bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of drinker device on water use and fertiliser value of slurry from growing-finishing pigs
Authors: Alvarez-Rodriguez J. , Hermida B. , Parera J. , Morazán H. , Balcells J. , Babot D.
Published: January 2013

This study assessed the effect of drinker type on water use and slurry characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 124 crossbred pigs [20 kg of bodyweight (BW)] were allotted to 16 pens (3–4 pigs/pen) in two time periods during the cool season (length: 97 days each). Drinker devices were: (1) pig teat, (2) bite drinker, (3) nipple square bowl, and (4) nipple bowl. There were limited differences among drinker types concerning the growth pattern of pigs during the fattening period, but target BW (100 kg) was similar in all treatments (P > 0.05). Feed intake did not differ among drinker types (P > 0.05). Nipple bowl drinker showed the lowest water disappearance during the experiment, whereas bite drinker showed the greatest values during the late fattening period (P < 0.05). Slurry production did not differ among drinker devices (P > 0.05), but slurry volume increased linearly during the study (P < 0.05). Pigs raised using nipple square and nipple bowl drinkers produced slurry with greater DM content than teat drinkers (P < 0.05). Most of the slurry fertiliser value elements (N-P-K) were significantly affected by drinker type (P < 0.05). Slurry from pigs using teat and bite drinkers had lower N-NH4, total N and K content than that from nipple square and nipple bowl drinkers (P < 0.05). Total N content of slurry on a wet basis decreased during the fattening period (P < 0.05). Improved efficiency in water use by pigs led to greater slurry N and K content, mainly due to the increase in its DM content. A negative association between water use at pig facilities and its slurry fertiliser value was demonstrated.
Post-fire species recruitment in a semiarid perennial steppe on the Loess Plateau
Authors: Zhao Ling-Ping , Wu Gao-Lin , Shi Zhi-Hua
Published: January 2013

Offspring recruitment is an important part of population dynamics, as well as for plant-community structure and succession. One generality regarding grasses and fire is that clonal grasses tolerate fire extremely well and in most cases reach their maximum production in the immediate post-fire years. One qualification to this statement is that post-fire offspring, recruitment mode is very important. However, respective data are scare in the semiarid perennial steppe. We studied the relative importance of asexual v. sexual recruitment in the post-fire recovery in semiarid steppe on the Loess Plateau of north-western China. We observed differences in regeneration strategy after different times post-fire (burnt in 2008, burnt in 1999, and no fire history for at least 30 years). Results showed that fire significantly increased offspring recruitment numbers, but not species richness. The increase of asexual recruitment after a fire made a major contribution to the increase of total offspring number. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference for the ratio of asexual to sexual recruitment among sites with different times since fire. The asexual to sexual recruitment ratio was significantly different for different species, with some species not recruiting offspring via sexual recruitment. Our results indicated that seedling recruitment contributed little to post-fire recovery of the perennial-steppe community. Lack of sexual recruitment is not related to fire management but to inherent traits of the occurring plants.
MyD88 is essential to sustain mTOR activation necessary to promote T helper 17 cell proliferation by linking IL-1 and IL-23 signaling
Authors: Chang JiHoon , Burkett Patrick R. , Borges Christopher M. , Kuchroo Vijay K. , Turka Laurence A. , Chang Cheong-Hee
Published: January 2013

Myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88) is classically known as an adaptor, linking TLR and IL-1R to downstream signaling pathways in the innate immune system. In addition to its role in innate immune cells, MyD88 has been shown to play an important role in T cells. How MyD88 regulates helper T-cell differentiation remains largely unknown, however. Here we demonstrate that MyD88 is an important regulator of IL-17-producing CD4
+
T helper cells (Th17) cell proliferation. MyD88-deficient CD4
+
T cells showed a defect in Th17 cell differentiation, but not in Th1 cell or Th2 cell differentiation. The impaired IL-17 production from MyD88-deficient CD4
+
T cells is not a result of defective RAR-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) expression. Instead, MyD88 is essential for sustaining the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation necessary to promote Th17 cell proliferation by linking IL-1 and IL-23 signaling. MyD88-deficient CD4
+
T cells showed impaired mTOR activation and, consequently, reduced Th17 cell proliferation. Importantly, the absence of MyD88 in T cells ameliorated disease in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model. Taken together, our results demonstrate that MyD88 has a dual function in Th17 cells by delivering IL-1 signaling during the early differentiation stage and integrating IL-23 signaling to the mTOR complex to expand committed Th17 cells.
Historical collections reveal patterns of diffusion of sweet potato in Oceania obscured by modern plant movements and recombination
Authors: Roullier Caroline , Benoit Laure , McKey Doyle B. , Lebot Vincent
Published: January 2013

The history of sweet potato in the Pacific has long been an enigma. Archaeological, linguistic, and ethnobotanical data suggest that prehistoric human-mediated dispersal events contributed to the distribution in Oceania of this American domesticate. According to the “tripartite hypothesis,” sweet potato was introduced into Oceania from South America in pre-Columbian times and was then later newly introduced, and diffused widely across the Pacific, by Europeans via two historically documented routes from Mexico and the Caribbean. Although sweet potato is the most convincing example of putative pre-Columbian connections between human occupants of Polynesia and South America, the search for genetic evidence of pre-Columbian dispersal of sweet potato into Oceania has been inconclusive. Our study attempts to fill this gap. Using complementary sets of markers (chloroplast and nuclear microsatellites) and both modern and herbarium samples, we test the tripartite hypothesis. Our results provide strong support for prehistoric transfer(s) of sweet potato from South America (Peru-Ecuador region) into Polynesia. Our results also document a temporal shift in the pattern of distribution of genetic variation in sweet potato in Oceania. Later reintroductions, accompanied by recombination between distinct sweet potato gene pools, have reshuffled the crop’s initial genetic base, obscuring primary patterns of diffusion and, at the same time, giving rise to an impressive number of local variants. Moreover, our study shows that phenotypes, names, and neutral genes do not necessarily share completely parallel evolutionary histories. Multidisciplinary approaches, thus, appear necessary for accurate reconstruction of the intertwined histories of plants and humans.
Neurocomputational account of how the human brain decides when to have a break
Authors: Meyniel Florent , Sergent Claire , Rigoux Lionel , Daunizeau Jean , Pessiglione Mathias
Published: January 2013

No pain, no gain: cost–benefit trade-off has been formalized in classical decision theory to account for how we choose whether to engage effort. However, how the brain decides when to have breaks in the course of effort production remains poorly understood. We propose that decisions to cease and resume work are triggered by a cost evidence accumulation signal reaching upper and lower bounds, respectively. We developed a task in which participants are free to exert a physical effort knowing that their payoff would be proportional to their effort duration. Functional MRI and magnetoencephalography recordings conjointly revealed that the theoretical cost evidence accumulation signal was expressed in proprioceptive regions (bilateral posterior insula). Furthermore, the slopes and bounds of the accumulation process were adapted to the difficulty of the task and the money at stake. Cost evidence accumulation might therefore provide a dynamical mechanistic account of how the human brain maximizes benefits while preventing exhaustion.
Earthquake-like dynamics in
Myxococcus xanthus
social motility
Authors: Gibiansky Maxsim L. , Hu Wei , Dahmen Karin A. , Shi Wenyuan , Wong Gerard C. L.
Published: January 2013

Myxococcus xanthus
is a bacterium capable of complex social organization. Its characteristic social (“S”)-motility mechanism is mediated by type IV pili (TFP), linear actuator appendages that propel the bacterium along a surface. TFP are known to bind to secreted exopolysaccharides (EPS), but it is unclear how
M. xanthus
manages to use the TFP-EPS technology common to many bacteria to achieve its unique coordinated multicellular movements. We examine
M. xanthus
S-motility, using high-resolution particle-tracking algorithms, and observe aperiodic stick–slip movements. We show that they are not due to chemotaxis, but are instead consistent with a constant TFP-generated force interacting with EPS, which functions both as a glue and as a lubricant. These movements are quantitatively homologous to the dynamics of earthquakes and other crackling noise systems. These systems exhibit critical behavior, which is characterized by a statistical hierarchy of discrete “avalanche” motions described by a power law distribution. The measured critical exponents from
M. xanthus
are consistent with mean field theoretical models and with other crackling noise systems, and the measured Lyapunov exponent suggests the existence of highly branched EPS. Such molecular architectures, which are common for efficient lubricants but rare in bacterial EPS, may be necessary for S-motility: We show that the TFP of leading “locomotive” cells initiate the collective motion of follower cells, indicating that lubricating EPS may alleviate the force generation requirements on the lead cell and thus make S-motility possible.
Ice nucleation and dehydration in the Tropical Tropopause Layer
Authors: Jensen Eric J. , Diskin Glenn , Lawson R. Paul , Lance Sara , Bui T. Paul , Hlavka Dennis , McGill Matthew , Pfister Leonhard , Toon Owen B. , Gao Rushan
Published: January 2013

Optically thin cirrus near the tropical tropopause regulate the humidity of air entering the stratosphere, which in turn has a strong influence on the Earth’s radiation budget and climate. Recent high-altitude, unmanned aircraft measurements provide evidence for two distinct classes of cirrus formed in the tropical tropopause region: (i) vertically extensive cirrus with low ice number concentrations, low extinctions, and large supersaturations (up to ∼70%) with respect to ice; and (ii) vertically thin cirrus layers with much higher ice concentrations that effectively deplete the vapor in excess of saturation. The persistent supersaturation in the former class of cirrus is consistent with the long time-scales (several hours or longer) for quenching of vapor in excess of saturation given the low ice concentrations and cold tropical tropopause temperatures. The low-concentration clouds are likely formed on a background population of insoluble particles with concentrations less than 100 L−1(often less than 20 L−1), whereas the high ice concentration layers (with concentrations up to 10,000 L−1) can only be produced by homogeneous freezing of an abundant population of aqueous aerosols. These measurements, along with past high-altitude aircraft measurements, indicate that the low-concentration cirrus occur frequently in the tropical tropopause region, whereas the high-concentration cirrus occur infrequently. The predominance of the low-concentration clouds means cirrus near the tropical tropopause may typically allow entry of air into the stratosphere with as much as ∼1.7 times the ice saturation mixing ratio.
Bile salt–induced intermolecular disulfide bond formation activates
Vibrio cholerae
virulence
Authors: Yang Menghua , Liu Zhi , Hughes Chambers , Stern Andrew M. , Wang Hui , Zhong Zengtao , Kan Biao , Fenical William , Zhu Jun
Published: January 2013

To be successful pathogens, bacteria must often restrict the expression of virulence genes to host environments. This requires a physical or chemical marker of the host environment as well as a cognate bacterial system for sensing the presence of a host to appropriately time the activation of virulence. However, there have been remarkably few such signal–sensor pairs identified, and the molecular mechanisms for host-sensing are virtually unknown. By directly applying a reporter strain of
Vibrio cholerae
, the causative agent of cholera, to a thin layer chromatography (TLC) plate containing mouse intestinal extracts, we found two host signals that activate virulence gene transcription. One of these was revealed to be the bile salt taurocholate. We then show that a set of bile salts cause dimerization of the transmembrane transcription factor TcpP by inducing intermolecular disulfide bonds between cysteine (C)-207 residues in its periplasmic domain. Various genetic and biochemical analyses led us to propose a model in which the other cysteine in the periplasmic domain, C218, forms an inhibitory intramolecular disulfide bond with C207 that must be isomerized to form the active C207–C207 intermolecular bond. We then found bile salt–dependent effects of these cysteine mutations on survival in vivo, correlating to our in vitro model. Our results are a demonstration of a mechanism for direct activation of the
V. cholerae
virulence cascade by a host signal molecule. They further provide a paradigm for recognition of the host environment in pathogenic bacteria through periplasmic cysteine oxidation.
Human retinal gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis shows advancing retinal degeneration despite enduring visual improvement
Authors: Cideciyan Artur V. , Jacobson Samuel G. , Beltran William A. , Sumaroka Alexander , Swider Malgorzata , Iwabe Simone , Roman Alejandro J. , Olivares Melani B. , Schwartz Sharon B. , Komáromy András M. , Hauswirth William W. , Aguirre Gustavo D.
Published: January 2013

Significance

The first retinal gene therapy in human blindness from
RPE65
mutations has focused on safety and efficacy, as defined by improved vision. The disease component not studied, however, has been the fate of photoreceptors in this progressive retinal degeneration. We show that gene therapy improves vision for at least 3 y, but photoreceptor degeneration progresses unabated in humans. In the canine model, the same result occurs when treatment is at the disease stage equivalent to humans. The study shows the need for combinatorial therapy to improve vision in the short term but also slow retinal degeneration in the long term.
Uracil DNA glycosylase initiates degradation of HIV-1 cDNA containing misincorporated dUTP and prevents viral integration
Authors: Weil Amy F. , Ghosh Devlina , Zhou Yan , Seiple Lauren , McMahon Moira A. , Spivak Adam M. , Siliciano Robert F. , Stivers James T.
Published: January 2013

Significance

Misincorporation of dUTP into DNA is detrimental to eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses. This study reveals the fate of uracilated HIV-1 DNA in human cells. Early stages of the viral life cycle are unaffected, but integration of uracilated viral DNA into the host genome is prevented. This effect is wholly dependent on the presence of UNG2, a nuclear enzyme that excises uracil from DNA. This study establishes that UNG2 is a restriction factor for uracilated HIV-1 DNA and explains why this pathway is not fully engaged in CD4+ T cells and macrophages.
Structures of a Na
+
-coupled, substrate-bound MATE multidrug transporter
Authors: Lu Min , Symersky Jindrich , Radchenko Martha , Koide Akiko , Guo Yi , Nie Rongxin , Koide Shohei
Published: January 2013

Multidrug transporters belonging to the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family expel dissimilar lipophilic and cationic drugs across cell membranes by dissipating a preexisting Na
+
or H
+
gradient. Despite its clinical relevance, the transport mechanism of MATE proteins remains poorly understood, largely owing to a lack of structural information on the substrate-bound transporter. Here we report crystal structures of a Na
+
-coupled MATE transporter NorM from
Neisseria gonorrheae
in complexes with three distinct translocation substrates (ethidium, rhodamine 6G, and tetraphenylphosphonium), as well as Cs
+
(a Na
+
congener), all captured in extracellular-facing and drug-bound states. The structures revealed a multidrug-binding cavity festooned with four negatively charged amino acids and surprisingly limited hydrophobic moieties, in stark contrast to the general belief that aromatic amino acids play a prominent role in multidrug recognition. Furthermore, we discovered an uncommon cation–π interaction in the Na
+
-binding site located outside the drug-binding cavity and validated the biological relevance of both the substrate- and cation-binding sites by conducting drug resistance and transport assays. Additionally, we uncovered potential rearrangement of at least two transmembrane helices upon Na
+
-induced drug export. Based on our structural and functional analyses, we suggest that Na
+
triggers multidrug extrusion by inducing protein conformational changes rather than by directly competing for the substrate-binding amino acids. This scenario is distinct from the canonical antiport mechanism, in which both substrate and counterion compete for a shared binding site in the transporter. Collectively, our findings provide an important step toward a detailed and mechanistic understanding of multidrug transport.
Transcription factor Nurr1 maintains fiber integrity and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial gene expression in dopamine neurons
Authors: Kadkhodaei Banafsheh , Alvarsson Alexandra , Schintu Nicoletta , Ramsköld Daniel , Volakakis Nikolaos , Joodmardi Eliza , Yoshitake Takashi , Kehr Jan , Decressac Mickael , Björklund Anders , Sandberg Rickard , Svenningsson Per , Perlmann Thomas
Published: January 2013

Developmental transcription factors important in early neuron specification and differentiation often remain expressed in the adult brain. However, how these transcription factors function to mantain appropriate neuronal identities in adult neurons and how transcription factor dysregulation may contribute to disease remain largely unknown. The transcription factor Nurr1 has been associated with Parkinson's disease and is essential for the development of ventral midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. We used conditionalNurr1gene-targeted mice in whichNurr1is ablated selectively in mature DA neurons by treatment with tamoxifen. We show thatNurr1ablation results in a progressive pathology associated with reduced striatal DA, impaired motor behaviors, and dystrophic axons and dendrites. We used laser-microdissected DA neurons for RNA extraction and next-generation mRNA sequencing to identify Nurr1-regulated genes. This analysis revealed that Nurr1 functions mainly in transcriptional activation to regulate a battery of genes expressed in DA neurons. Importantly, nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes were identified as the major functional category of Nurr1-regulated target genes. These studies indicate that Nurr1 has a key function in sustaining high respiratory function in these cells, and thatNurr1ablation in mice recapitulates early features of Parkinson's disease.
Extensive changes in DNA methylation are associated with expression of mutant huntingtin
Authors: Ng Christopher W. , Yildirim Ferah , Yap Yoon Sing , Dalin Simona , Matthews Bryan J. , Velez Patricio J. , Labadorf Adam , Housman David E. , Fraenkel Ernest
Published: January 2013

The earliest stages of Huntington disease are marked by changes in gene expression that are caused in an indirect and poorly understood manner by polyglutamine expansions in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. To explore the hypothesis that DNA methylation may be altered in cells expressing mutated HTT, we use reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) to map sites of DNA methylation in cells carrying either wild-type or mutant HTT. We find that a large fraction of the genes that change in expression in the presence of mutant huntingtin demonstrate significant changes in DNA methylation. Regions with low CpG content, which have previously been shown to undergo methylation changes in response to neuronal activity, are disproportionately affected. On the basis of the sequence of regions that change in methylation, we identify AP-1 and SOX2 as transcriptional regulators associated with DNA methylation changes, and we confirm these hypotheses using genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq). Our findings suggest new mechanisms for the effects of polyglutamine-expanded HTT. These results also raise important questions about the potential effects of changes in DNA methylation on neurogenesis and cognitive decline in patients with Huntington disease.
Distinct features of neurotransmitter systems in the human brain with focus on the galanin system in locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe
Authors: Le Maître Erwan , Barde Swapnali Shantaram , Palkovits Miklos , Diaz-Heijtz Rochellys , Hökfelt Tomas G. M.
Published: January 2013

Significance

For decades rodents have been used to explore normal brain functions and mechanisms underlying brain diseases. Such data often have been the basis in the search for new drugs. In this study we selected chemical markers associated with central noradrenaline and serotonin neurons, key systems in research on and current treatment of depression, and studied their expression with in situ hybridization in postmortem human brains. The results show some distinct species differences between human and rodent noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons which may better inform the development of novel anxiolytic/antidepressant drugs.
JNK inhibition reduces apoptosis and neovascularization in a murine model of age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Du Hongjun , Sun Xufang , Guma Monica , Luo Jing , Ouyang Hong , Zhang Xiaohui , Zeng Jing , Quach John , Nguyen Duy H. , Shaw Peter X. , Karin Michael , Zhang Kang
Published: January 2013

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of registered blindness among the elderly and affects over 30 million people worldwide. It is well established that oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis play critical roles in pathogenesis of AMD. In advanced wet AMD, although, most of the severe vision loss is due to bleeding and exudation of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and it is well known that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in the growth of the abnormal blood vessels. VEGF suppression therapy improves visual acuity in AMD patients. However, there are unresolved issues, including safety and cost. Here we show that mice lacking c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) exhibit decreased inflammation, reduced CNV, lower levels of choroidal VEGF, and impaired choroidal macrophage recruitment in a murine model of wet AMD (laser-induced CNV). Interestingly, we also detected a substantial reduction in choroidal apoptosis of JNK1-deficient mice. Intravitreal injection of a pan-caspase inhibitor reduced neovascularization in the laser-induced CNV model, suggesting that apoptosis plays a role in laser-induced pathological angiogenesis. Intravitreal injection of a specific JNK inhibitor decreased choroidal VEGF expression and reduced pathological CNV. These results suggest that JNK1 plays a key role in linking oxidative stress, inflammation, macrophage recruitment apoptosis, and VEGF production in wet AMD and pharmacological JNK inhibition offers a unique and alternative avenue for prevention and treatment of AMD.
Lake Whitefish Diet, Condition, and Energy Density in Lake Champlain and the Lower Four Great Lakes following Dreissenid Invasions
Authors: Herbst Seth J. , Marsden J. Ellen , Lantry Brian F.
Published: January 2013

Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis support some of the most valuable commercial freshwater fisheries in North America. Recent growth and condition decreases in Lake Whitefish populations in the Great Lakes have been attributed to the invasion of the dreissenid mussels, zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha and quagga mussels D. bugensis, and the subsequent collapse of the amphipod, Diporeia, a once‐abundant high energy prey source. Since 1993, Lake Champlain has also experienced the invasion and proliferation of zebra mussels, but in contrast to the Great Lakes, Diporeia were not historically abundant. We compared the diet, condition, and energy density of Lake Whitefish from Lake Champlain after the dreissenid mussel invasion to values for those of Lake Whitefish from Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Lake Whitefish were collected using gill nets and bottom trawls, and their diets were quantified seasonally. Condition was estimated using Fulton's condition factor (K) and by determining energy density. In contrast to Lake Whitefish from some of the Great Lakes, those from Lake Champlain Lake Whitefish did not show a dietary shift towards dreissenid mussels, but instead fed primarily on fish eggs in spring, Mysis diluviana in summer, and gastropods and sphaeriids in fall and winter. Along with these dietary differences, the condition and energy density of Lake Whitefish from Lake Champlain were high compared with those of Lake Whitefish from Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario after the dreissenid invasion, and were similar to Lake Whitefish from Lake Erie; fish from Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario consumed dreissenids, whereas fish from Lake Erie did not. Our comparisons of Lake Whitefish populations in Lake Champlain to those in the Great Lakes indicate that diet and condition of Lake Champlain Lake Whitefish were not negatively affected by the dreissenid mussel invasion.
Predicting High Prevalence of Community Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Nursing Homes
Authors: Murphy Courtney R. , Hudson Lyndsey O. , Spratt Brian G. , Quan Victor , Kim Diane , Peterson Ellena , Tan Grace , Evans Kaye , Meyers Hildy , Cheung Michele , Lee Bruce Y. , Mukamel Dana B. , Enright Mark C. , Whealon Matthew , Huang Susan S.
Published: January 2013

We assessed characteristics associated with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) carriage among residents of 22 nursing homes. Of MRSA-positive swabs, 25% (208/824) were positive for CA-MRSA. Median facility CA-MRSA percentage was 22% (range, 0%–44%). In multivariate models, carriage was associated with age less than 65 years (odds ratio, 1.2; P < .001) and Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio, 1.2; P = .006). Interventions are needed to target CA-MRSA.
Text as Data: The Promise and Pitfalls of Automatic Content Analysis Methods for Political Texts
Authors: Grimmer Justin , Stewart Brandon M.
Published: January 2013

Politics and political conflict often occur in the written and spoken word. Scholars have long recognized this, but the massive costs of analyzing even moderately sized collections of texts have hindered their use in political science research. Here lies the promise of automated text analysis: it substantially reduces the costs of analyzing large collections of text. We provide a guide to this exciting new area of research and show how, in many instances, the methods have already obtained part of their promise. But there are pitfalls to using automated methods—they are no substitute for careful thought and close reading and require extensive and problem-specific validation. We survey a wide range of new methods, provide guidance on how to validate the output of the models, and clarify misconceptions and errors in the literature. To conclude, we argue that for automated text methods to become a standard tool for political scientists, methodologists must contribute new methods and new methods of validation.
Association Mapping of Septoria Speckled Leaf Blotch Resistance in U.S. Barley Breeding Germplasm
Authors: Zhou Hao , Steffenson Brian J.
Published: January 2013

Septoria speckled leaf blotch (SSLB) is a sporadic but important disease of barley (Hordeum vulgare) in the Upper Midwest region of the United States and Prairie Provinces of Canada that is caused primarily by Septoria passerinii. Most of the widely grown cultivars in the region are susceptible to the disease. To identify and map SSLB resistance loci in U.S. barley breeding germplasm, we employed an association mapping approach using 3,840 breeding lines and cultivars and nearly 3,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers previously mapped to the seven barley chromosomes. SSLB infection responses (IRs) were assayed on seedling plants in the greenhouse using a 0-to-5 scale. From the analysis of four yearly panels consisting of 960 lines each, four quantitative trait loci (QTL) for SSLB resistance were identified: one on chromosome 1H (Rsp-qtl-H_12_31144), one on chromosome 3H (Rsp-qtl-3H_12_31488), and two on chromosome 6H (Rsp-qtl-6H_11_21032 and Rsp-qtl-6H_11_10064). Individual resistance QTL reduced the mean IR from 9 to 38% compared with lines lacking any resistance alleles. However, the combination of all four resistance QTL together reduced the mean IR by 83%. The markers found associated with these QTL will be valuable for programs utilizing marker-assisted selection for SSLB resistance.
Urinary oxytocin and social bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees
Authors: Crockford C. , Wittig R. M. , Langergraber K. , Ziegler T. E. , Zuberbühler K. , Deschner T.
Published: January 2013

Animals that maintain cooperative relationships show gains in longevity and offspring survival. However, little is known about the cognitive or hormonal mechanisms involved in cooperation. Indeed, there is little support for a main hypothesis that non-human animals have the cognitive capacities required for bookkeeping of cooperative exchanges. We tested an alternative hypothesis that cooperative relationships are facilitated by an endocrinological mechanism involving oxytocin, a hormone required for bonding in parental and sexual relationships across mammals. We measured urinary oxytocin after single bouts of grooming in wild chimpanzees. Oxytocin levels were higher after grooming with bond partners compared with non-bond partners or after no grooming, regardless of genetic relatedness or sexual interest. We ruled out other possible confounds, such as grooming duration, grooming direction or sampling regime issues, indicating that changes in oxytocin levels were mediated by social bond strength. Oxytocin, which is thought to act directly on neural reward and social memory systems, is likely to play a key role in keeping track of social interactions with multiple individuals over time. The evolutionary linkage of an ancestral hormonal system with complex social cognition may be the primary mechanism through which long-term cooperative relationships develop between both kin and non-kin in mammals.
Long Life and Productivity in South Africa: Long Burdensome or Long Healthy?
Authors: Ngepah Nicholas
Published: January 2013

Abstract:  This paper investigates the relationship between health and productivity in South Africa. It tests for unit roots and structural breaks and uses the outcome to perform causality and simultaneous equations estimations. The results suggest that without structural breaks, the effect of health on productivity is downplayed. They highlight how long people live does not matter for productivity, the improvements in their lifespan does. Long life can improve productivity only if it is a healthy long life. The impact of improvements of levels of health on productivity is less than 25 per cent of that of improvement of growth rates of health. Improvements in both the levels and growth of male life expectancy enhance productivity more than those of females; an increase in productivity increases the levels of female life expectancy more than those for males. HIV/AIDS significantly reduces levels of life expectancy (with greater impact on females) and labour productivity. Overall, macroeconomic policy for health and growth cannot be conceived separately. Efforts to fight against HIV/AIDS can improve life expectancy and productivity, leading to higher growth. Females may be more vulnerable to die of HIV/AIDS related diseases than males are. Anti‐AIDS programmes can have biased effects in favour of female health, although in itself this may not be enough to bring about gender‐balanced improvements in health.
Macroeconomic Approaches to Identifying the Effects of Health on Output, Growth and Poverty
Authors: Eastwood Robert
Published: January 2013

Abstract:  Microeconomic studies cannot, by definition, identify general equilibrium economic effects of changes in health. Macroeconomic analysis is needed for this, and the paper reviews three strands in the empirical literature, based respectively on cross‐country regression analysis, computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling, and a mixture of microeconomic estimation and macroeconomic simulation. The first two strands have important drawbacks. Cross‐country regression is beset with the problem of finding valid instruments. CGE models tend to contain a large number of imposed parameters, making it hard to judge the robustness of simulation results. Mixing micro‐estimation with aggregative macro‐simulation appears most promising as this methodology allows both drawbacks to be avoided, at least in part.
The reasons of false negative results of endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of intrapulmonary and mediastinal malignancy
Authors: Tian Qing , Chen Liang‐An , Wang Ren‐Tao , Yang Zhen , An Yang
Published: January 2013

Although the sensitivity can reach 99%, endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) has a significantly high false negative rate for diagnosis and staging of thoracic malignancy. We performed this retrospective study to investigate the causes of false negative results and to improve the efficacy and accuracy of EBUS‐TBNA. We reviewed all patients suspected of intrapulmonary or mediastinal malignancy who undertook EBUS‐TBNA between July 2009 and August 2012 in Chinese PLA general hospital. We retrieved the pathological results of EBUS‐TBNA and video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and follow‐up data. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated. 185 patients were included in this study. Diagnosis of malignancy was established on 172 patients by EBUS‐TBNA, and 8 patients with negative EBUS‐TBNA result gained their final diagnosis of malignancy via VATS. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and accuracy for diagnosis of malignancy for EBUS‐TBNA were 96%, 100%, 33% and 96% respectively. Inadequacy of the EBUS‐TBNA specimens, internal necrosis in the lymph nodes and rare cancer types contributed to the false negative EBUS‐TBNA results. VATS is obligatory to explain the negative results of EBUS‐TBNA in patients suspected of malignancy.
Oesophageal complication from button battery ingestion in an infant
Authors: Liao Adelene Y , McDonald David
Published: January 2013

The substantial risks of button battery ingestion in children have been known to clinicians for some time. Modern button batteries are twice as large (20 mm rather than 10 mm) and twice as powerful (3 V rather than 1.5 V) as older batteries. Ingestion of modern batteries causes earlier and more severe tissue injury, as these larger batteries are more likely to impact at areas of physiological narrowing. A high index of suspicion for ingestion, use of appropriate imaging and early removal of batteries is necessary to prevent complications.
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE: A SOURCE OR SALVE FOR THE RACIAL ACHIEVEMENT GAP?*
Authors: Kinsler Josh
Published: January 2013

Racial disparities in school discipline are believed to contribute to the persistent achievement gap between black and white students. In this article, I estimate the relationship between school discipline and achievement within a structural model, taking into account the spillover effects of disruptive behavior. I find that discipline has an overall positive influence on student performance and that the racial gap in discipline stemming from cross‐school variation in discipline policies is consistent with achievement maximization. Integrating schools can close both the discipline and achievement gaps; however, overall achievement is reduced since schools are less able to target their discipline policies.
Ready for Your Close‐Up? Polyvalent Identity and the Hollywood Headshot
Authors: Frank Scott
Published: January 2013

Headshots are commercial portraits that are arguably the currency of the actor's trade in the Hollywood entertainment industry. But as with all cultural artifacts, a single object can be subject to multiple interpretations by the constituencies that make use of it. This article utilizes a polyvalent interpretation to examine the ways in which actors, photographers, and casting agents all subscribe to the same denotation of these objects, while retaining a significant difference in their valuation.
Zero Interest Rates in the United States Provoke World Monetary Instability and Constrict the US Economy
Authors: McKinnon Ronald , Liu Zhao
Published: January 2013

Under near zero US interest rates, the international dollar standard malfunctions. Emerging markets (EM) with naturally higher interest rates are swamped with hot money inflows. EM central banks intervene to prevent their currencies from rising precipitately. They lose monetary control and begin inflating. Primary commodity prices rise worldwide unless interrupted by an international banking crisis. This inflation on the dollar's periphery only registers in the US core consumer price index (CPI) with a long lag. The zero interest rate policy also fails to stimulate the US economy as domestic financial intermediation by banks and money market mutual funds is undermined.
Can External Shocks Explain theAsian Side of Global Imbalances? Lessons from a StructuralVARModel with Block Exogeneity
Authors: Gossé Jean‐Baptiste , Guillaumin Cyriac
Published: January 2013

During the 2000s, we observed the accumulation of global imbalances resulting primarily from massive current account imbalances in theUSAand in Asia. This paper studies the impact of external shocks on EastAsian countries in order to determine if these can account for theAsian side of global imbalances. To this end, we estimate a structural vector autoregression (VAR) model with block exogeneity using Bayesian inference. The three external shocks are an oil shock, aUSmonetary shock and aUSfinancial shock. Our main findings are as follows: (i) external shocks account for the current account surplus inKorea,Malaysia, thePhilippines,Singapore, andThailand and, to a lesser extent, inJapan andIndonesia; (ii) the oil shock and theUSmonetary shock seem to have influenced current account balances through real and monetary channels, and theUSfinancial shock through the financial channel.
Does a Bilateral FTA Pave the Way for Multilateral Free Trade?
Authors: Nomura Ryoichi , Ohkawa Takao , Okamura Makoto , Tawada Makoto
Published: January 2013

We determine whether a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) acts as a building block for multilateral free trade (MFT) in a three‐country model with asymmetric domestic markets. Our main conclusions are as follows: (i) A bilateral FTA between two large countries can act as a building block for MFT; (ii) A bilateral FTA between two small countries acts as a stumbling block for MFT; (iii) This FTA can be Pareto improving when a multilateral trade agreement is not feasible.
Berriasian and early Valanginian environmental change along a transect from the Jura Platform to the Vocontian Basin
Authors: Morales Chloe , Gardin Silvia , Schnyder Johann , Spangenberg Jorge , Arnaud‐Vanneau Annie , Arnaud Hubert , Adatte Thierry , Föllmi Karl B.
Published: January 2013

Valanginian sedimentary archives display a positive anomaly in the carbon‐isotope record which is associated with a crisis in neritic and pelagic carbonate production. This study aims to reconstruct the evolution of palaeoenvironments in the Jura area and the Vocontian Basin during late Berriasian and early Valanginian times, in order to better understand the controlling factors leading to the Valanginian episode of major environmental change. Three sections along a transect through the Jura platform (Switzerland and France) and the Vocontian Basin (France) have been studied. Stratigraphic correlations have been established by combining biostratigraphy (benthic foraminifera, ammonites and calpionellids), with geochemistry (δ13C trends) and sequence stratigraphy. A change from a rimmed ramp to a swell‐dominated ramp morphology is observed through the Berriasian–Valanginian boundary. The disappearance of the barrier appears to have been controlled by large sea‐level variations in combination with the arrival of significantly more humid climate conditions. This barrier played a major role in the distribution of geochemical, mineralogical and palynological fluxes towards the basin: during the Berriasian, continental fluxes (detrital particles, nutrients, pollen and spores) were buffered by the platform morphology, whereas in the early Valanginian they were more readily transported towards the basin. The initiation of a major transgression onto lateritic soils, leading to their intense reworking, instigated a fertilization of ocean waters during the earliest Valanginian and with that a change towards heterozoan carbonate production, and subsequently to the demise of the already weakened carbonate platform.
Palaeoenvironmental significance of organic facies and stable isotope signatures: the Ladinian San Giorgio Dolomite and Meride Limestone of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland, WHL UNESCO)
Authors: Stockar Rudolf , Adatte Thierry , Baumgartner Peter O. , Föllmi Karl B.
Published: January 2013

The over 600 m thick Ladinian carbonate section of Monte San Giorgio (World Heritage List, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Switzerland), including the San Giorgio Dolomite and the Meride Limestone, was analysed with respect to its sedimentology, organic‐matter content (Rock‐Eval and palynofacies) and stable carbon and oxygen‐isotope composition. Application of geochemical proxies and optical data (transmitted light microscopy, epifluorescence, cathodoluminescence and scanning electron microscopy) allowed the assessment of the relative sea‐level trend and the characterization of the organic‐matter content. Three main organic‐matter assemblages were defined according to their composition and stratigraphic position. Overall, results suggest immature organic matter, predominantly of marine bacterial origin with an upsection‐increasing land plant‐derived contribution. Forcing factors controlling organic‐matter accumulation include changes in sea‐level, productivity and runoff which, in turn, were probably promoted by periods of rainfall following explosive volcanic activity. Enhanced productivity during sea‐level highstands is considered to have played a key role in black‐shale formation under anoxic–sulphidic conditions (mainly in the Besano Formation). In contrast, sea‐level lowstands, coupled with intensified runoff, resulted in increased basin restriction and in deposition of laminated limestone, mainly under lower dysoxic to anoxic conditions (chiefly in the Lower Meride Limestone). Under the latter conditions, benthic microbial activity produced most of the hydrogen‐rich organic matter, contributed to carbonate precipitation and also played a major role in taphonomic control on vertebrate fossil preservation. In more general terms, the Monte San Giorgio section proved to be an excellent testing ground, making it possible to compare diverse approaches with each other and, more specifically, to relate optical evidence to geochemical signatures.
Microcrystal Particles Behaviour in Inkjet Printing of Reactive Nylon Materials
Authors: Fathi Saeed , Dickens Phill , Khodabakhshi Khosrow , Gilbert Marianne
Published: January 2013

A novel process using inkjet printing of molten materials to produce nylon 6 for additive layer manufacturing applications was investigated. Different reactive mixtures of molten caprolactam with activator and catalyst were characterized for physical properties to understand their jettability in an inkjet system. Although it was found that the surface tension and viscosity of all materials were within the range suitable for inkjet technology according to the literature, microcrystals of undissolved salt of the catalyst complex (caprolactam magnesium bromide) were found to influence melt supply behavior. The influence of the process on the catalyst microcrystal consistency and agglomeration beyond the jetting system was investigated for purged, deposited multiple droplets and also individual droplet samples using hot-stage polarized light microscopy. Quantitative image analysis showed that although microcrystal agglomeration occurred within the accumulated droplets due to kinetics of droplet impact, this however was much less than with the purged samples. A generally consistent content and dispersion of the microcrystals existed within the consecutively deposited droplets.
Identification of Controlling Parameters on Thermal Deformation of Mobile Device by Injection Molding Process
Authors: Chang Eunyoung , Shin Seungwon , Chung Haseung
Published: January 2013

Injection molding process is a widely used manufacturing technique to massively produce the components of mobile device with various sizes and complicated geometries. However, the final part quality, especially dimension or geometry, referring to the original design specifications is not often acceptable due to various reasons. This study aims at developing the numerical model to predict the final part quality and subsequently identifying the critical reasons for existing problems. moldflow and abaqus software have been simultaneously used to simulate the injection molding process and thermal deformation arising after ejection step from the mold. In order to validate the model, the deformation predicted by the developed model was compared with experimental results, and both results showed good agreement. We also carried out design of experiment (DOE) to investigate the effect of various processing parameters that affect the final deformation of injection molded product. The developed model and information derived from DOE are expected to provide useful resources to the initial stage of mobile device design.
Fundamental Formulation for Transformation Toughening in Anisotropic Solids
Authors: Ma Lifeng , Korsunsky Alexander M. , McMeeking Robert M.
Published: January 2013

In this paper the problem of transformation toughening in anisotropic solids is addressed in the framework of Stroh formalism. The fundamental solutions for a transformed strain nucleus located in an infinite anisotropic elastic plane are derived first. Furthermore, the solution for the interaction of a crack tip with a residual strain nucleus is obtained. On the basis of these expressions, fundamental formulations are presented for the toughening arising from transformations using the Green's function method. Finally, a representative example is studied to demonstrate the relevance of the fundamental formulation.