bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physiology and Training of a World-Champion Paratriathlete
Authors: Mujika Iñigo , Orbañanos Javier , Salazar Hugo
Published: February 2015

Paratriathlon will debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, but research documenting the physiological attributes and training practices of elite paratriathletes is lacking. This case study reports on the physiology and training of a long-distance worldchampion male paratriathlete (below-the-knee amputee) over 19 mo. His body mass and skinfolds declined respectively by ~4 kg and 30% in 2 mo and remained relatively constant thereafter. His swim test velocity increased by 4.4% over 6 mo but declined back to baseline thereafter. His absolute and relative cycling maximal aerobic power improved progressively by 21.8% and 32.6%, respectively. His power output at the individual lactate threshold (ILT) improved by 39.5% and 51.6%, and his power output at the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA), by 59.7% and 73.4%. His maximal running aerobic velocity improved by 12.8%, and his velocity at ILT and OBLA increased by 38.9% and 44.9%, respectively. Over 84 wk he performed 813 training sessions (248 swim, 229 bike, 216 run, 120 strength), ie, 10 ± 3 sessions/week (mean ± SD). Swim, bike, and run volumes were 709 km (8 ± 3 km/wk), 519 h (6 ± 4 h/wk), and 164 h (2 ± 1 h/wk), respectively. Training at intensities below ILT, between ILT and OBLA, and above OBLA for swim were 82% ± 3%, 14% ± 1%, 4.4% ± 0.4%; for bike, 91% ± 3%, 6.2% ± 0.5%, 3.3% ± 0.3%; and for run, 88% ± 1%, 8.0% ± 0.3%, 3.5% ± 0.1%. The training volume for each discipline was lower than previously reported for competitive able-bodied Olympic-distance triathletes. He won the long-distance world championship in 8 h 14 min 47 s, nearly 30 min faster than his nearest competitor.
Monitoring Changes in Jump and Sprint Performance: Best or Average Values?
Authors: Al Haddad Hani , Simpson Ben M. , Buchheit Martin
Published: February 2015

This study compares different approaches to monitor changes in jump and sprint performance while using either the best or the average performance of repeated trials. One hundred two highly trained young footballers (U13 to U17) performed, in 2 different testing sessions separated by 4 mo, 3 countermovement jumps (n = 87) and 2 sprints (n = 98) over 40 m with 10-m splits to assess acceleration (first 10 m) and maximal sprinting speed (best split, MSS). Standardized group-average changes between the 2 testing periods and the typical error (TE) were calculated and compared for each method. The likelihood of substantial changes in performance for each individual player was also calculated. There was a small increase in jump performance (+6.1% for best and +7% for average performance). While 10-m time was likely unchanged (+~1.2% for both best and average performance), MSS showed likely small improvements (+~2.0% for both best and average performance). The TEs for jumping performance were 4.8% (90% confidence limits 4.3;5.6) and 4.3% (3.8;5.0) for best and average values, respectively; 1.8% (1.6;2.1) and 1.7% (1.5;1.9) for 10-m time and 2.0% (1.8;2.3) and 2.0% (1.8;2.3) for MSS. The standardized differences between TE were likely unclear or trivial for all comparisons (eg, 10-m, 0.01 [–0.09;0.10]). The numbers of players showing a likely increase or decrease in performance were 30/0 and 29/0 for best and average jump performances, 9/4 and 12/2 for 10-m times, and 33/4 and 33/4 for MSS. In conclusion, the 2 monitoring approaches are likely to provide similar outcomes.
Open Streets Initiatives in the United States: Closed to Traffic, Open to Physical Activity
Authors: Kuhlberg Jill A. , Hipp J. Aaron , Eyler Amy , Chang Genevieve
Published: February 2015

Background:

The ciclovía, or open streets concept, is a community-level physical activity (PA) promotion strategy where streets are closed to motorized traffic and open for individuals to engage in PA. This paper presents an overview of such initiatives in the United States (US) to understand their potential in PA promotion, comparing event and city characteristics.

Methods:

We searched ciclovía and open streets initiatives held in 2011 in the US using internet searches, publication databases, social media, and personal contacts. We extracted data on the each initiative’s frequency, route length, attendance, evaluation procedures, and sociodemographic characteristics of host cities.

Results:

Our search yielded 47 US cities with open streets in 2011. Cities were diverse in sociodemographic characteristics. Route lengths ranged from a few blocks to 51 miles and event frequency ranged from annual to monthly. Reporting number of participants for events was sporadic. Few events conducted formal evaluations.

Conclusion:

The number of US cities hosting open streets is increasing. The sociodemographics of the host cities suggest a potential to increase physical activity in populations at risk for developing chronic diseases through these initiatives. However, further evaluation is required. Identifying successful promotion and evaluation tactics would boost the health promotion potential of these initiatives.
Associations of Leisure Time, Commuting, and Occupational Physical Activity With Physical Fitness and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Young Men
Authors: Vaara Jani P. , Kyröläinen Heikki , Fogelholm Mikael , Santtila Matti , Häkkinen Arja , Häkkinen Keijo , Vasankari Tommi
Published: February 2015

Background:

The aim was to study the relationships between different domains of physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors and physical fitness.

Methods:

781 young men participated. Self-reported leisure-time (LTPA), commuting (CPA) and occupational (OPA) activity were determined. Blood pressure, s-HDL-cholesterol, s-triglycerides and s-LDL-cholesterol, and glucose were measured. The continuous cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor score was calculated from the z-score mean of each cardiovascular risk factor. The cutpoint was defined as 1 standard deviation above the mean. Cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness were measured.

Results:

The likelihood of CVD risk factor score was higher in moderate [OR 1.99 (95% CI 1.21–3.28)] and low [1.87 (1.16–3.02)] CPA groups compared with the high group, whereas neither low nor moderate LTPA or OPA groups showed similar associations after adjustments. Low OPA combined either with low LTPA [2.01 (1.08–3.74)] or low CPA [1.90 (1.05–3.44)] had a higher likelihood for CVD risk factor compared with combined moderate-high categories after adjustments. LTPA was positively associated with all physical fitness parameters, CPA with cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular endurance, and OPA with grip strength.

Conclusion:

The results emphasize the beneficial role of CPA regarding CVD risk factor score and stress the avoidance of low physical activity in its different domains.
Understanding the Relationship Between Coaches’ Basic Psychological Needs and Identity Prominence and Their Commitment, Positive Affect, and Intentions to Persist
Authors: Pope Jacquelyn Paige , Hall Craig
Published: February 2015

This study tested the degree to which coaches’ basic psychological need fulfillment and identity prominence were associated with their positive affect, commitment, and intentions to persist. In total, 413 coaches with an average of 14 years’ experience served as participants and completed an online survey that included six sections: Demographics, basic psychological needs, identity prominence, positive affect, commitment, and intentions to persist. The present study findings provide initial support for the links from coaches’ basic psychological needs and identity prominence to their positive affect and commitment. In contrast, the findings did not provide support for the relationship between coaches’ basic psychological need fulfillment and their intentions to persist or the association between their identity prominence and intentions to persist. The results offer an explanation of the mechanisms that may play a role in facilitating coaches’ optimal functioning.
The Challenges of Sport Psychology Delivery in Elite and Professional Sport: Reflections From Experienced Sport Psychologists
Authors: McDougall Michael , Nesti Mark , Richardson David
Published: February 2015

The challenges encountered by sport psychologists operating within elite and professional sports teams have arguably been inadequately considered (Nesti, 2010). It has been suggested that this may be due to the inaccessibility of elite team environments (Eubank, Nesti, & Cruickshank, 2014; Nesti, 2010). The purpose of this research was to examine the challenges facing practitioners who operate in elite environments and to illuminate how these were experienced. Qualitative interviews with six experienced applied sport psychologists were conducted and a narrative themed analysis undertaken. Four main themes emerged as most prevalent and meaningful: challenges to congruence, a broader role: managing multiple relationships, the influence of elite sport cultures, and surviving and thriving were presented in narrative form. Practitioners provided experiential insight into how specific challenges were understood and dealt with, and how they are able to provide an effective service while managing themselves and the demands of the environment.
Stressors, Coping, and Support Mechanisms for Student Athletes Combining Elite Sport and Tertiary Education: Implications for Practice
Authors: Cosh Suzanne , Tully Phillip J.
Published: February 2015

Participation in elite-sport and education is stressful and can result in sacrificed educational attainment. A dearth of research, however, has explored the specific stressors encountered by student athletes and coping strategies used, resulting in limited knowledge of how to best support student athletes. Interviews with 20 Australian university student athletes were conducted and data were analyzed via thematic analysis. Interviewees reported encountering numerous stressors, especially relating to schedule clashes, fatigue, financial pressure, and inflexibility of coaches. Athletes identified few coping strategies but reported that support from parents and coaches was paramount. Athletes would benefit from upskilling in several areas such as effective use of time, self-care, time management, enhanced self-efficacy, and specific strategies for coping with stress. Coaches have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in facilitating successful integration of sport and education.
The tyrosine phosphatase PTPN14 (Pez) inhibits metastasis by altering protein trafficking
Authors: Belle Leila , Ali Naveid , Lonic Ana , Li Xiaochun , Paltridge James L. , Roslan Suraya , Herrmann David , W. Conway James R. , Gehling Freya K. , Bert Andrew G. , Crocker Lesley A. , Tsykin Anna , Farshid Gelareh , Goodall Gregory J. , Timpson Paul , Daly Roger J. , Khew-Goodall Yeesim
Published: February 2015

Without the protein phosphatase PTPN14, tumor cells secrete more prometastatic factors and send more growth-promoting receptors to the surface.
A molecular signature in the pannexin1 intracellular loop confers channel activation by the α1 adrenoreceptor in smooth muscle cells
Authors: Billaud Marie , Chiu Yu-Hsin , Lohman Alexander W. , Parpaite Thibaud , Butcher Joshua T. , Mutchler Stephanie M. , DeLalio Leon J. , Artamonov Mykhaylo V. , Sandilos Joanna K. , Best Angela K. , Somlyo Avril V. , Thompson Roger J. , Le Thu H. , Ravichandran Kodi S. , Bayliss Douglas A. , Isakson Brant E.
Published: February 2015

The ATP-releasing channel Panx1 is specifically involved in blood pressure regulation by adrenergic signaling.
Bacterial infection breaks the lymph node barrier
Authors: Mueller Kristen L.
Published: February 2015

Infection disrupts the organization of macrophages in the lymph node and impairs immunity to secondary infections.
Septins restrict polar growth
Authors: VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: February 2015

A regulator of G protein signaling has dual functions in the yeast response to mating pheromone.
Glutamine-based PET imaging facilitates enhanced metabolic evaluation of gliomas in vivo
Authors: Venneti Sriram , Dunphy Mark P. , Zhang Hanwen , Pitter Kenneth L. , Zanzonico Patrick , Campos Carl , Carlin Sean D. , La Rocca Gaspare , Lyashchenko Serge , Ploessl Karl , Rohle Daniel , Omuro Antonio M. , Cross Justin R. , Brennan Cameron W. , Weber Wolfgang A. , Holland Eric C. , Mellinghoff Ingo K. , Kung Hank F. , Lewis Jason S. , Thompson Craig B.
Published: February 2015

Glutamine-based PET imaging takes advantage of gliomas’ glutamine addiction and can be used to assess metabolic nutrient uptake in gliomas.
Targeting metabolism for lupus therapy
Authors: Mehta Manan M. , Chandel Navdeep S.
Published: February 2015

Drugs that correct defects in T cell metabolism may prove to be promising treatments for lupus.
A molecular patch for DMD
Authors: Bhardwaj Anshu
Published: February 2015

Antisense oligonucleotides rescue symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Predicting the road not taken
Authors: Frisk Megan L.
Published: February 2015

A gene signature from the macrophages in a chronic wound reveals whether the ulcer is destined to heal.
Neuroinflammation: Friend or foe?
Authors: Musiek Erik S.
Published: February 2015

The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 unexpectedly worsens pathology in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease by impairing the normal immune response to amyloid-β.
Insect-Derived Cecropins Display Activity against Acinetobacter baumannii in a Whole-Animal High-Throughput Caenorhabditis elegans Model
Authors: Jayamani Elamparithi , Rajamuthiah Rajmohan , Larkins-Ford Jonah , Fuchs Beth Burgwyn , Conery Annie L. , Vilcinskas Andreas , Ausubel Frederick M. , Mylonakis Eleftherios
Published: February 2015

The rise of multidrug-resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
and a concomitant decrease in antibiotic treatment options warrants a search for new classes of antibacterial agents. We have found that
A. baumannii
is pathogenic and lethal to the model host organism
Caenorhabditis elegans
and have exploited this phenomenon to develop an automated, high-throughput, high-content screening assay in liquid culture that can be used to identify novel antibiotics effective against
A. baumannii
. The screening assay involves coincubating
C. elegans
with
A. baumannii
in 384-well plates containing potential antibacterial compounds. At the end of the incubation period, worms are stained with a dye that stains only dead animals, and images are acquired using automated microscopy and then analyzed using an automated image analysis program. This robust assay yields a Z′ factor consistently greater than 0.7. In a pilot experiment to test the efficacy of the assay, we screened a small custom library of synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that were synthesized using publicly available sequence data and/or transcriptomic data from immune-challenged insects. We identified cecropin A and 14 other cecropin or cecropin-like peptides that were able to enhance
C. elegans
survival in the presence of
A. baumannii
. Interestingly, one particular hit, BR003-cecropin A, a cationic peptide synthesized by the mosquito
Aedes aegypti
, showed antibiotic activity against a panel of Gram-negative bacteria and exhibited a low MIC (5 μg/ml) against
A. baumannii
. BR003-cecropin A causes membrane permeability in
A. baumannii
, which could be the underlying mechanism of its lethality.
The Strength of Synergistic Interaction between Posaconazole and Caspofungin Depends on the Underlying Azole Resistance Mechanism of Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Mavridou Eleftheria , Meletiadis Joseph , Rijs Antony , Mouton Johan W. , Verweij Paul E.
Published: February 2015

The majority of azole resistance mechanisms in
Aspergillus fumigatus
correspond to mutations in the
cyp51A
gene. As azoles are less effective against infections caused by multiply azole-resistant
A. fumigatus
isolates, new therapeutic options are warranted for treating these infections. We therefore investigated the
in vitro
combination of posaconazole (POSA) and caspofungin (CAS) against 20 wild-type and resistant
A. fumigatus
isolates with 10 different resistance mechanisms. Fungal growth was assessed with the XTT [2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt] method. Pharmacodynamic interactions were assessed with the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index (FICi) on the basis of 10% (FICi-0), 25% (FICi-1), or 53 0% (FICi-2) growth, and FICs were correlated with POSA and CAS concentrations. Synergy and antagonism were concluded when the FICi values were statistically significantly (
t
test,
P
< 0.05) lower than 1 and higher than 1.25, respectively. Significant synergy was found for all isolates with mean FICi-0 values ranging from 0.28 to 0.75 (median, 0.46). Stronger synergistic interactions were found with FICi-1 (median, 0.18; range, 0.07 to 0.47) and FICi-2 (0.31; 0.07 to 0.6). The FICi-2 values of isolates with tandem-repeat-containing mutations or codon M220 were lower than those seen with the other isolates (
P
< 0.01). FIC-2 values were inversely correlated with POSA MICs (

r
s

= −0.52,
P
= 0.0006) and linearly with the ratio of drug concentrations in combination over the MIC of POSA (

r
s

= 0.76,
P
< 0.0001) and CAS (

r
s

= 0.52,
P
= 0.0004). The synergistic effect of the combination of POSA and CAS (POSA/CAS) against
A. fumigatus
isolates depended on the underlying azole resistance mechanism. Moreover, the drug combination synergy was found to be increased against isolates with elevated POSA MICs compared to wild-type isolates.
Sublethal Concentrations of Carbapenems Alter Cell Morphology and Genomic Expression of Klebsiella pneumoniae Biofilms
Authors: Van Laar Tricia A. , Chen Tsute , You Tao , Leung Kai P.
Published: February 2015

Klebsiella pneumoniae
, a Gram-negative bacterium, is normally associated with pneumonia in patients with weakened immune systems. However, it is also a prevalent nosocomial infectious agent that can be found in infected surgical sites and combat wounds. Many of these clinical strains display multidrug resistance. We have worked with a clinical strain of
K. pneumoniae
that was initially isolated from a wound of an injured soldier. This strain demonstrated resistance to many commonly used antibiotics but sensitivity to carbapenems. This isolate was capable of forming biofilms
in vitro
, contributing to its increased antibiotic resistance and impaired clearance. We were interested in determining how sublethal concentrations of carbapenem treatment specifically affect
K. pneumoniae
biofilms both in morphology and in genomic expression. Scanning electron microscopy showed striking morphological differences between untreated and treated biofilms, including rounding, blebbing, and dimpling of treated cells. Comparative transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology identified a large number of open reading frames (ORFs) differentially regulated in response to carbapenem treatment at 2 and 24 h. ORFs upregulated with carbapenem treatment included genes involved in resistance, as well as those coding for antiporters and autoinducers. ORFs downregulated included those coding for metal transporters, membrane biosynthesis proteins, and motility proteins. Quantitative real-time PCR validated the general trend of some of these differentially regulated ORFs. Treatment of
K. pneumoniae
biofilms with sublethal concentrations of carbapenems induced a wide range of phenotypic and gene expression changes. This study reveals some of the mechanisms underlying how sublethal amounts of carbapenems could affect the overall fitness and pathogenic potential of
K. pneumoniae
biofilm cells.
Amdinocillin (Mecillinam) Resistance Mutations in Clinical Isolates and Laboratory-Selected Mutants of Escherichia coli
Authors: Thulin Elisabeth , Sundqvist Martin , Andersson Dan I.
Published: February 2015

Amdinocillin (mecillinam) is a β-lactam antibiotic that is used mainly for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The objectives of this study were to identify mutations that confer amdinocillin resistance on laboratory-isolated mutants and clinical isolates of
Escherichia coli
and to determine why amdinocillin resistance remains rare clinically even though resistance is easily selected in the laboratory. Under laboratory selection, frequencies of mutation to amdinocillin resistance varied from 8 × 10
−8
to 2 × 10
−5
per cell, depending on the concentration of amdinocillin used during selection. Several genes have been demonstrated to give amdinocillin resistance, but here eight novel genes previously unknown to be involved in amdinocillin resistance were identified. These genes encode functions involved in the respiratory chain, the ribosome, cysteine biosynthesis, tRNA synthesis, and pyrophosphate metabolism. The clinical isolates exhibited significantly greater fitness than the laboratory-isolated mutants and a different mutation spectrum. The
cysB
gene was mutated (inactivated) in all of the clinical isolates, in contrast to the laboratory-isolated mutants, where mainly other types of more costly mutations were found. Our results suggest that the frequency of mutation to amdinocillin resistance is high because of the large mutational target (at least 38 genes). However, the majority of these resistant mutants have a low growth rate, reducing the probability that they are stably maintained in the bladder. Inactivation of the
cysB
gene and a resulting loss of cysteine biosynthesis are the major mechanism of amdinocillin resistance in clinical isolates of
E. coli
.
Homologs of the Acinetobacter baumannii AceI Transporter Represent a New Family of Bacterial Multidrug Efflux Systems
Authors: Hassan Karl A. , Liu Qi , Henderson Peter J. F. , Paulsen Ian T.
Published: February 2015

Multidrug efflux systems are a major cause of resistance to antimicrobials in bacteria, including those pathogenic to humans, animals, and plants. These proteins are ubiquitous in these pathogens, and five families of bacterial multidrug efflux systems have been identified to date. By using transcriptomic and biochemical analyses, we recently identified the novel AceI (
Acinetobacter
chlorhexidine efflux) protein from
Acinetobacter baumannii
that conferred resistance to the biocide chlorhexidine, via an active efflux mechanism. Proteins homologous to AceI are encoded in the genomes of many other bacterial species and are particularly prominent within proteobacterial lineages. In this study, we expressed 23 homologs of AceI and examined their resistance and/or transport profiles. MIC analyses demonstrated that, like AceI, many of the homologs conferred resistance to chlorhexidine. Many of the AceI homologs conferred resistance to additional biocides, including benzalkonium, dequalinium, proflavine, and acriflavine. We conducted fluorimetric transport assays using the AceI homolog from
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
and confirmed that resistance to both proflavine and acriflavine was mediated by an active efflux mechanism. These results show that this group of AceI homologs represent a new family of bacterial multidrug efflux pumps, which we have designated the proteobacterial antimicrobial compound efflux (PACE) family of transport proteins.

IMPORTANCE
Bacterial multidrug efflux pumps are an important class of resistance determinants that can be found in every bacterial genome sequenced to date. These transport proteins have important protective functions for the bacterial cell but are a significant problem in the clinical setting, since a single efflux system can mediate resistance to many structurally and mechanistically diverse antibiotics and biocides. In this study, we demonstrate that proteins related to the
Acinetobacter baumannii
AceI transporter are a new class of multidrug efflux systems which are very common in
Proteobacteria
: the proteobacterial antimicrobial compound efflux (PACE) family. This is the first new family of multidrug efflux pumps to be described in 15 years.
Subcellular Investigation of Photosynthesis-Driven Carbon Assimilation in the Symbiotic Reef Coral
Pocillopora damicornis
Authors: Kopp Christophe , Domart-Coulon Isabelle , Escrig Stephane , Humbel Bruno M. , Hignette Michel , Meibom Anders
Published: February 2015

Reef-building corals form essential, mutualistic endosymbiotic associations with photosynthetic
Symbiodinium
dinoflagellates, providing their animal host partner with photosynthetically derived nutrients that allow the coral to thrive in oligotrophic waters. However, little is known about the dynamics of these nutritional interactions at the (sub)cellular level. Here, we visualize with submicrometer spatial resolution the carbon and nitrogen fluxes in the intact coral-dinoflagellate association from the reef coral
Pocillopora damicornis
by combining nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and transmission electron microscopy with pulse-chase isotopic labeling using [
13
C]bicarbonate and [
15
N]nitrate. This allows us to observe that (i) through light-driven photosynthesis, dinoflagellates rapidly assimilate inorganic bicarbonate and nitrate, temporarily storing carbon within lipid droplets and starch granules for remobilization in nighttime, along with carbon and nitrogen incorporation into other subcellular compartments for dinoflagellate growth and maintenance, (ii) carbon-containing photosynthates are translocated to all four coral tissue layers, where they accumulate after only 15 min in coral lipid droplets from the oral gastroderm and within 6 h in glycogen granules from the oral epiderm, and (iii) the translocation of nitrogen-containing photosynthates is delayed by 3 h.

IMPORTANCE
  Our results provide detailed
in situ
subcellular visualization of the fate of photosynthesis-derived carbon and nitrogen in the coral-dinoflagellate endosymbiosis. We directly demonstrate that lipid droplets and glycogen granules in the coral tissue are sinks for translocated carbon photosynthates by dinoflagellates and confirm their key role in the trophic interactions within the coral-dinoflagellate association.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Elicits Extracellular Traps in Primary Neutrophil Culture While Suppressing the Oxidative Burst
Authors: Gunderson Carl W. , Seifert H. Steven
Published: February 2015

Neisseria gonorrhoeae
(the gonococcus) causes gonorrhea and is uniquely adapted to survive within the human reproductive tract. Gonococci evade host immune surveillance in part by varying their pili and opacity-associated proteins. These variable surface antigens influence interactions with host epithelial and immune cells. A potent polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) response is a hallmark of symptomatic gonococcal infection, with vast numbers of PMNs recruited to the site of infection. A large body of literature describes gonococcus-PMN interactions, but the factors driving the outcome of infection are not fully understood. Gonococci have been described to both induce and suppress the PMN oxidative burst, but we determined that gonococci differentially affect induction of the PMN oxidative burst depending on the multiplicity of infection (MOI). Infecting PMN at an MOI of <20 gonococci elicits an oxidative burst, while an MOI of >20 suppresses the burst. Oxidative burst in response to gonococci is enhanced by, but does not require, expression of pili or opacity proteins. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were observed in gonococcus-infected PMNs, a process which requires an oxidative burst, yet gonococci induced NETs under suppressing conditions. The NETs were unable to kill gonococci despite killing the common vaginal bacterium
Lactobacillus crispatus
. Thus, gonococci influence PMN biology to promote their own survival by suppressing the oxidative burst of PMNs and stimulating the formation of NETs, which do not effectively kill gonococci, illustrating how N. gonorrhoeae has evolved to modulate PMN responses to promote infection.

IMPORTANCE
 
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
, the gonococcus, is the only causative agent of gonorrhea and is exclusively found within the human host. Gonococci stochastically vary the composition of antigens on their surface to evade immune surveillance. We used gonococcal mutants which stably express different surface antigens to dissect interactions between gonococci and primary human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). We found that gonococci, depending on the number of bacteria present, either induce or suppress the oxidative burst of PMNs regardless of other stimuli. Gonococci also cause PMNs to release DNA, forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) independently of the oxidative burst. The NETs were unable to kill gonococci but were able to kill commensal bacteria, suggesting that NET production can help gonococci outcompete other bacterial species. We propose that gonococci have evolved to manipulate PMN responses to promote their own survival during infection.
Change in paternity, risk of placental abruption and confounding by birth interval: a population-based prospective cohort study in Norway, 1967–2009
Authors: Ananth Cande V , Skjaerven Rolv , Klunssoyr Kari
Published: February 2015

Objectives

We examined abruption risk in relation to change in paternity, and evaluated if birth interval confounds this association.

Setting

Population-based study of singleton births in Norway between 1967 and 2009.

Participants

Women who had their first two (n=747 566) singleton births in the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry. The associations between partner change between pregnancies and birth interval were examined in relation to abruption in a series of logistic regression models.

Primary outcome measures

Risk, as well as unadjusted and adjusted OR of placental abruption in relation to change in paternity and interval between births.

Results

Among women without abruption in their first pregnancy, the risks of abruption in the second pregnancy were 4.7 and 6.5 per 1000 in women who had the same and different partners, respectively (OR=1.39, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.53). After adjustments for confounders including birth interval and smoking, partner change was not associated with abruption (OR=1.01, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.32). Among women with abruption in the first pregnancy, the association between partner change and abruption in the second pregnancy was 0.98 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.28). Interval <1 year was associated with increased abruption risk in the second pregnancy among women with the same as well as different partners, but interval over 4 years was only associated with increased risk among women with the same partner. No such patterns were seen for recurrent abruption.

Conclusions

We find no evidence that a change in partner is associated with increased abruption risk. Theories supporting an immune maladaptation hypothesis afforded by change in paternity are not supported insofar as abruption is concerned.
Nucleation rates of methane hydrate from water in oil emulsions
Authors: Stoporev Andrey S. , Manakov Andrey Yu. , Altunina Lubov’ K. , Strelets Larisa A. , Kosyakov Viktor I.
Published: February 2015

Nucleation of methane hydrate from water emulsions in five different kinds of crude oil and in decane have been studied with the use of isothermal methods. The experiments were conducted at a temperature of –5 °C and pressure of 12 MPa. It is shown that the nucleation rates tend to decrease with the increase in the density of the organic liquid used to make the emulsion. It is most likely that the observed regularities are related to the rate of methane diffusion to water surface.
The constructs of site layout modeling: an overview
Authors: Sadeghpour Farnaz , Andayesh Mohsen
Published: February 2015

The efficient planning of site space through the course of a construction project is referred to as site layout planning. Due to its impact on safety, productivity and security on construction sites, several site layout planning models have been developed in the past decades. These models have the common aim of generating best layouts considering the defined constraints and conditions. However, the underlying assumptions that were made during the development of these models seem disparate and often implicit. This study provides an overview of the existing models and aims to draw a holistic view of variables that have been considered at different levels of detail and using different approaches in the site layout literature. Through close examination and comparative analysis of existing models, this study identifies the components that need to be considered for site layout modeling, referred to as constructs. Possible approaches that can be used to realize each construct are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches are discussed. It is hoped that this study contributes to a better understanding of site layout modeling, and provide an outline for the development of new site layout planning models.
On improving the accuracy of digital hemispherical photography measurements of seasonal leaf area index variation in deciduous broadleaf forests
Authors: Liu Zhili , Wang Xingchang , Chen Jing M. , Wang Chuankuan , Jin Guangze
Published: February 2015

Optical methods have been widely used to estimate seasonal changes of the leaf area index (LAI) in forest stands because they are convenient and effective; however, their accuracy in deciduous broadleaf forests has rarely been evaluated. We estimate the seasonal changes in the LAI by combining periodic observations of leaf area variation with litter collection (LAIdir) in deciduous broadleaf forests and use these estimates to evaluate the accuracy of optical LAI measurements made using digital hemispherical photography (DHP). We also propose a method to correct DHP-derived LAI (LAIDHP) values for seasonal changes in major factors that influence the determination of LAI, including the woody to total area ratio (α), the element clumping index (ΩE, using three different methods), and the photographic exposure setting (E). Before these corrections were made, LAIDHP underestimates LAIdir by 14%–55% from 21 May to 1 October but overestimates it by 78% on 12 May and by 226% on 11 October. Although pronounced differences are observed between LAIdir and LAIDHP, they are significantly correlated (R2 = 0.85, RMSE = 0.32, P < 0.001). After considering seasonal changes in α, ΩE, and E, the accuracy of LAIDHP improves markedly, with a mean difference between the corrected LAIDHP and LAIdir of <17% in all periods. The results suggest that the proposed scheme for correcting LAIDHP is useful and effective for estimating seasonal LAI variation in deciduous broadleaf forests.
Isolation of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria from rhizospheric soil of halophytes and their impact on maize (Zea maysL.) under induced soil salinity
Authors: Ullah Sami , Bano Asghari
Published: February 2015

The present investigation was aimed to scrutinize the salt tolerance potential of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from rhizospheric soil of selected halophytes (Atriplex leucoclada, Haloxylon salicornicum, Lespedeza bicolor, Suaeda fruticosa, and Salicornica virginica) collected from high-saline fields (electrical conductivity 4.3–5.5) of District Mardan, Pakistan. Five PGPR strains were identified using 16S rRNA amplification and sequence analysis. Bacillus sp., isolated from rhizospheric soil of Atriplex leucoclada, and Arthrobacter pascens, isolated from rhizospheric soil of Suaeda fruticosa, are active phosphate solubilizers and bacteriocin and siderophore producers; hence, their inoculation and co-inoculation on maize (‘Rakaposhi’) under induced salinity stress enhanced shoot and root length and shoot and root fresh and dry mass. The accumulation of osmolytes, including sugar and proline, and the elevation of antioxidant enzymes activity, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, were enhanced in the maize variety when inoculated and co-inoculated with Bacillus sp. and Arthrobacter pascens. The PGPR (Bacillus sp. and A. pascens) isolated from the rhizosphere of the mentioned halophytes species showed reliability in growth promotion of maize crop in all the physiological parameters; hence, they can be used as bio-inoculants for the plants growing under salt stress.
Metabolic gene expression shift by Listeria monocytogenes in coculture biofilms
Authors: Tirumalai Prem Saran
Published: February 2015

Coculture communities of microbes are more realistic and common in nature than in laboratory-grown pure cultures. In a mixed community, when resources with a potential role in growth are shared, conflict (as a consequence of competition) or cooperation is certain. In our study, this situation of conflict and cooperation was explored to understand the population dynamics and community behavior of Listeria monocytogenes. The social behavioral response of L. monocytogenes to the presence of Bacillus subtilis was studied in terms of divergence in gene expression of L. monocytogenes. It is evident from the results that social behavior of L. monocytogenes changes from competition for survival in broth to cooperation and coexistence in biofilm. Furthermore, the gene expression pattern is clearly indicative of L. monocytogenes switching from aerobic to fermentative metabolism in broth and biofilm conditions, respectively.
CONDITIONAL JUMP DYNAMICS IN STOCK RETURNS: EVIDENCE FROM MIST STOCK EXCHANGES
Authors: DANIS HAKAN , DEMIR ENDER , BILGIN MEHMET HUSEYIN
Published: February 2015

This paper applies a conditional jump model that was proposed by Chan and Maheu (2002) to examine the stock market dynamics of Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, and Turkey (MIST). We find that the conditional jump intensity parameter estimates are statistically significant and change dramatically between two sample periods. We show that a high probability of jumps today predicts a high probability of jumps in the next period. The impact of a previous shock to the next period's jump intensity is found to be higher in Turkey compared to other MIST countries. Contrary to the previous literature, we discover that after a stock market crash, it is more likely to see a negative jump (drop) again in the stock exchanges of Mexico and Indonesia. Only in Turkey, it is more likely to see a positive jump after market crashes.
Applying Improved DEA & VIKOR Methods to Evaluate the Operation Performance for World's Major TFT–LCD Manufacturers
Authors: Lee Zon-Yau , Pai Chung-Che
Published: February 2015

The whole panel industry has been impacted profoundly by global recession from 2007 to 2009, and the TFT–LCD industry is not an exception. Currently, the major TFT–LCD manufacturers cluster in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, which totally contribute more than 80% sales in global market. All these TFT–LCD manufacturers face the five industry characteristics, including intensive capital, intensive technology, short product life cycle and fast technology advancement, fluctuating prices easily influenced by market demand/supply and business cycle, and international collaboration. In view of rapid growth of global demand, TFT–LCD manufacturers face a tremendous competition environment. Therefore, how to configure the best resource allocation and create more profits tend to be an essential issue for the managers of TFT–LCD industry. This paper employs improved DEA and VIKOR to evaluate the dynamic operation performances for TFT–LCD manufacturers in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan from 2002 to 2009. Research results show that South Korean firms have relatively better stable operation performances, while the performance of the firms in Taiwan and Japan are relatively worse and varied over time. After referring to the disclosure statements and industrial experts' opinions, this paper also portraits the reason of Sony with great performance in 2007 was resulted from the sales boost of high-level touch panels which leads to 50% high gross profit ratio and rapidly increasing pre-tax profit in 2007. As a result, how to develop high-level or multi-function panels might be an essential issue for the TFT–LCD manufacturers in Taiwan.
Modeling Competition over Product Life Cycles
Authors: Chan Ka Ching , Mills Terry M.
Published: February 2015

This paper presents a mathematical model, linking the classical Markov models for brand switching and models for product life cycles, to forecast competition analysis and market share. This integrated model can be used to forecast market shares of all competitors, and their market shares, including customers retained, customers gained from market growth, and customers gained from competitors over the product life cycle. Such information provides forecasters with valuable insight about their market positions. The model is generic and can be applied to different types of products and services, under different types and patterns of product life cycle curves. A numerical example on a typical mobile telecommunication industry is used to illustrate the application of the proposed approach.
Damage Detection for SMC Benchmark Problem: A Subspace-Based Approach
Authors: Zhou Wensong , Li Shunlong , Li Hui
Published: February 2015

A full-scale bridge benchmark problem was issued by the Center of Structural Monitoring and Control at the Harbin Institute of Technology. The data used in this problem were collected by an in situ structural health monitoring system implemented into a full-scale cable-stayed bridge before and after the bridge was damaged, which is very rare in structural health monitoring field. This benchmark problem will help to verify and/or make comparison of the condition assessment and the damage detection methods, which are usually validated by numerical simulation and/or laboratory testing of small-scale structures with assumed deterioration models and artificial damage. With respect to damage detection of girder, one of the benchmark problems, using the monitored and field testing acceleration data, this paper describes a damage detection method, based on a residual generated from a subspace-based covariance-driven identification method, to detect the damage, and give relative quantitative damage indexes. This method was applied on both two parts of the given benchmark problem, and then detailed discussions and results on this problem are reported in this paper.
Adsorption of 2-vinyl thiophene on Si(100)2 × 1: A van Der Waals corrected DFT study
Authors: Carbone Marilena
Published: February 2015

Oligo- and polythiophenes on surfaces play a fundamental role in building molecular circuits and organic-based electronics and may be assembled via interaction of the monomer units with the surface. In this framework, the nature of interaction of 2-vinyl thiophene (2VTP), a conjugated heteroaromatic monomer unit, with the Si (100) surface was studied by means of density functional theory (DFT). In particular, structural optimizations were performed comparing the effects of the inclusion of van der Waals (VdW) forces. It came out that the adsorption through the double bond is energetically favored, if VdW forces are included, whereas the adsorption through both aromatic ring and double bond simultaneously is more stable, if they are excluded. Physisorbed states were singled out and the barriers between two of them and the corresponding chemisorbed states were calculated along with the imaginary frequencies of the transition states. Also the transition energies have different values if the VdW forces are included.
Block sequences and g-frames
Authors: Chugh Renu , Sharma S. K. , Goel Shashank
Published: February 2015

Casazza and Kutyniok [Frames of subspaces, in Wavelets, Frames and Operator Theory, Contemporary Mathematics, Vol. 345 (American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2004), pp. 87–113] defined fusion frames in Hilbert spaces to split a large frame system into a set of (overlapping) much smaller systems and being able to process the data effectively locally within each sub-system. In this paper, we handle this problem using block sequences and generalized block sequences with respect to g-frames. Examples have been given to show their existence. A necessary and sufficient condition for a block sequence with respect to a g-frame to be a g-frame has been given. Finally, a sufficient condition for a generalized block sequence with respect to a g-frame to be a g-frame has been given.
Fluorescence color diversity of great barrier reef corals
Authors: Lapshin Grigory , Salih Anya , Kolosov Peter , Golovkina Maria , Zavorotnyi Yuri , Ivashina Tatyana , Vinokurov Leonid , Bagratashvili Victor , Savitsky Alexander
Published: February 2015

A group of variously colored proteins belonging to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family are responsible for coloring coral tissues. Corals of the Great Barrier Reef were studied with the custom-built fiber laser fluorescence spectrometers. Spectral analysis showed that most of the examined corals contained multiple fluorescent peaks ranging from 470 to 620 nm. This observation was attributed to the presence of multiple genes of GFP-like proteins in a single coral, as well as by the photo-induced post-translational modifications of certain GFP-like proteins. We isolated a novel photo-convertible fluorescent protein (FP) from one of the tested corals. We propose that two processes may explain the observed diversity of the fluorescent spectra in corals: (1) dark post-translational modification (maturation), and (2) color photo-conversion of certain maturated proteins in response to sunlight.
Five axioms for location functions on median graphs
Authors: McMorris F. R. , Mulder Henry Martyn , Novick Beth , Powers R. C.
Published: February 2015

In previous work, two axiomatic characterizations were given for the median function on median graphs: one involving the three simple and natural axioms anonymity, betweenness and consistency; the other involving faithfulness, consistency and [Formula: see text]-Condorcet. To date, the independence of these axioms has not been a serious point of study. The aim of this paper is to provide the missing answers. The independent subsets of these five axioms are determined precisely and examples provided in each case on arbitrary median graphs. There are three cases that stand out. Here nontrivial examples and proofs are needed to give a full answer. Extensive use of the structure of median graphs is used throughout.
Sound Localization on Tabletop Computers
Authors: Kapralos Bill , Lam Jonathan , Collins Karen , Hogue Andrew , Kanev Kamen , Jenkin Michael
Published: February 2015

Tabletop computers (also known as surface computers and smart tables) have been growing in popularity for the past decade and are poised to make inroads into the consumer market, opening up a new market for the games industry. But before tabletop computers become widely accepted, there are many questions with respect to sound production and reception for these devices that need to be explored, particularly when it comes to multimedia consumption on the devices. For example, which loudspeaker setups should be used to take into consideration the multi-user nature of tabletop computers, and which panning method(s) maximize the spatial localization abilities of the user(s)? Previous work suggests that a quadraphonic diamond-shaped loudspeaker configuration—whereby a loudspeaker is placed at each of the four sides of the tabletop computer—leads to more accurate localization results when compared with a traditional quadraphonic loudspeaker configuration—whereby a loudspeaker is placed at each of the four corners of the tabletop computer. Given this preference for a diamond loudspeaker configuration, we examine two amplitude-panning methods (bilinear interpolation and inverse distance) for spatializing a sound on the (horizontal) surface of the table-computer with a diamond loudspeaker configuration. Results from the study detailed in this paper indicate that there are no significant differences between the two methods and that both methods are prone to error.