bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energietechniken erforschen
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: September 2018

Wissenschaftler empfehlen für die Energiewende, effiziente Verfahren der Dekarbonisierung, Sektorkopplung und Digitalisierung weiter zu entwickeln.
Künstliche Photosynthese
Authors: Leusmann Eliza
Published: September 2018

Das White Paper von Leopoldina, Acatech und Union der deutschen Akademien der Wissenschaften beschreibt Forschungsstand, Probleme und Perspektiven.
Chemento ‐ Netzwerken großgeschrieben
Authors: Gajda Alina
Published: September 2018

Nachdem im Januar die dritte Runde das Mentoring‐Programms der GDCh gestartet war, trafen sich 52 Teilnehmer Ende Juni zur Halbzeitreflexion.
21. Steinheimer Gespräche
Authors: Kunkel Nathalie , Steinberg Simon
Published: September 2018

Mitte Juni fanden die 21. Steinheimer Gespräche statt, diesmal in Mainz. Die dreitägige Veranstaltung richtet traditionell der Fonds der Chemischen Industrie (FCI) aus, sie ermöglicht einen Einblick in das Spektrum der chemischen Forschung sowie den Dialog zwischen Industrievertretern, Hochschullehrern und Liebig‐Stipendiaten. Die diesjährige Veranstaltung stand unter dem Rahmenthema „Chemie und Diagnostik“.
Österreichische Lebensmittelchemiker Tage 2018
Authors: Murkovic Michael
Published: September 2018

Die Österreichischen Lebensmittelchemiker Tage fanden in diesem Jahr auf Schloss Seggau in der Steiermark statt.
Wissenschaftsverlage ‐ Kein Kompromiss
Authors: Zbikowski Frauke
Published: September 2018

Die Verhandlungen der Wissenschaftsorganisationen mit dem Großverlag Elsevier über den Zugang zu dessen Zeitschriften sind vorerst gescheitert.
Poststocking Survival of Conditioned and Pond-Reared Compared to Indoor Pellet-Reared Advanced Fingerling Florida Bass
Authors: Trippel Nicholas A. , Porak Wesley F. , Leone Erin H.
Published: September 2018

Supplemental stocking of hatchery Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides and Florida Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus (hereafter, Florida Bass) is a common practice around the world, but the results commonly do not meet expectations. Predation upon stocked fish and the inefficiency of stocked fish in capturing wild prey are common reasons for low poststocking survival rates of hatchery fish. Standard protocol for rearing Florida Bass in Florida includes growing fish out in indoor raceways with pellet feed until 5 d prior to stocking, when live prey is introduced. We conducted a 3-year study to determine whether extended conditioning in outdoor ponds, exposure to predators prior to stocking, or rearing in ponds rather than indoor raceways could increase the survival of hatchery-reared Florida Bass. One month after stocking, mean survival for standard hatchery-reared fish that received pellets was 36% (SE = 4.3) across all 3 years. Mean survival was 63% (SE = 4.7) for experimental fish conditioned with predators (E-CWP), 41% (SE = 4.8) for fish conditioned without predators (E-CWOP), and 63% (SE = 5.4) for fish raised on live prey in outdoor ponds in the absence of predators (E-PR). While stocked in research ponds, E-CWP and E-PR fish had higher growth rates than standard pellet-reared fish. During laboratory trials to measure predator avoidance rates, which began 24 h after experimental ponds were stocked, standard pellet-reared fish had a mean 48-h survival rate of 84% (SE = 6.6). Mean 48-h survival for the E-CWP, E-CWOP, and E-PR groups was 96% (SE = 1.9), 84% (SE = 7.2), and 95% (SE = 3.1), respectively. Our experiments indicate that being reared outside or conditioning to a natural environment and exposure to predators may increase poststocking survival of hatchery-reared Florida Bass.
Stability and convergence of the mark and cell finite difference scheme for Darcy‐Stokes‐Brinkman equations on non‐uniform grids
Authors: Sun Yue , Rui Hongxing
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we consider the mark and cell (MAC) method for Darcy‐Stokes‐Brinkman equations and analyze the stability and convergence of the method on nonuniform grids. Firstly, to obtain the stability for both velocity and pressure, we establish the discrete inf‐sup condition. Then we introduce an auxiliary function depending on the velocity and discretizing parameters to analyze the super‐convergence. Finally, we obtain the second‐order convergence in L2 norm for both velocity and pressure for the MAC scheme, when the perturbation parameter ϵ is not approaching 0. We also obtain the second‐order convergence for some terms of ∥·∥ϵ norm of the velocity, and the other terms of ∥·∥ϵ norm are second‐order convergence on uniform grid. Numerical experiments are carried out to verify the theoretical results.
Identification by mass spectrometry of glucosaminylphosphatidylglycerol, a phosphatidylglycerol derivative, produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Abbes Imen , Rihouey Christophe , Hardouin Julie , Jouenne Thierry , De Emmanuelle , Alexandre Stéphane
Published: September 2018

Rationale

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen bacterium widely considered to be an excellent research model in several areas of molecular studies, namely genomics and proteomics. However, its lipid metabolism is still not totally decrypted. While it is known that this bacterium has the particularity to produce phosphatidylcholine, a lipid mainly found in eukaryotes, other singularities are still to be discovered.

Methods

P. aeruginosa was grown as planktonic cultures to the stationary state. Membrane pellets were collected and lipids were extracted using the Bligh and Dyer protocol. Lipid extracts were analyzed by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI‐MS) using high‐resolution mass spectrometer (LTQ Orbitrap Elite, Thermo Scientific) in the negative mode. MSn spectra were recorded both in the Orbitrap and in the ion trap analyzer (collision‐induced dissociation (CID) or higher energy collision‐induced dissociation (HCD) mode).

Results

We observed by mass spectrometry and thin layer chromatography that P. aeruginosa produced an unreferenced lipid in classical growth conditions. MS2 analysis of the unknown ion indicates that it is a phosphatidylglycerol derivative. The exact mass shift corresponds to glucosamine which is largely found in the metabolism of this bacterium. MS3 analysis of secondary ions allowed us to conclude that this lipid is a glucosaminylphosphatidylglycerol, a phosphatidylglycerol derivative containing a glucosamine substituted at C4.

Conclusions

We show here that P. aeruginosa is able to produce glucosaminylphosphatidylglycerols via a probable esterification of phosphatidylglycerols by glucosamine.
Concise Review: TLR Pathway-miRNA Interplay in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Regulatory Roles and Therapeutic Directions
Authors: Abdi Jahangir , Rashedi Iran , Keating Armand
Published: September 2018

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) deploy Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to respond to exogenous and endogenous signals. Activation of TLR pathways in MSCs alters their inflammatory profile and immunomodulatory effects on cells from both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs), whose expression is modulated by TLR activation, can regulate inflammatory responses by targeting components of the TLR signaling pathways either in MSCs or in the cells with which they interact. Here, we review how the miRNA-TLR pathway axis can regulate the immunomodulatory functions of MSCs, including their interactions with monocytes/macrophages and natural killer cells, and discuss the therapeutic implications for MSC-based therapies.
LncRNA WTAPP1 Promotes Migration and Angiogenesis of Endothelial Progenitor Cells via MMP1 Through MicroRNA 3120 and Akt/PI3K/Autophagy Pathways
Authors: Li Wen-Dong , Zhou Dong-Ming , Sun Li-Li , Xiao Lun , Liu Zhao , Zhou Min , Wang Wen-Bin , Li Xiao-Qiang
Published: September 2018

Efficient recruitment and angiogenesis of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are critical during a thrombus event. However, the details of EPC recruitment and the regulation of angiogenesis have not been fully determined. The aim of this study was to determine the role of the long noncoding (lnc)RNA Wilms tumor 1 associated protein pseudogene 1 (WTAPP1) in regulation of the migration and angiogenesis of EPCs. EPCs were isolated from human peripheral blood and characterized by flow cytometry, after which lentivirus-mediated lncRNA WTAPP1 overexpression and knockdown were performed. Scratch assay, Transwell assay, and in vitro and in vivo tube formation assays were performed to measure cell migration, invasion, and angiogenic abilities, respectively. Moreover, a microarray screen, bioinformatic prediction, and quantitative PCR and Western blot of miRNAs interacting with lncRNA WTAPP1 were conducted. Western blot was carried out to elucidate the relationship among WTAPP1, miR-3120-5P, and MMP-1 in the autophagy pathway. WTAPP1 positively regulated migration, invasion, and in vitro and in vivo tube formation in EPCs by increasing MMP-1 expression and activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. Furthermore, WTAPP1 contains a putative miR-3120-5P binding site. Suppression of WTAPP1 by miR-3120-5P decreased the level of MMP-1. In addition, we demonstrated that suppression of the autophagy pathway is involved in the effects of WTAPP1 on EPC migration and angiogenesis. The lncRNA WTAPP1, a molecular decoy for miR-3120-5p, regulates MMP-1 expression via the PI3K/Akt and autophagy pathways, thereby mediating cell migration and angiogenesis in EPCs. Acting as a potential therapeutic target, the lncRNA WTAPP1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of DVT.
The Feelings About genomiC Testing Results (FACToR) Questionnaire: Development and Preliminary Validation
Authors: Li Meng , Bennette Caroline S. , Amendola Laura M. , Ragan Hart M. , Heagerty Patrick , Comstock Bryan , Tarczy‐Hornoch Peter , Fullerton Stephanie M. , Regier Dean A. , Burke Wylie , Trinidad Susan B. , Jarvik Gail P. , Veenstra David L. , Patrick Donald L.
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this study was to develop a brief instrument, the Feelings About genomiC Testing Results (FACToR), to measure the psychosocial impact of returning genomic findings to patients in research and clinical practice. To create the FACToR, we modified and augmented the Multidimensional Impact of Cancer Risk Assessment (MICRA) questionnaire based on findings from a literature review, two focus groups (N = 12), and cognitive interviews (N = 6). We evaluated data from 122 participants referred for evaluation for inherited colorectal cancer or polyposis from the New EXome Technology in (NEXT) Medicine Study, an RCT of exome sequencing versus usual care. We assessed floor and ceiling effects of each item, conducted principal component analysis to identify subscales, and evaluated each subscale’s internal consistency, test‐retest reliability, and construct validity. After excluding items that were ambiguous or demonstrated floor or ceiling effects, 12 items forming four distinct subscales were retained for further analysis: negative emotions, positive feelings, uncertainty, and privacy concerns. All four showed good internal consistency (0.66–0.78) and test‐retest reliability (0.65–0.91). The positive feelings and the uncertainty subscales demonstrated known‐group validity. The 12‐item FACToR with four subscales shows promising psychometric properties on preliminary evaluation in a limited sample and needs to be evaluated in other populations.
Earthquake Precursors, Processes, and Predictions
Authors: Ouzounov Dimitar
Published: September 2018

A new book presents various studies that may establish a link between earthquakes and different types of precursor signals from the Earth, atmosphere and space.
Transition From Low‐K to High‐K Calc‐Alkaline Magmatism at Approximately 84 Ma in the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey): Magmatic Response to Slab Rollback of the Black Sea
Authors: Liu Ze , Zhu Di‐Cheng , Wang Qing , Eyuboglu Yener , Zhao Zhi‐Dan , Liu Sheng‐Ao , Xu Li‐Juan
Published: September 2018

Compositional changes of magma in space and time can be used to infer mantle dynamics and crust‐mantle interaction that are responsible for the generation of magma and evolution. This study reveals, for the first time, the presence of magma compositional transition at approximately 84 Ma in the eastern Pontides arc (NE Turkey), providing important insights into the mantle dynamics responsible for the generation of the extensive Late Cretaceous arc magmatism. The Late Cretaceous granitoids can be divided geochemically into two groups. Group I samples were emplaced at 91–86 Ma and are characterized by low K2O/Na2O, whereas Group II samples were emplaced at 83–78 Ma and display high K2O/Na2O. Group I samples have positive zirconεHf(t), whole‐rockɛNd(t), and mantle‐like zircon δ18O, which significantly differs from the Group II samples with negative to positiveεHf(t), negative whole‐rock ɛNd(t), and enhanced zircon δ18O. The Nd‐Hf‐O isotopic compositions of the Group I and II samples can be quantitatively interpreted as being derived from partial melting of the low‐K amphibolite source within the juvenile lower arc crust that incorporated 5–30% and 50–60% enriched components from the basement rocks into the magmatic systems, respectively. Considering the occurrences of regional thermal subsidence and extensional structure during the Late Cretaceous, the compositional transition from Group I to II and the coeval magmatic flare‐up represented by Group II samples can be linked with the slab rollback of the southward subducting Black Sea (Paleotethys) oceanic lithosphere.
Photo/thermoresponsive ABC triblock copolymer-based ion gels: photoinduced structural transitions
Authors: Tamate Ryota , Usui Ryoji , Hashimoto Kei , Kitazawa Yuzo , Kokubo Hisashi , Watanabe Masayoshi
Published: September 2018

Photo-induced hardening/softening of an ion gel formed by an ABC triblock copolymer was realized.
Developed wearable miniature sensor to diagnose initial perturbations of cardiorespiratory system
Authors: Abbasi‐Kesbi Reza , Nikfarjam Alireza , Akhavan Hezaveh Ardalan
Published: September 2018

The progress of microelectromechanical systems tends to fabricate miniature motion sensors that can be used for various purposes of biomedical systems, particularly on‐body applications. A miniature wireless sensor is developed that not only monitors heartbeat and respiration rate based on chest movements but also identifies initial problems in the cardiorespiratory system, presenting a healthy measure defined based on height and length of the normal distribution of respiration rate and heartbeat. The obtained results of various tests are compared with two commercial sensors consisting of electrocardiogram sensor as well as belt sensor of respiration rate as a reference (gold standard), showing that the root‐mean‐square errors obtain <2.27 beats/min for a heartbeat and 0.93 breaths/min for respiration rate. In addition, the standard deviation of the errors reaches <1.26 and 0.63 for heartbeat and respiration rates, separately. According to the outcome results, the sensor can be considered an appropriate candidate for in‐home health monitoring, particularly early detection of cardiovascular system problems.
Dielectric resonator‐based four‐element eight‐port MIMO antenna with multi‐directional pattern diversity
Authors: Das Gourab , Sahu Nikesh Kumar , Sharma Anand , Gangwar Ravi Kumar , Sharawi Mohammad S.
Published: September 2018

This work presents a four‐element, eight‐port cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (cDRA) with multi‐directional pattern diversity for wireless access point applications. Initially, a dielectric resonator is fed by two different feeding techniques to create two simultaneous orthogonal patterns. This primary radiator is combined with similar radiators in a cross‐configuration to obtain an eight‐port multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna system. The antenna elements are placed in such a way that each radiator of the proposed antenna can radiate in a different direction so that the field correlation between the antenna elements is minimum. The proposed diversity antenna consists of four antenna elements and eight polarised ports. Isolation between the ports is improved by generating orthogonal modes in each cDRA and exciting each cDRA to radiate in a different direction. The similarity in simulated and measured results confirm that the proposed eight‐port diversity antenna is useful for the frequency ranges between 5.6 and 5.9 GHz for wireless local area network (WLAN) applications.
Eruption of a multi-flux-rope system in solar active region 12673 leading to the two largest flares in Solar Cycle 24
Authors: Hou Y. J. , Zhang J. , Li T. , Yang S. H. , Li X. H.
Published: September 2018

Context. Solar active region (AR) 12673 in 2017 September produced the two largest flares in Solar Cycle 24: the X9.3 flare on September 6 and the X8.2 flare on September 10.

Aims. We attempt to investigate the evolutions of the two large flares and their associated complex magnetic system in detail.

Methods. Combining observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and results of nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) modeling, we identify various magnetic structures in the AR core region and examine the evolution of these structures during the flares.

Results. Aided by the NLFFF modeling, we identify a double-decker flux rope configuration above the polarity inversion line (PIL) in the AR core region. The north ends of these two flux ropes were rooted in a negative- polarity magnetic patch, which began to move along the PIL and rotate anticlockwise before the X9.3 flare on September 6. The strong shearing motion and rotation contributed to the destabilization of the two magnetic flux ropes, of which the upper one subsequently erupted upward due to the kink-instability. Then another two sets of twisted loop bundles beside these ropes were disturbed and successively erupted within five minutes like a chain reaction. Similarly, multiple ejecta components were detected as consecutively erupting during the X8.2 flare occurring in the same AR on September 10. We examine the evolution of the AR magnetic fields from September 3 to 6 and find that five dipoles emerged successively at the east of the main sunspot. The interactions between these dipoles took place continuously, accompanied by magnetic flux cancellations and strong shearing motions.

Conclusions. In AR 12673, significant flux emergence and successive interactions between the different emerging dipoles resulted in a complex magnetic system, accompanied by the formations of multiple flux ropes and twisted loop bundles. We propose that the eruptions of a multi-flux-rope system resulted in the two largest flares in Solar Cycle 24.
Assessing and mitigating alignment defects of the pyramid wavefront sensor: a translation insensitive control method
Authors: Deo V. , Gendron É. , Rousset G. , Vidal F. , Buey T. , Cohen M.
Published: September 2018

The pyramid wavefront sensor (PWFS) is the currently preferred design for adaptive optics (AO) systems for extremely large telescopes, as focal plane wavefront sensing bears potential for a large intrinsic sensitivity gain when compared to Shack–Hartmann (SH) sensors. Yet, obtaining a high quality pyramidal prism and a model-consistent assembly remains a critical design factor. We demonstrate that the traditional gradient sensing controller is extremely sensitive to prism shape defects and assembly misalignments. We show that even optimal registration of quadrants on the detector may be insufficient to prevent misalignment induced performance loss through a theoretical analysis of the impact of detection plane quadrants sampling errors and individual translations, which may be induced by a variety of mechanical defects. These misalignments displace wavefront information to terms not included in the conventional gradient-like slopes maps and high spatial frequencies become invisible to the sole X− and Y− axis differences. We introduce expanded space control (ESC) for quad-cell signal by generalizing output measurements of the PWFS and demonstrate its insensitivity to misalignment-induced information loss, therefore dramatically relaxing machining and alignment constraints for PWFS engineering. This work presents the theoretical developments leading to ESC design, along with validating performance and robustness results, both in end-to-end numerical simulations and on a PWFS demonstrator bench at LESIA.
Semiconductor crystals achieve record thermal conductivity
Authors: Berkowitz Rachel
Published: September 2018

The synthesis of low-defect boron arsenide crystals could reduce overheating in electronic devices.
Homi Bhabha master builder of nuclear India
Authors: Leslie Stuart W. , Chowdhury Indira
Published: September 2018

The founder of two of India’s preeminent nuclear-science research centers insisted that scientists be surrounded by culture and beauty.
Phylogenetic approaches to identifying fragments of the same gene, with application to the wheat genome
Authors: Piližota Ivana , Train Clément-Marie , Altenhoff Adrian , Redestig Henning , Dessimoz Christophe
Published: September 2018

Motivation

As the time and cost of sequencing decrease, the number of available genomes and transcriptomes rapidly increases. Yet the quality of the assemblies and the gene annotations varies considerably and often remains poor, affecting downstream analyses. This is particularly true when fragments of the same gene are annotated as distinct genes, which may cause them to be mistaken as paralogs.

Results

In this study, we introduce two novel phylogenetic tests to infer non-overlapping or partially overlapping genes that are in fact parts of the same gene. One approach collapses branches with low bootstrap support and the other computes a likelihood ratio test. We extensively validated these methods by (i) introducing and recovering fragmentation on the bread wheat, Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring, chromosome 3B; (ii) by applying the methods to the low-quality 3B assembly and validating predictions against the high-quality 3B assembly; and (iii) by comparing the performance of the proposed methods to the performance of existing methods, namely Ensembl Compara and ESPRIT. Application of this combination to a draft shotgun assembly of the entire bread wheat genome revealed 1221 pairs of genes that are highly likely to be fragments of the same gene. Our approach demonstrates the power of fine-grained evolutionary inferences across multiple species to improving genome assemblies and annotations.

Availability and implementation

An open source software tool is available at https://github.com/DessimozLab/esprit2.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
SCOP: a novel scaffolding algorithm based on contig classification and optimization
Authors: Li Min , Tang Li , Wu Fang-Xiang , Pan Yi , Wang Jianxin
Published: September 2018

Motivation

Scaffolding is an essential step during the de novo sequence assembly process to infer the direction and order relationships between the contigs and make the sequence assembly results more continuous and complete. However, scaffolding still faces the challenges of repetitive regions in genome, sequencing errors and uneven sequencing depth. Moreover, the accuracy of scaffolding greatly depends on the quality of contigs. Generally, the existing scaffolding methods construct a scaffold graph, and then optimize the graph by deleting spurious edges. Nevertheless, due to the wrong joints between contigs, some correct edges connecting contigs may be deleted.

Results

In this study, we present a novel scaffolding method SCOP, which is the first method to classify the contigs and utilize the vertices and edges to optimize the scaffold graph. Specially, SCOP employs alignment features and GC-content of paired reads to evaluate the quality of contigs (vertices), and divide the contigs into three types (True, Uncertain and Misassembled), and then optimizes the scaffold graph based on the classification of contigs together with the alignment of edges. The experiment results on the datasets of GAGE-A and GAGE-B demonstrate that SCOP performs better than 12 other competing scaffolders.

Availability and implementation

SCOP is publicly available for download at https://github.com/bioinfomaticsCSU/SCOP.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Co-registration and analysis of multiple imaging mass spectrometry datasets targeting different analytes
Authors: Patterson Nathan Heath , Yang Ethan , Kranjec Elizabeth-Ann , Chaurand Pierre
Published: September 2018

Motivation

MALDI imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) has been successfully used to image a variety of biomolecules. Imaging of the many classes of biomolecules is often achieved through several incompatible sample preparations. Thus, multiple datasets must be acquired from multiple tissue sections to obtain a total molecular overview of a single sample. Addressing the need for single datasets from multiple IMS analyses, we developed the R package RegCombIMS as an extension of R package Cardinal to co-register, combine and create single IMS datasets acquired from serial sections of tissue.

Results

Dataset recombination and analysis is achieved by registration of the IMS datasets to a single coordinate space. The workflow allows for correlation of ions from IMS acquisitions that require incompatible sample preparations as well as multivariate analysis to mine the combined dataset for rapid and more thorough molecular query.

Availability and implementation

The source code and example data are freely available at https://github.com/NHPatterson/RegCombIMS. All code was implemented in R.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Dissociable Roles Within the Social Brain for Self–Other Processing: A HD-tDCS Study
Authors: Martin A K , Huang J , Hunold A , Meinzer M
Published: September 2018

Theories of right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) function in social cognition include self–other distinction, self-inhibition, or embodied rotation, whereas the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) is associated with integrating social information. However, no study has provided causal evidence for dissociable roles of the rTPJ and dmPFC in social cognition. A total of 52 healthy young adults were stratified to receive either dmPFC or rTPJ anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) in a sham-controlled, double-blinded, repeated measures design. Self–other processing was assessed across implicit and explicit level 1 (line-of-sight) and level 2 (mental rotation) visual perspective taking (VPT) tasks, and self–other effects on memory. DmPFC stimulation selectively increased the influence of the allocentric perspective during egocentric perspective taking, indexed by an increase in congruency effect across explicit VPT tasks. Moreover, dmPFC stimulation removed the self-reference effect in episodic memory by increasing the recognition of other and decreasing the recognition of self-encoded words. Stimulation of the rTPJ resulted in improved inhibition of the egocentric-perspective during level 2 VPT only, indexed by a reduction of the congruency effect when taking the allocentric perspective. This research supports theories suggesting that the rTPJ facilitates embodied mental rotation of the self into an alternate perspective, whereas the dmPFC integrates social information relevant to self-directed processes.
Age-Related Decline in Learning Deterministic Judgment-Based Sequences
Authors: Dang Layla , Larson Sylvia P , Gluck Mark A , Petok Jessica R
Published: September 2018

Objectives

Because sequence learning is integral to cognitive functions across the life span, the present study examined the effect of healthy aging on deterministic judgment-based sequence learning.

Methods

College-aged, younger–old (YO), and older–old (OO) adults completed a judgment-based sequence learning task which required them to learn a full sequence by chaining together single stimulus–response associations in a step-by-step fashion.

Results

Results showed that younger adults outperformed YO and OO adults; older adults were less able to acquire the full sequence and committed significantly more errors during learning. Additionally, higher sequence learning errors were associated with advancing age among older adults, even when controlling for other factors known to contribute to sequence learning abilities. Such impairments were selective to learning sequential information, because adults of all ages performed equivalently on postlearning probe trials, as well as on learning simple stimulus–response associations.

Discussion

This pattern of age deficits during deterministic sequence learning challenges past reports of age preservation. Though the neural processes underlying learning cannot be determined here, our patterns of age deficits and preservation may reflect different brain regions that are involved in the task phases, adding behavioral evidence to the emerging hypothesis of frontostriatal declines despite spared hippocampal function with age.
The next level of play
Authors: Gauvin Jean-François
Published: September 2018

Although teaching science is considered a serious business, toys and sometimes entertaining spectacles have been at the very heart of such an endeavour over the past 300 years. Using, among other things, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments as a material historical source, this article describes how the ‘magical’ effects of a Cartesian Devil or a solar microscope, the deafening explosion of a volcano, the building (and breaking) of a measuring apparatus, and the playing with mathematical and quantum toys diligently imparted vast areas of scientific knowledge to Harvard University students between 1730 and 1970. Playing with science – and with scientific instruments – is examined here as a valued pedagogical strategy deployed by generations of teachers, who saw in the material culture of science a renewable resource for training the mind and acquiring manual skills. It also allows us to study an important collection of objects from an unusual perspective.
Shrinkage improves estimation of microbial associations under different normalization methods
Authors: Badri Michelle , Kurtz Zachary D. , Bonneau Richard , Müller Christian L.
Published: September 2018

Consistent estimation of associations in microbial genomic survey count data is fundamental to microbiome research. Technical limitations, including compositionality, low sample sizes, and technical variability, obstruct standard application of association measures and require data normalization prior to estimating associations. Here, we investigate the interplay between data normalization and microbial association estimation by a comprehensive analysis of statistical consistency. Leveraging the large sample size of the American Gut Project (AGP), we assess the consistency of the two prominent linear association estimators, correlation and proportionality, under different sample scenarios and data normalization schemes, including RNA-seq analysis work flows and log-ratio transformations. We show that shrinkage estimation, a standard technique in high-dimensional statistics, can universally improve the quality of association estimates for microbiome data. We find that large-scale association patterns in the AGP data can be grouped into five normalization-dependent classes. Using microbial association network construction and clustering as examples of exploratory data analysis, we show that variance-stabilizing and log-ratio approaches provide for the most consistent estimation of taxonomic and structural coherence. Taken together, the findings from our reproducible analysis workflow have important implications for microbiome studies in multiple stages of analysis, particularly when only small sample sizes are available.
Cryptic wide‐ranging movements lead to upwardly biased occupancy in a territorial species
Authors: Berigan William J. , Jones Gavin M. , Whitmore Sheila A. , Gutiérrez R. J. , Peery M. Z.
Published: September 2018

Occupancy modelling is useful for inferring population status and dynamics when occupancy reflects the presence of established individuals or populations, such as residents detected at breeding sites. However, if occupancy is assumed to reflect the presence of established residents but reflects transient movements from nonresidents at truly unoccupied sites, inferences about population status will be overly optimistic. In population monitoring, detections arising from dispersing or wide‐ranging individuals could be considered “false positives” because they do not reflect true contributions to local occupancy dynamics.

The spotted owl Strix occidentalis is one of the most studied endangered species in the world and motivated the development of occupancy models to monitor populations. Because spotted owls are site‐faithful, it is assumed that detections within known breeding areas represent occupancy of established residents. We evaluated this assumption by (a) characterizing the extent to which GPS‐marked owls used multiple nest/roost areas, and (b) using detection/nondetection data to estimate the effect of false positive detections generated by wide‐ranging movements on occupancy.

Thirty‐one of 36 GPS‐marked owls (86%) used nest/roost areas other than their own, and 11 owls (30%) used five or more. In occupancy analyses, 8% of all detections were confirmed to be false positives of colour‐marked wide‐ranging individuals and 20% of all detections were classified as “ambiguous” and, therefore, potential false positives.

On average, failing to account for false positive detections upwardly biased occupancy by a factor of 1.29 (95% CI: 1.23–1.34). However, in the year following a large, severe fire that affected 30 of 84 owl nest/roost areas in our study area, failing to account for false positives upwardly biased occupancy by a factor of 1.65 (95% CI: 1.17–2.12).

Synthesis and applications. If unrecognized or unaccounted for, “false positive” detections of wide‐ranging individuals outside their predicted territories can generate upward biases in occupancy and potentially mask effects of ecological disturbances. We recommend researchers minimize the potential for movement‐related false positive detections by developing study designs that reduce the frequency of such detections, excluding false positive detections using field data when possible, and explicitly modelling false positive errors.
Gestating bodies: sensing foetal movement in first‐time pregnancy
Authors: Ross Emily
Published: September 2018

A large body of literature engages with personal accounts of pregnancy to illustrate the subjugation of women's embodied experience by practices of biomedicine. This article explores this issue through women's accounts of sensing initial foetal movement, drawn from qualitative interviews with 15 women resident in theUK. Participants depict this aspect of pregnant embodiment as ambiguous and indefinite, in contrast to clinical and popular representations of foetal movement. In highlighting the uncertainties characteristic of this corporeal event, the article adds to literature destabilising understandings of pregnant women's and foetal bodies as bounded and distinct. Ambiguous experiences of foetal movement arise in the context of sociocultural framings of pregnancy as ‘at risk’, and in turn, may be seen to contribute to these representations, with some participants articulating that uncertain sensations could provoke anxiety. In this article, perceptions of foetal movement are emphasised as valuable to women, and as inextricable from the social settings in which they emerge. This research has implications for sociological and feminist discussions of pregnancy, and work exploring the mutual shaping of corporeality and sociocultural contexts more widely.
Multilevel Analysis of Child and Adolescent Subjective Well‐Being Across 14 Countries: Child‐ and Country‐Level Predictors
Authors: Newland Lisa A. , Giger Jarod T. , Lawler Michael J. , Roh Soonhee , Brockevelt Barbara L. , Schweinle Amy
Published: September 2018

This study tests an ecological, relationship‐based model of children's subjective well‐being with 9‐ to 14‐year‐old children (n = 25,906) from 14 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Children completed the Children's Worlds survey, a self‐report measure of contextual and well‐being indicators. Multilevel modeling was used to predict children's well‐being (life satisfaction and self‐image) at two levels, child (age, gender, home context, family relationships, peer relationships, school context, teacher relationships, and neighborhood quality), and country (gross domestic product and income inequality). Findings indicated that intercepts varied significantly across countries. The majority of variance in children's well‐being was attributed to child‐level rather than country‐level factors. Country‐level factors did not strongly predict well‐being but marginally improved model fit.
Neutrophils induce smooth muscle hyperplasia via neutrophil elastase‐induced FGF‐2 in a mouse model of asthma with mixed inflammation
Authors: Ogawa Hirohisa , Azuma Masahiko , Tsunematsu Takaaki , Morimoto Yuuki , Kondo Mayo , Tezuka Toshifumi , Nishioka Yasuhiko , Tsuneyama Koichi
Published: September 2018

Background

Bronchial asthma is traditionally characterized by chronic allergic inflammation, including eosinophilia and elevated Th2 cytokines. Recently, IL‐17‐derived neutrophil infiltration was shown to correlate with asthma severity and airway remodelling.

Objective

To investigate the role of IL‐17‐derived neutrophils in airway remodelling in chronic bronchial asthma.

Methods

We utilized house dust mite antigen‐induced mouse models of asthma. Intranasal sensitization and chronic antigen challenge caused a mixed allergic inflammation that included eosinophils and neutrophils (Mix‐in group). We neutralized IL‐17 and fibroblast growth factor (FGF‐2) and investigated the mechanism of airway remodelling in the Mix‐in group.

Results

The Mix‐in group displayed neutrophilic infiltration and high levels of IL‐17 in lung tissue. The Mix‐in group also exhibited more bronchial smooth muscle hyperplasia. IL‐17 neutralization decreased the magnitude of all of these effects in the Mix‐in group. Antibody arrays revealed an increase in FGF‐2 in the Mix‐in Group relative to the Eo‐ip group, and FGF‐2 elevation was associated with smooth muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia. High concentrations of neutrophil elastase enhanced E‐cadherin/β‐catenin signalling in bronchial epithelial cells. Neutrophil elastase inhibitor treatment decreased FGF‐2 production and E‐cadherin/β‐catenin signalling, which inhibited smooth muscle hyperplasia.

Conclusion

The IL‐17/neutrophil axis may play an important role in airway remodelling by contributing to smooth muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia in mixed allergic inflammation and accordingly represents an attractive therapeutic target for severe asthma.
Optimizing collaborator recruitment and maintaining engagement via social media during large multicentre studies: lessons learned from the National Audit of Small Bowel Obstruction (NASBO)
Authors: Sayers A. E. , Lee M. J. , Smart N. , Fearnhead N. S. ,   the NASBO Steering Group
Published: September 2018

Aim

The National Audit of Small Bowel Obstruction was a UK‐wide study active in early 2017. A Twitter© account was used to interact with collaborators and the public throughout the study to assess whether the use of social media improved study engagement and to establish which Tweet signature styles achieved the highest levels of reach and engagement.

Method

Twitter© analytics for @NASBO2017 covering June 2016–May 2017 were reviewed. The number of impressions, Tweet engagements and the engagement rate were analysed according to study stage.

Results

A total of 176 Tweets were made over the study period. The median number of impressions achieved by a Tweet was 533 (75–2709). 3863 engagements were made with National Audit of Small Bowel Obstruction Tweets with a median number of 10 (0–159) per Tweet. The average overall Tweet engagement rate was 3.3% (0%–14.2%). Tweets with most impressions either used images or tagged institutions (e.g. Royal Colleges, professional bodies). The number of impressions and engagement with the Tweets increased over the study period, due to the incremental growth of the National Audit of Small Bowel Obstruction Twitter© account and the identification of successful Tweet styles.

Conclusions

Social media provided a major contribution to a successful concerted policy of maintaining collaborator engagement during the National Audit of Small Bowel Obstruction. The use of images and videos and tagging of relevant professional bodies aided the reach and engagement of each Tweet. These data can be used to inform engagement strategies for future collaborative projects.
Population history provides foundational knowledge for utilizing and developing native plant restoration materials
Authors: Massatti Rob , Prendeville Holly R. , Larson Steve , Richardson Bryce A. , Waldron Blair , Kilkenny Francis F.
Published: September 2018

A species’ population structure and history are critical pieces of information that can help guide the use of available native plant materials in restoration treatments and decide what new native plant materials should be developed to meet future restoration needs. In the western United States, Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch wheatgrass; Poaceae) is an important component of grassland and shrubland plant communities and commonly used for restoration due to its drought resistance and competitiveness with exotic weeds. We used next‐generation sequencing data to investigate the processes that shaped P. spicata's geographic pattern of genetic variation across the Intermountain West. Pseudoroegneria spicata's genetic diversity is partitioned into populations that likely differentiated since the Last Glacial Maximum. Adjacent populations display varying magnitudes of historical gene flow, with migration rates ranging from multiple migrants per generation to multiple generations per migrant. When considering the commercial germplasm sources available for restoration, genetic identities remain representative of the wildland localities from which germplasm sources were originally developed, and they maintain high levels of heterozygosity and nucleotide diversity. However, the commercial germplasm sources represent a small fraction of the overall genetic diversity of P. spicata in the Intermountain West. Given the low migration rates and long divergence times between some pairs of P. spicata populations, using commercial germplasm sources could facilitate undesirable restoration outcomes when used in certain geographic areas, even if the environment in which the commercial materials thrive is similar to that of the restoration site. As such, population structure and history can be used to provide guidance on what geographic areas may need additional native plant materials so that restoration efforts support species and community resilience and improve outcomes.
Assessment of systolic and diastolic function in clinically healthy horses using ambulatory acoustic cardiography
Authors: Zuber N. , Zuber M. , Schwarzwald C. C.
Published: September 2018

Background

Assessment of cardiac electromechanical function in horses requires training, experience and specialised equipment and does not allow continuous monitoring over time.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to establish the use of an acoustic ECG monitor (Audicor®) in healthy horses. It provides noninvasive, examiner‐independent, continuous analyses combining ECG and phonocardiography to calculate indices of cardiac mechanical activity and haemodynamics. Device usability was investigated, reference intervals calculated and reproducibility of analyses assessed.

Study design

Prospective descriptive study.

Methods

Continuous overnight recordings were obtained in 123 healthy horses. ECG and acoustic cardiography analyses were performed. Electromechanical activating time (EMAT), rate‐corrected EMATc, left ventricular systolic time (LVST), rate‐corrected LVSTc and intensity and persistence of the third and fourth heart sound (S3, S4) were reported. Associations with age and reproducibility of analyses were assessed.

Results

Audicor® recordings of diagnostic quality were obtained in 116 horses, with an artefact‐free recording time of 1:08–14:03 h (mean 10:21 h). 44.8% of the horses had atrial premature complexes (up to 0.18% of analysed beats), 4.3% had ventricular premature complexes (up to 0.021% of analysed beats). Reference intervals for acoustic cardiography variables were reported. S3 was significantly more often graded ≥5 (scale 0–10) in younger compared to older horses (P = 0.0036, R2 = 0.072). The between‐day coefficient of variation ranged from 2.5 to 7.7% for EMAT, EMATc, LVST and LVSTc.

Main limitations

Audicor® algorithms are based on human databases. Horses were deemed clinically healthy without advanced diagnostics. Some data were lost because of technical difficulties, artefacts and noises.

Conclusions

Overnight Audicor® recordings are feasible in horses. Combining ambulatory ECG and phonocardiography allows noninvasive, continuous assessment of variables representing systolic and diastolic cardiac function. ECG rhythm analyses require over‐reading by a specialist, but acoustic cardiography variables are based on automated algorithms independent of examiner input. Further studies are required to establish the clinical value of acoustic cardiography in horses.
Chemosensory proteins used as target for screening behaviourally active compounds in the rice pest Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Authors: Duan S.‐G. , Li D.‐Z. , Wang M.‐Q.
Published: September 2018

Reverse chemical ecology based on insect functional odorant binding proteins has been extensively studied to screen behaviourally active compounds, whereas chemosensory proteins (CSPs), which are reportedly involved in olfactory chemical reception and could serve as molecular targets remain unclear. In the present study, two behaviourally active compounds for Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, a serious pest of rice in Asia, were successfully screened via an antenna‐biased CSP, CmedCSP33. Fluorescence competitive binding assays showed that CmedCSP33 could bind to seven out of 32 rice volatiles. Fluorescence quenching experiments revealed that CmedCSP33 forms a stable complex with nerolidol and β‐ionone, and circular dichroism (CD) spectra demonstrated that these two compounds cause conformational changes in CmedCSP33. Furthermore, H‐tube olfactometer bioassays showed that C. medinalis displayed prominent attractant responses to nerolidol and prominent repellent responses to β‐ionone. Additionally, binding assays and CD spectra at different pH values implied that extensive conformational changes may be a general feature of CSPs for triggering the subsequent chemical transduction. Overall, our findings provide evidence for the involvement of CSPs in olfactory perception, and a protocol for effectively screening behaviourally active compounds.