephaga was strongly supported as monophyletic and placed sister to a clade composed of Haliplidae + Dytiscoidea. Monophyly of Dytiscoidea was strongly supported with relationships among the dytiscoid families resolved and strongly supported. Relationships among the subfamilies of Dytiscidae were strongly supported but largely incongruent with prior phylogenetic estimates for the family. The results of our UCE probe comparison showed that tailored probes alone outperformed generalized probes alone, as well as the full combined probe set (containing both types of probes), under decreased taxon sampling. When taxon sampling was increased, the full combined probe set outperformed both tailored probes and generalized probes alone. This study provides further evidence that UCE probe sets customized for a focal group result in a greater number of recovered loci and substantially improve phylogenomic analysis.
Imputation of 3 million SNPs in the Arabidopsis regional mapping population
Authors: Arouisse Bader , Korte Arthur , van Eeuwijk Fred , Kruijer Willem
Published: December 2019

Natural variation has become a prime resource to identify genetic variants that contribute to phenotypic variation. The regional mapping (RegMap) population is one of the most important populations for studying natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana, and has been used in a large number of association studies and in studies on climatic adaptation. However, only 413 RegMap accessions have been completely sequenced, as part of the 1001 Genomes (1001G) Project, while the remaining 894 accessions have only been genotyped with the Affymetrix 250k chip. As a consequence, most association studies involving the RegMap are either restricted to the sequenced accessions, reducing power, or rely on a limited set of SNPs. Here we impute millions of SNPs to the 894 accessions that are exclusive to the RegMap, using the 1135 accessions of the 1001G Project as the reference panel. We assess imputation accuracy using a novel cross‐validation scheme, which we show provides a more reliable measure of accuracy than existing methods. After filtering out low accuracy SNPs, we obtain high‐quality genotypic information for 2029 accessions and 3 million markers. To illustrate the benefits of these imputed data, we reconducted genome‐wide association studies on five stress‐related traits and could identify novel candidate genes.
Surveillance of swine influenza viruses in sentinel familial farms in Hung Yen province in Northern Vietnam in 2013–2014
Authors: Baudon Eugénie , Peyre Marisa , Tung Dao Duy , Thi Nga Pham , Khong Nguyen Viet , Cowling Benjamin J. , Peiris Malik
Published: December 2019

From May 2013 to April 2014, 15 swine family‐run farms (17 pig litters) in two districts in Hung Yen province, near Hanoi, were virologically and epizootiologically monitored for swine influenza viruses (SIV) monthly. No SIV was isolated from nasal swabs. Maternal antibodies were detected in 10 litters, and seroconversion against SIV was detected in six litters. There was a marked difference in patterns of SIV transmission in the two districts. Van Lam district which has low density of swine with mainly smallholder farms had low intensity of SIV, with much of the infection caused by H1N1 2009 pandemic‐like viruses A(H1N1)pdm09, likely originated from humans. In contrast, Van Giang district, which has high swine density and larger farms, had high levels of typical SIV (triple reassortants H3N2 and H3N2 Binh Duong lineage viruses) circulating within swine. With one exception, the SIV lineages detected were those we concurrently isolated from studies in a large central abattoir in Hanoi. Influenza‐like illness symptoms reported by farmers were poorly correlated with serological evidence of SIV infection.
Hausdorff dimension of divergent trajectories on homogeneous spaces
Authors: Guan Lifan , Shi Ronggang
Published: December 2019

For a one-parameter subgroup action on a finite-volume homogeneous space, we consider the set of points admitting divergent-on-average trajectories. We show that the Hausdorff dimension of this set is strictly less than the manifold dimension of the homogeneous space. As a corollary we know that the Hausdorff dimension of the set of points admitting divergent trajectories is not full, which proves a conjecture of Cheung [Hausdorff dimension of the set of singular pairs, Ann. of Math. (2)173(2011), 127–167].
CLDN4 silencing promotes proliferation and reduces chemotherapy sensitivity of gastric cancer cells through activation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway
Authors: Luo Jie , Wang Huaiming , Chen Huanjie , Gan Guolian , Zheng Yifeng
Published: December 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

What is the influence of the interaction between the matrix protein CLDN4 and the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway on tumour progression and chemotherapy sensitivity in gastric cancer?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Silencing of CLDN4 can promote the growth and proliferation of gastric cancer cells by activating the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway, and thus reduce the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to chemotherapy.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and has a high mortality rate, accompanied by metastasis. Claudins (CLDNs) are major tight‐junction proteins that mediate cellular polarity and differentiation. In the present study, we investigated the role of claudin 4 (CLDN4) in modulating cell proliferation and chemotherapeutic sensitivity in GC. Immunohistochemistry and RT‐qPCR were initially used to detect the expression of CLDN4 in cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues collected from GC patients. GC cell lines with the highest and the lowest CLDN4 expression were selected for subsequent experiments. The effects of CLDN4 on GC cell chemosensitivity, proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis and tumourigenic capacity were evaluated by conducting gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies of CLDN4. Expression of CLDN4 was significantly decreased in GC tissues and cell lines compared to adjacent normal tissues or gastric epithelial cells. Silencing of CLDN4 increased the extent of PI3K and Akt phosphorylation, and also the proliferation, migration, invasion and tumourigenesis of GC cells; at the same time apoptosis and the sensitivity of GC cells to chemotherapy were reduced. In conclusion, CLDN4 may play a pivotal role in attenuating GC cell proliferation and enhancing sensitivity of GC cells to chemotherapy by inactivating the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.
Sharpey‐Schafer Lecture 2019: From retroviruses to human birth
Authors: Smith Roger , Paul Jonathan W. , Tolosa Jorge M.
Published: December 2019

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

The timing of birth is an important determinant of future health and well‐being. This review examines the role of endogenous retroviruses as upstream regulators of key biological functions of the placenta, including cell‐cell fusion, modulation of the maternal immune system, and the production of key pregnancy hormones.

What advances does it highlight?

Endogenous retroviruses are an obligate requirement for successful human reproduction. The products of retroviral elements, incorporated into the germline millions of years ago, have been co‐opted to serve vital biological roles within the placenta that ultimately dictate the length of human pregnancy and therefore well‐being trajectories.

Gestational length at the time of birth is an important determinant of future health and well‐being, yet the physiological regulation of the onset of labour in humans remains obscure. The evolution of egg formation and internal fertilisation in amniotes required a mechanism to suppress the contractile activity of the oviduct that is provided by progesterone. Delivery of the egg is then associated with the withdrawal of progesterone and a return of contractile activity to the reproductive tract. In mammals, the process of pregnancy is complicated further by the need to protect the fetus from potential attack by the maternal immune system. There is increasing evidence that retroviruses incorporated into the mammalian germline in the evolutionary past play a key role in suppressing the maternal immune reaction to the developing conceptus, organising the development of the placenta and perhaps, in humans, modulating the action of progesterone, determining gestational length and the onset of labour. It seems that the presence of an endogenous retrovirus is an obligate requirement for human reproduction.
Eficiencia del sector bancario en Chile ante cambios en las regulaciones de protección al consumidor financiero
Authors: Cofré Sepúlveda Luis , Améstica Rivas Luis , King Domínguez Andrea , Romero Romero Rodrigo
Published: December 2019

En el presente estudio se analiza la eficiencia del sector bancario chileno entre los años 2010-2014. Este periodo contempla la promulgación de las nuevas regulaciones de protección al consumidor financiero del año 2012, que se supone generaron mayor competencia y simetrías de información en el mercado bancario. Metodológicamente se utilizó la técnica no paramétrica de análisis envolvente de datos, midiendo la eficiencia técnica global, la eficiencia técnica pura y la eficiencia a escala. Como resultado se obtuvo un promedio general de eficiencia del sector bancario chileno del 85,74%, dejando espacio para un mejor desempeño, siendo el Banco Estado el de mejor eficiencia bajo estos parámetros. A su vez, a partir de los cambios reguladores en favor del consumidor financiero, se observó en 2012 un deterioro en la eficiencia y una recuperación un poco más lenta en los años posteriores, lo que en parte puede ser explicado por la entrada en vigencia de la ley.
La importancia del informe de auditoría para el otorgamiento de crédito
Authors: Duckardt Boris Erick , López María De los Ángeles , Albanese Diana , Briozzo Anahí
Published: December 2019

El objetivo del presente artículo consiste en indagar sobre la relevancia de los informes de auditoría para los analistas de crédito de instituciones financieras y crédito comercial, como fuente de información para otorgar financiamiento. Se realizó un estudio de casos múltiples, recolectando los datos mediante entrevistas a analistas de crédito de instituciones bancarias, financieras y empresas comerciales de la ciudad de Bahía Blanca, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Los entrevistados consideran que la presentación de estados financieros auditados es fundamental para la calificación crediticia. En cuanto al informe de auditoría pareciera brindar confiabilidad, aunque las opiniones calificadas y la utilización de un párrafo de énfasis resultan ser una alerta para los analistas. Sin embargo, mencionaron que en general los informes presentan opiniones sin modificar. Los contadores y personas de altos cargos valoran más los informes de auditoría que los analistas de crédito que poseen otra formación y aquellos que ocupan cargos operativos, posiblemente por menor comprensión de su contenido.
Líneas de defensa y el índice de desempeño en Empresas Estatales Federales Brasileñas
Authors: Cunha Araújo Davi Jônatas , Nóbrega Cavalcante Paulo Roberto , Lopes Lucena Wenner Glaucio
Published: December 2019

En este artículo se analiza si la alta administración, las unidades de control y conformidad, y la auditoría interna –las líneas de defensa (Instituto de los Auditores Internos, 2013)– de las empresas estatales brasileñas, están relacionadas con el desempeño de esas instituciones, a través del Índice de Desempeño de Empresas Estatales (IDESEMPEST). Se empleó la combinación del análisis de contenido y la regresión lineal múltiple, en una investigación documental con los informes de administración, de gestión y de la auditoría interna divulgados en los websites de 24 estatales federales en 2016. Los resultados muestran que la alta administración, la unidad de control y cumplimiento y auditoría interna no tienen una relación significativa con el comportamiento del IDESEMPEST. A pesar de que la alta administración y la auditoría interna funcionan de manera alineada y la unidad de control y conformidad se correlacionan con el desempeño de las estatales, las líneas de defensa no tienen poder explicativo sobre el desempeño obtenido de las empresas estatales.
Spatial Flow-Field Approximation Using Few Thermodynamic Measurements—Part I: Formulation and Area Averaging
Authors: Seshadri Pranay , Simpson Duncan , Thorne George , Duncan Andrew , Parks Geoffrey
Published: December 2019

Our investigation raises an important question that is of relevance to the wider turbomachinery community: how do we estimate the spatial average of a flow quantity given finite (and sparse) measurements? This paper seeks to advance efforts to answer this question rigorously. In this paper, we develop a regularized multivariate linear regression framework for studying engine temperature measurements. As part of this investigation, we study the temperature measurements obtained from the same axial plane across five different engines yielding a total of 82 datasets. The five different engines have similar architectures and therefore similar temperature spatial harmonics are expected. Our problem is to estimate the spatial field in engine temperature given a few measurements obtained from thermocouples positioned on a set of rakes. Our motivation for doing so is to understand key engine temperature modes that cannot be captured in a rig or in computational simulations, as the cause of these modes may not be replicated in these simpler environments. To this end, we develop a multivariate linear least-squares model with Tikhonov regularization to estimate the 2D temperature spatial field. Our model uses a Fourier expansion in the circumferential direction and a quadratic polynomial expansion in the radial direction. One important component of our modeling framework is the selection of model parameters, i.e., the harmonics in the circumferential direction. A training-testing paradigm is proposed and applied to quantify the harmonics.
Are there different cut-off values for staging liver fibrosis using 2D-SWE implemented on different systems from the same manufacturer?
Authors: Sporea Ioan , Bende Felix , Popescu Alina , Lupusoru Raluca , Fofiu Renata , Sirli Roxana
Published: December 2019

Aim: To evaluate the range of liver stiffness (LS) cut-off values for predicting different stages of liver fibrosis (LF) for 2D-SWE-GE implemented on three different systems from General Electric Healthcare (LOGIQ E9, LOGIQ S8, LOGIQ P9).Material and method: We performed a comparative study evaluating the performance of 2D-SWE-GE (LOGIQ E9, S8, P9) for predicting different stages of LF using Transient Elastography (TE) as the reference method. All patients (with or without chronic hepatopathies) were evaluated by TE, 331 patients were included in the LOGIQ E9 study, 179 in the LOGIQ S8 study and 234 in the LOGIQ P9 study. Reliable liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were defined for TE as the median value of 10 measurements with an interquartile range/median ratio (IQR/M)≤0.30 and for 2D-SWE-GE as the median value of 10 measurements and IQR/M≤0.30.Results: Reliable LSM was obtained by both methods in 91.5% subjects of the LOGIQ E9 group, in 95.5% subjects from the LOGIQ S8 group and in 87.6% subjects in the LOGIQ P9 group. The performance of 2DSWE-GE for predicting F≥2 with LOGIQ E9, LOGIQ S8 and LOGIQ P9 systems were: cut-offs 6.7 kPa, 6.9 kPa and 6.8 kPa; AUCs 0.95, 0.92 and 0.93. For predicting F≥3, the performances were: cut-offs – 8.2 kPa, 8.2 kPa and 7.6 kPa; AUCs - 0.97, 0.93 and 0.94. For predicting F4, the performances were: cut-offs – 9.3 kPa, 9.3 kPa and 9.3 kPa; AUCs - 0.96, 0.91 and 0.91.Conclusion: The LS cut-off values for 2D-SWE-GE implemented on different systems for predicting F≥2, F≥3 and F=4 are not significantly different.
Comparison of different pollen grains and a factitious prey as food sources for Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Authors: Nemati Alireza , Riahi Elham , Moghadam Arsalan Khalili , Gwiazdowicz Dariusz J. , Bahari Mohammad Reza , Amini Payam
Published: December 2019

Pollen used as an alternative or supplementary food source for a predatory mite not only provides important nutrients but also allows the predator to establish a population before prey becomes available. In this study, we compared the pollen of apricot, pear, hollyhock, opium poppy, and date palm, and a factitious prey, UV-irradiated eggs of Ephestia kuehniella, as food sources for Amblyseius swirskii. Different food items affected all development stages differently, except for hollyhock pollen, where eggs failed to develop to maturity. Food type affected the reproductive ability of females, which did not reproduce when fed on opium poppy during immature stages. Most eggs per female were produced when feeding on the factitious prey, and second most with apricot pollen. Feeding on factitious prey compared with pollen, resulted in greater longevity of both female and male adults. Feeding on pear pollen or factitious prey caused, respectively, the lowest and highest population growth rates (r and λ). Both net (R0) and gross (GRR) reproductive rates were highest when the factitious prey was the food source. Among the pollen diets, apricot was the most beneficial food item. Because of their effects on rates of population increase, either apricot pollen or the factitious prey could be further utilized as cost-effective alternative food diets for both experimental and commercial mass rearing of A. swirskii.
Hidden but not enough: DNA barcodes reveal two new species in Hygrobates fluviatilis complex from Iran (Acariformes, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae)
Authors: Pešić Vladimir , Saboori Alireza , Zawal Andrzej , Dabert Miroslawa
Published: December 2019

Water mites of the Hygrobates fluviatilis complex are common in Palaearctic inhabiting mainly running and slowly flowing waters. In this study, we examined the specimens collected in a stream in Golestan Province of Iran which is currently the easternmost distribution limit of the latter species complex. We used a fragment of the mtDNA COI gene and the D2 region of 28S rDNA to test the genetic structure. Molecular analyses revealed presence of two new well-supported species with a mean genetic divergence of 12.80% and 14.66% COI, respectively, from their closest relatives. Phylogenetic analysis based on COI and nuclear DNA data placed H. grabowskii sp. nov. as the sister species of H. persicus, and H. ulii sp. nov. as the sister species of H. turcicus. Discriminant statistical analysis revealed that the two newly discovered species could be separated on the basis of morphometric characters, but robust morphological differences were not found. Yet we were able to show that diversity in water mites is underestimated and that species delimitation requires an integrative approach.
Ion bombardment induced formation of self-organized wafer-scale GaInP nanopillar assemblies
Authors: Visser Dennis , Jaramillo-Fernandez Juliana , Haddad Gabriel , Sotomayor Torres Clivia M. , Anand Srinivasan
Published: December 2019

Ion sputtering assisted formation of nanopillars is demonstrated as a wafer-scale, lithography-free fabrication method to obtain high optical quality gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) nanopillars. Compared to binary materials, little has been reported on the formation of self-organized ternary nanostructures. Epitaxial (100) Ga0.51In0.49P layers lattice matched to GaAs were sputtered by nitrogen (N2) ions with relatively low ion beam energies (∼400 eV) to reduce ion bombardment induced damage. The influence of process parameters such as temperature, sputter duration, ion beam energy, and ion beam incidence angle on the pillar formation is investigated. The fabricated GaInP nanopillars have average diameters of ∼75–100 nm, height of ∼220 nm, and average density of ∼2–4 × 108 pillars/cm2. The authors show that the ion beam incidence angle plays an important role in pillar formation and can be used to tune the pillar shape, diameter, and spatial density. Specifically, tapered to near cylindrical pillar profiles together with a reduction in their average diameters are obtained by varying the ion beam incidence angle from 0° to 20°. A tentative model for the GaInP nanopillar formation is proposed based on transmission electron microscopy and chemical mapping analysis. μ-Photoluminescence and μ-Raman measurements indicate a high optical quality of the c-GaInP nanopillars.
Challenges in Implementing a Time-Limited Martial-Arts Curriculum in Middle-School Physical Education Classes: A Research Consultation Case
Authors: Rotunda Rob J. , Ryan Stuart
Published: December 2019

The present program consultation and evaluation examines the use of a martial-arts (MA) program in a middle-school physical education (PE) setting. Prior work and anecdotal reports suggest that MA instruction has the potential to produce both physical and psychosocial benefits for adult and adolescent participants, but rarely has a systematic program been implemented in schools. At the impetus of an MA organization, self-report measures of emotional intelligence and behavior of seventy 7th- and 8th-grade boys and girls who participated in a structured 18-session tae kwon do program as a component of their school’s PE curriculum were compared with those of 45 students who received typical PE class instruction. Participant satisfaction with the tae kwon do program and feedback received from the MA instructors and PE teachers suggest that this sport can be successfully integrated into school-based PE classes; this represents an opportunity to provide a novel programming alternative to students that promotes exercise and continued pursuit of physical activities, nonviolence, and respect of self and others. The project content, process, and challenges in working with a client MA organization to develop the curriculum, gaining entry into a public school, and explaining limitations of the research are discussed.
Influence of Obesity and Impact of a Physical Activity Program on Postural Control and Functional and Physical Capacities in Institutionalized Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Authors: Maktouf Wael , Durand Sylvain , Beaune Bruno , Boyas Sébastien
Published: December 2019

Objective: To evaluate the role of obesity in the effects of physical activity (PA) on postural control and functional and physical capacities in the older adults and to assess the effectiveness of a PA program on these capacities. Methods: Six obese (age = 78.8 [3.7] y; body mass index > 30 kg/m2), 7 overweight (age = 80.9 [2.8] y; 25 < body mass index < 30 kg/m2), and 6 normal weight (age = 80.8 [5.7] y; body mass index < 25 kg/m2) older adults performed the time up and go test, the 6-minute walk test, and the Tinetti test. Static and dynamic (forward leaning) postural control tests were also assessed. All these tests were similarly assessed 4 months later, during which only the obese group and overweight group participated in a PA program. Results: Before PA, results of the time up and go test, 6-minute walk test, Tinetti test, quiet standing, and forward lean tests revealed that physical capacities and static and dynamic postural control were impaired in the obese group when compared to the normal weight group. After PA, results of quiet standing, physical and functional tests were improved for obese group. Conclusions: Obesity is an additional constraint to age-related postural control and functional and physical capacities deteriorations. Nevertheless, a PA program is effective in improving balance and functional capacities in obese older adults.
Management controls the net greenhouse gas outcomes of growing bioenergy feedstocks on marginally productive croplands
Authors: Jin Virginia L. , Schmer Marty R. , Stewart Catherine E. , Mitchell Robert B. , Williams Candiss O. , Wienhold Brian J. , Varvel Gary E. , Follett Ronald F. , Kimble John , Vogel Kenneth P.
Published: December 2019

Switchgrass mitigates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and no-till corn is GHG neutral for bioenergy production’s agronomic phase.
Constraint and trade-offs regulate energy expenditure during childhood
Authors: Urlacher Samuel S. , Snodgrass J. Josh , Dugas Lara R. , Sugiyama Lawrence S. , Liebert Melissa A. , Joyce Cara J. , Pontzer Herman
Published: December 2019

Forager-horticulturalist children do not spend more calories than industrialized children, but they do spend calories differently.
Topological states from topological crystals
Authors: Song Zhida , Huang Sheng-Jie , Qi Yang , Fang Chen , Hermele Michael
Published: December 2019

We classify and construct topological crystalline insulators via real-space motifs of lower-dimensional states.
The value of complementary co-workers
Authors: Neffke Frank M. H.
Published: December 2019

Whom you work with matters: skill complementarity with co-workers influences careers, wages and returns to education.
A bifunctional ATPase drives tad pilus extension and retraction
Authors: Ellison Courtney K. , Kan Jingbo , Chlebek Jennifer L. , Hummels Katherine R. , Panis Gaёl , Viollier Patrick H. , Biais Nicolas , Dalia Ankur B. , Brun Yves V.
Published: December 2019

A single ATPase powers extension and retraction of a broadly distributed class of type IV pili.
Activity of the poly(A) binding protein MSUT2 determines susceptibility to pathological tau in the mammalian brain
Authors: Wheeler Jeanna M. , McMillan Pamela , Strovas Timothy J. , Liachko Nicole F. , Amlie-Wolf Alexandre , Kow Rebecca L. , Klein Ronald L. , Szot Patricia , Robinson Linda , Guthrie Chris , Saxton Aleen , Kanaan Nicholas M. , Raskind Murray , Peskind Elaine , Trojanowski John Q. , Lee Virginia M. Y. , Wang Li-San , Keene C. Dirk , Bird Thomas , Schellenberg Gerard D. , Kraemer Brian
Published: December 2019

The poly(A) RNA binding proteins MSUT2 and PABPN1 regulate the accumulation of pathological tau in two mouse models of tauopathy.
Human genetics and neuropathology suggest a link between miR-218 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathophysiology
Authors: Reichenstein Irit , Eitan Chen , Diaz-Garcia Sandra , Haim Guy , Magen Iddo , Siany Aviad , Hoye Mariah L. , Rivkin Natali , Olender Tsviya , Toth Beata , Ravid Revital , Mandelbaum Amitai D. , Yanowski Eran , Liang Jing , Rymer Jeffrey K. , Levy Rivka , Beck Gilad , Ainbinder Elena , Farhan Sali M. K. , Lennox Kimberly A. , Bode Nicole M. , Behlke Mark A. , Möller Thomas , Saxena Smita , Moreno Cristiane A. M. , Costaguta Giancarlo , van Eijk Kristel R. , Phatnani Hemali , Al-Chalabi Ammar , Başak A. Nazli , van den Berg Leonard H. , Hardiman Orla , Landers John E. , Mora Jesus S. , Morrison Karen E. , Shaw Pamela J. , Veldink Jan H. , Pfaff Samuel L. , Yizhar Ofer , Gross Christina , Brown Robert H. , Ravits John M. , Harms Matthew B. , Miller Timothy M. , Hornstein Eran
Published: December 2019

Genetics, pathology, and molecular studies demonstrate that microRNA-218 is modulated and might play a role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
DNA vaccination before conception protects Zika virus–exposed pregnant macaques against prolonged viremia and improves fetal outcomes
Authors: Van Rompay Koen K. A. , Keesler Rebekah I. , Ardeshir Amir , Watanabe Jennifer , Usachenko Jodie , Singapuri Anil , Cruzen Christina , Bliss-Moreau Eliza , Murphy Ashley M. , Yee JoAnn L. , Webster Helen , Dennis Maria , Singh Tulika , Heimsath Holly , Lemos Danilo , Stuart Jackson , Morabito Kaitlyn M. , Foreman Bryant M. , Burgomaster Katherine E. , Noe Amy T. , Dowd Kimberly A. , Ball Erin , Woolard Kevin , Presicce Pietro , Kallapur Suhas G. , Permar Sallie R. , Foulds Kathryn E. , Coffey Lark L. , Pierson Theodore C. , Graham Barney S.
Published: December 2019

A Zika virus vaccine administered to macaques before conception reduces maternal viremia and improves fetal outcomes.
Biocompatible near-infrared quantum dots delivered to the skin by microneedle patches record vaccination
Authors: McHugh Kevin J. , Jing Lihong , Severt Sean Y. , Cruz Mache , Sarmadi Morteza , Jayawardena Hapuarachchige Surangi N. , Perkinson Collin F. , Larusson Fridrik , Rose Sviatlana , Tomasic Stephanie , Graf Tyler , Tzeng Stephany Y. , Sugarman James L. , Vlasic Daniel , Peters Matthew , Peterson Nels , Wood Lowell , Tang Wen , Yeom Jihyeon , Collins Joe , Welkhoff Philip A. , Karchin Ari , Tse Megan , Gao Mingyuan , Bawendi Moungi G. , Langer Robert , Jaklenec Ana
Published: December 2019

Near-infrared fluorescent microparticles administered to the skin via dissolvable microneedle patches can record vaccine delivery.
Preliminary Results, Perspectives, and Proposal for a Screening Method of
In Vitro
Susceptibility of
Prototheca
Species to Antimicrotubular Agents
Authors: Morello Laura , Tiroli Tommaso , Aretino Francesca , Morandi Stefano , Breviario Diego
Published: December 2019

Microorganisms belonging to the genus
Prototheca
are achlorophyllous microalgae, occasionally behaving as environmental pathogens that cause severe mastitis in milk cows, as well as localized or systemic infections in humans and animals. Among the different species belonging to the genus,
Prototheca zopfii
genotype 2 (recently reclassified as
P. bovis
) and
P. blaschkeae
are most commonly associated with bovine mastitis.
Production of Active Chimeric Pediocin AcH in
Escherichia coli
in the Absence of Processing and Secretion Genes from the
Pediococcus pap
Operon
Authors: Miller Kurt W. , Schamber Robin , Chen Yanling , Ray Bibek
Published: December 2019

Minimum requirements have been determined for synthesis and secretion of the
Pediococcus
antimicrobial peptide, pediocin AcH, in
Escherichia coli
. The functional mature domain of pediocin AcH (Lys
+1
to Cys
+44
) is targeted into the
E. coli sec
machinery and secreted to the periplasm in active form when fused in frame to the COOH terminus of the secretory protein maltose-binding protein (MBP). The PapC-PapD specialized secretion machinery is not required for secretion of the MBP-pediocin AcH chimeric protein, indicating that in
Pediococcus
, PapC and PapD probably are required for recognition and processing of the leader peptide rather than for translocation of the mature pediocin AcH domain across the cytoplasmic membrane. The chimeric protein displays bactericidal activity, suggesting that the NH
2
terminus of pediocin AcH does not span the phospholipid bilayer in the membrane-interactive form of the molecule. However, the conserved Lys
+1
-Tyr-Tyr-Gly-Asn-Gly-Val
+7
-sequence at the NH
2
terminus is important because deletion of this sequence abolishes activity. The secreted chimeric protein is released into the culture medium when expressed in a periplasmic leaky
E. coli
host. The MBP fusion-periplasmic leaky expression system should be generally advantageous for production and screening of the activity of bioactive peptides.
Detection of Verotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
by Magnetic Capture-Hybridization PCR
Authors: Chen Jinru , Johnson Roger , Griffiths Mansel
Published: December 2019

Magnetic capture-hybridization PCR (MCH-PCR) was used for the detection of 36 verotoxigenic (verotoxin [VT]-producing)
Escherichia coli
(VTEC), 5 VTEC reference, and 13 non-VTEC control cultures. The detection system employs biotin-labeled probes to capture the DNA segments that contain specific regions of the genes for VT1 and VT2 by DNA-DNA hybridization. The hybrids formed were isolated by streptavidin-coated magnetic beads which were collected by a magnetic particle separator and, subsequently, amplified directly by conventional PCR. The detection system was found to be specific for VTEC: no amplification was obtained from non-VTEC controls, whereas VTEC isolates tested positive for one or two specific PCR products. With 5, 7, or 10 h of enrichment, the limits of detection were 10
3
, 10
2
, and 10
0
CFU/ml, respectively, by agarose gel electrophoresis. Southern hybridization did not seem to improve the limit of the detection. When applied to food, MCH-PCR was capable of detecting 10
0
CFU of VTEC per g of ground beef with 15 h of nonselective enrichment. The results of MCH-PCR for pure cultures of VT1- and/or VT2-producing
E. coli
cells were in total agreement with toxin production as measured by a VT enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Purification and Characterization of
O
-Methyltransferase I Involved in Conversion of Demethylsterigmatocystin to Sterigmatocystin and of Dihydrodemethylsterigmatocystin to Dihydrosterigmatocystin during Aflatoxin Biosynthesis
Authors: Yabe Kimiko , Matsushima Ken-ichiro , Koyama Takumi , Hamasaki Takashi
Published: December 2019

O
-Methyltransferase I, which catalyzes conversions both of demethylsterigmatocystin (DMST) to sterigmatocystin (ST) and of dihydrodemethylsterigmatocystin (DHDMST) to dihydrosterigmatocystin (DHST) during aflatoxin biosynthesis, was purified to apparent homogeneity from the cytosol fraction of the mycelia of
Aspergillus parasiticus
NIAH-26 through the following chromatography series: phenyl-Sepharose, DEAE-Sepharose, phenyl-Sepharose, Sephacryl S-300, and Matrex gel Green A. The apparent molecular mass was estimated at 150 kDa based on Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration chromatography, and the denaturing molecular mass was 43 kDa based on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The pI of the enzyme was 4.4, and the optimal pH for activity was broad, from 6.5 to 9.0. In competition experiments using the purified enzyme, the formation of ST from DMST was suppressed when DHDMST was added to the reaction mixture and DHST was newly formed. These results indicate that DMST and DHDMST commonly serve as substrates for the enzyme. The

K
m

of the enzyme for DMST was 0.94 μM, and that for DHDMST was 2.5 μM. Interestingly, MT-I kinetics deviated substantially from standard Michaelis-Menten kinetics, demonstrating substrate inhibition at a higher substrate concentration.
Microbial Consumption of Atmospheric Isoprene in a Temperate Forest Soil
Authors: Cleveland C. C. , Yavitt J. B.
Published: December 2019

Isoprene (2-methyl-1,3 butadiene) is a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon emitted in large quantities to the atmosphere by vegetation and plays a large role in regulating atmospheric chemistry. Until now, the atmosphere has been considered the only significant sink for isoprene. However, in this study we performed both in situ and in vitro experiments with soil from a temperate forest near Ithaca, N.Y., that indicate that the soil provides a sink for atmospheric isoprene and that the consumption of isoprene is carried out by microorganisms. Consumption occurred rapidly in field chambers (672.60 ± 30.12 to 2,718.36 ± 86.40 pmol gdw
−1
day
−1
) (gdw is grams [dry weight] of soil; values are means ± standard deviations). Subsequent laboratory experiments confirmed that isoprene loss was due to biological processes: consumption was stopped by autoclaving the soil; consumption rates increased with repeated exposure to isoprene; and consumption showed a temperature response consistent with biological activity (with an optimum temperature of 30°C). Isoprene consumption was diminished under low oxygen conditions (120 ± 7.44 versus 528.36 ± 7.68 pmol gdw
−1
day
−1
under ambient O
2
concentrations) and showed a strong relationship with soil moisture. Isoprene-degrading microorganisms were isolated from the site, and abundance was calculated as 5.8 × 10
5
± 3.2 × 10
5
cells gdw
−1
. Our results indicate that soil may provide a significant biological sink for atmospheric isoprene.
Molecular Basis of a Bacterial Consortium: Interspecies Catabolism of Atrazine
Authors: de Souza Mervyn L. , Newcombe David , Alvey Sam , Crowley David E. , Hay Anthony , Sadowsky Michael J. , Wackett Lawrence P.
Published: December 2019

Pseudomonassp. strain ADP contains the genes,atzA, -B, and -C, that encode three enzymes which metabolize atrazine to cyanuric acid. Atrazine-catabolizing pure cultures isolated from around the world contain genes homologous toatzA, -B, and -C. The present study was conducted to determine whether the same genes are present in an atrazine-catabolizing bacterial consortium and how the genes and metabolism are subdivided among member species. The consortium contained four or more bacterial species, but two members,Clavibacter michiganeseATZ1 andPseudomonassp. strain CN1, collectively mineralized atrazine.C. michiganeseATZ1 released chloride from atrazine, produced hydroxyatrazine, and contained a homolog to theatzAgene that encoded atrazine chlorohydrolase.C. michiganeseATZ1 stoichiometrically metabolized hydroxyatrazine toN-ethylammelide and contained genes homologous toatzBandatzC, suggesting that either a functional AtzB or -C catalyzedN-isopropylamine release from hydroxyatrazine.C. michiganeseATZ1 grew on isopropylamine as its sole carbon and nitrogen source, explaining the ability of the consortium to use atrazine as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. A second consortium member,Pseudomonassp. strain CN1, metabolized theN-ethylammelide produced byC. michiganeseATZ1 to transiently form cyanuric acid, a reaction catalyzed by AtzC. A gene homologous to theatzCgene ofPseudomonassp. strain ADP was present, as demonstrated by Southern hybridization and PCR.Pseudomonassp. strain CN1, but notC. michiganese, metabolized cyanuric acid. The consortium metabolized atrazine faster than didC. michiganeseindividually. Additionally, the consortium metabolized a much broader set of triazine ring compounds than did previously described pure cultures in which theatzABCgenes had been identified. These data begin to elucidate the genetic and metabolic bases of catabolism by multimember consortia.
Surface Properties of Bifidobacterial Strains of Human Origin
Authors: Pérez Pablo F. , Minnaard Yessica , Disalvo Edgardo A. , De Antoni Graciela L.
Published: December 2019

The adherence of
Bifidobacterium
strains isolated from infant feces and commercial fermented dairy products to enterocyte-like cells was correlated with the autoagglutination and hemagglutination properties of these organisms. These results allowed us to define two groups: (i) cell-adherent bacteria showing hemagglutination and autoagglutination and (ii) non-cell-adherent, nonhemagglutinating, nonautoagglutinating bacteria. Glass adherence was shown to be nonspecific and was discarded as a criterion for selection of adherent cells. Hydrophobicity appeared to be necessary for adhesion to enterocyte-like cells and autoagglutination. Adhesive strains were highly hydrophobic, and the degree of adherence was slightly dependent on the surface potential. Cells autoagglutinated more when the electrostatic negative charges on the cell surface were shielded by a decrease in the pH from 7 to 2. However, in some strains negative charges at the cell surface were adjuvant to adhesion, thus suggesting that specific chemical interactions occurred. The present results provide a method for preliminary selection of bacteria potentially adherent to epithelial cells by means of autoagglutination.