bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ZNF16 (HZF1) promotes erythropoiesis and megakaryocytopoiesis via regulation of the c-KIT gene
Authors: Chen Jing , Li Xiao-Bo , Su Rui , Song Li , Wang Fang , Zhang Jun-Wu
Published: November 2013

We previously characterized the zinc finger protein gene HZF1 [also known as ZNF16 (zinc finger protein 16)] and demonstrated its important roles in erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation of K562 cells. In the present study, we investigated its effect on erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation of HSPCs (haemopoietic stem/progenitor cells). We observed up-regulation of ZNF16 during erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation of the CD34+ HSPCs, and demonstrated that ZNF16 promotes erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation by gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments. Using a luciferase reporter and ChIP assays ZNF16 was demonstrated to bind to the c-KIT gene promoter and inhibit its expression in K562 cells. Enforced expression and knockdown of ZNF16 down-regulated and up-regulated the expression of the c-KIT gene in K562 cells and HSPCs respectively. Significantly decreased levels of the c-Kit protein were observed following erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation of K562 and CD34+ cells. The knockdown of c-KIT partially rescued the differentiation inhibition caused by ZNF16 knockdown. The knockdown of c-KIT also blocked the activity of the c-Raf/MEK [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinase]/ERK/c-Jun signal pathway and reduced further the level of HEY1 (hes-related family bHLH transcription factor with YRPW motif 1), a repressor of GATA1 (GATA-binding protein 1) transcription, which finally up-regulated the expression of GATA1, a central regulator of erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation. In conclusion the results of the present study demonstrate that ZNF16 plays an important role in erythropoiesis and megakaryocytopoiesis via its regulation of the c-Kit/c-Raf/MEK/ERK/c-Jun/HEY1/GATA1 cascade.
Tractability gains in symmetry-adapted perturbation theory including coupled double excitations: CCD+ST(CCD) dispersion with natural orbital truncations
Authors: Parrish Robert M. , Hohenstein Edward G. , Sherrill C. David
Published: November 2013

This work focuses on efficient and accurate treatment of the intermolecular dispersion interaction using the CCD+ST(CCD) dispersion approach formulated by Williams et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 103, 4586 (1995)]. We apply natural orbital truncation techniques to the solution of the monomer coupled-cluster double (CCD) equations, yielding substantial accelerations in this computationally demanding portion of the SAPT2+(CCD), SAPT2+(3)(CCD), and SAPT2+3(CCD) analyses. It is shown that the wholly rate-limiting dimer-basis particle-particle ladder term can be computed in a reduced natural virtual space which is essentially the same size as the monomer-basis virtual space, with an error on the order of a few thousandths of 1 kcal mol−1. Coupled with our existing natural orbital techniques for the perturbative triple excitation contributions [E. G. Hohenstein and C. D. Sherrill, J. Chem. Phys. 133, 104107 (2010)], this technique provides speedups of greater than an order of magnitude for the evaluation of the complete SAPT2+3(CCD) decomposition, with a total error of a few hundredths of 1 kcal mol−1. The combined approach yields tractability gains of almost 2× in the system size, allowing for SAPT2+3(CCD)/aug-cc-pVTZ analysis to be performed for systems such as adenine-thymine for the first time. Natural orbital based SAPT2+3(CCD)/aug-cc-pVTZ results are presented for stacked and hydrogen-bonded configurations of uracil dimer and the adenine-thymine dimer.
Vibrational spectroscopy of water in hydrated lipid multi-bilayers. III. Water clustering and vibrational energy transfer
Authors: Gruenbaum S. M. , Skinner J. L.
Published: November 2013

Water clustering and connectivity around lipid bilayers strongly influences the properties of membranes and is important for functions such as proton and ion transport. Vibrational anisotropic pump-probe spectroscopy is a powerful tool for understanding such clustering, as the measured anisotropy depends upon the time-scale and degree of intra- and intermolecular vibrational energy transfer. In this article, we use molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical vibrational spectroscopy to help interpret recent experimental measurements of the anisotropy of water in lipid multi-bilayers as a function of both lipid hydration level and isotopic substitution. Our calculations are in satisfactory agreement with the experiments of Piatkowski, Heij, and Bakker, and from our simulations we can directly probe water clustering and connectivity. We find that at low hydration levels, many water molecules are in fact isolated, although up to 70% of hydration water forms small water clusters or chains. At intermediate hydration levels, water forms a wide range of cluster sizes, while at higher hydration levels, the majority of water molecules are part of a large, percolating water cluster. Therefore, the size, number, and nature of water clusters are strongly dependent on lipid hydration level, and the measured anisotropy reflects this through its dependence on intermolecular energy transfer.
A new (2 × 1) dimerized structure of monolayer 1T-molybdenum disulfide, studied from first principles calculations
Authors: Hu Ting , Li Rui , Dong Jinming
Published: November 2013

The geometric, electronic, and vibrational properties of monolayer 1T-molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) have been studied by using the first-principles calculations. A new (2 × 1) dimerized structure of monolayer 1T-MoS2, called as 1T′-MoS2, has been found, which is semi-conducting and more stable than the previously found ones. Interestingly, a semiconductor–metal transition is found under an applied tensile strain at about 4% or a compressive strain at about 5%, while the dimerization structure has been retained under both the tensile and compressive strains. Moreover, the vibrational properties of three kinds of monolayer MoS2, i.e., the 1T-MoS2, 1T′-MoS2, as well as the 1H-MoS2, have been studied, based upon which the different isomer structures of monolayer MoS2 can be easily distinguishable in experiments by analyzing their characteristic Raman spectra.
An experimental and theoretical study of the electronic spectrum of HPS, a second row HNO analog
Authors: Grimminger Robert , Clouthier Dennis J. , Tarroni Riccardo , Wang Zhong , Sears Trevor J.
Published: November 2013

The $\tilde A$Ã 1A″ ‑ $\tilde X$X̃ 1A′ electronic spectra of jet-cooled HPS and DPS have been observed for the first time, using a pulsed discharge jet source. Laser induced fluorescence spectra were obtained in the 850–650 nm region. Although the $0_0^0 $000 band was not observed, strong $3_0^n $30n and $2_0^1 3_0^n $20130n progressions and 31 hot bands could be assigned in the HPS LIF spectrum. Single vibronic level emission spectra were also recorded, resulting in the determination of all three HPS ground state vibrational frequencies. High level ab initio calculations were used to help confirm the vibronic assignments by calculation of transition energies, anharmonic vibrational frequencies, and anharmonic Franck-Condon factors. Ab initio potential energy surfaces gave an equilibrium structure for the $\tilde X$X̃ 1A′ state of r″PH = 1.4334 Å, r″PS = 1.9373 Å, θ″ = 101.77° and for the $\tilde A$Ã 1A″ state of r′PH = 1.4290 Å, r′PS = 2.0635 Å, and θ′ = 91.74°. The rotational contours observed are consistent with these structures, confirming that the bond angle of HPS decreases on electronic excitation. Although the bond angles of HNO and HNS open in the excited state, in accord with the Walsh predictions for 12 valence electron HAB molecules, HPO, HAsO and now HPS all show the opposite behavior.
Thiol-based molecular overlayers adsorbed on C60: Role of the end-group and charge state on the stability of the complexes
Authors: Chavira-Quintero R. , Guirado-López R. A.
Published: November 2013

We present pseudo-potential density functional theory calculations dedicated to analyze the stability and electronic properties of thiol-based molecular overlayers adsorbed on C60. We consider short molecules having a S atom as a headgroup, alkyl chains containing one to three C atoms, and a CH3 species as a terminal group. The thiol molecules are bonded to the carbon surface (through the S atom) with adsorption energies that vary in the range of ∼1–2 eV and with S–C bond lengths of ∼1.8 Å. For neutral C60(SCH3)n complexes, low energy atomic configurations are obtained when the thiol groups are distributed on the surface forming small molecular domains (e.g., pairs, trimers, or tetramer configurations of neighboring thiol molecules). In contrast, less stable random distributions are defined by orientationally disordered overlayers with highly distorted underlying carbon networks. The inclusion of London dispersion interaction slightly affects the structure of the molecular coating but increases the adsorption energies by values as large as 0.3 eV. Interestingly, the relative stability of the previous adsorbed phases differ from the one obtained when considering single sulfur adsorption on C60, a result that reveals the crucial role played by the terminal CH3 groups on the structure of the molecular coating. The positive (negative) charging of the [C60(SCH3)n]±q complexes, with q as large as 8e, changes the geometrical structure and the chemical nature of the ligand shell inducing lateral molecular displacements, S–S bonding between neighboring thiols, as well as the partial degradation of the molecular coating. Finally, we consider the stability of two-component mixed overlayers formed by the coadsorption of CH3−, OH−, and NH2−terminated alkanethiols of the same length. In agreement with the results found on Au surfaces, we obtain lowest energy atomic configurations when molecular domains of a single component are stabilized on C60, a result that could be of fundamental importance in biomedical applications.
Enhanced data consistency of a portable gait measurement system
Authors: Lin Hsien-I , Chiang Y. P.
Published: November 2013

A gait measurement system is a useful tool for rehabilitation applications. Such a system is used to conduct gait experiments in large workplaces such as laboratories where gait measurement equipment can be permanently installed. However, a gait measurement system should be portable if it is to be used in clinics or community centers for aged people. In a portable gait measurement system, the workspace is limited and landmarks on a subject may not be visible to the cameras during experiments. Thus, we propose a virtual-marker function to obtain positions of unseen landmarks for maintaining data consistency. This work develops a portable clinical gait measurement system consisting of lightweight motion capture devices, force plates, and a walkway assembled from plywood boards. We evaluated the portable clinic gait system with 11 normal subjects in three consecutive days in a limited experimental space. Results of gait analysis based on the verification of within-day and between-day coefficients of multiple correlations show that the proposed portable gait system is reliable.
Development status of the 18 GHz superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source at National Fusion Research Institute
Authors: You H. J. , Jang S. O. , Choo W. I. , Jung Y. H. , Lho T. H. , Yoo S. J.
Published: November 2013

A new superconducting 18 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source is being developed at the National Fusion Research Institute in South Korea. This source will be dedicated for future application of highly charged ions in the area of matter interaction, diagnostic imaging, and probing. In this paper, we describe the status of the source development consisting of a double electrode biased disk, sputtering systems for metal ion production, diagnostic ports for the extraction region, a variable gap extraction-Einzel lens system, and a low energy beam transport system.
High-Q resonance modes observed in a metallic nanocavity
Authors: Takemoto R. , Ishihara N. , Kurosawa H. , Jahan N. A. , Asano T. , Liu X. , Nakajima H. , Kumano H. , Suemune I.
Published: November 2013

Metallic nanocavities have been actively studied for realizing nanolasers with low threshold. Presence of resonance modes with high cavity Q values is the indication of low internal loss that leads to low threshold lasing. However, cavity Q values observed in metallic nanocavities below lasing threshold remain low at present on the order of 100 to 500. We study the possibility to realize higher resonance Q values with a metallic nanocavity. For probing purpose of cavity modes we propose to employ broad mid-gap-state optical emission of n-type GaAs. With this method we report the observation of a resonance mode with the high Q value of 3800 at room temperature with the metallic nanocavity. The cavity mode is identified as a whispering-gallery mode with finite-element-method simulation.
Re-appraisal and extension of the Gratton-Vargas two-dimensional analytical snowplow model of plasma focus evolution in the context of contemporary research
Authors: Auluck S. K. H.
Published: November 2013

Recent resurgence of interest in applications of dense plasma focus and doubts about the conventional view of dense plasma focus as a purely irrotational compressive flow have re-opened questions concerning device optimization. In this context, this paper re-appraises and extends the analytical snowplow model of plasma focus sheath evolution developed by F. Gratton and J. M. Vargas [Energy Storage, Compression and Switching, edited by V. Nardi, H. Sahlin, and W. H. Bostick (Plenum, New York, 1983), Vol. 2, p. 353)] and shows its relevance to contemporary research. The Gratton-Vargas (GV) model enables construction of a special orthogonal coordinate system in which the plasma flow problem can be simplified and a model of sheath structure can be formulated. The Lawrenceville Plasma Physics (LPP) plasma focus facility, which reports neutron yield better than global scaling law, is shown to be operating closer to an optimum operating point of the GV model as compared with PF-1000.
Magnetic reconnection in the presence of externally driven and self-generated turbulence
Authors: Karimabadi H. , Lazarian A.
Published: November 2013

Magnetic reconnection is an important process that violates flux freezing and induces change of magnetic field topology in conducting fluids and, as a consequence, converts magnetic field energy into particle energy. It is thought to be operative in laboratory, heliophysical, and astrophysical plasmas. These environments exhibit wide variations in collisionality, ranging from collisionless in the Earth's magnetosphere to highly collisional in molecular clouds. A common feature among these plasmas is, however, the presence of turbulence. We review the present understanding of the effects of turbulence on the reconnection rate, discussing both how strong pre-existing turbulence modifies Sweet-Parker reconnection and how turbulence may develop as a result of reconnection itself. In steady state, reconnection rate is proportional to the aspect ratio of the diffusion region. Thus, two general MHD classes of models for fast reconnection have been proposed, differing on whether they keep the aspect ratio finite by increasing the width due to turbulent broadening or shortening the length of the diffusion layer due to plasmoid instability. One of the consequences of the plasmoid instability model is the possibility that the current sheet thins down to collisionless scales where kinetic effects become dominant. As a result, kinetic effects may be of importance for many astrophysical applications which were considered to be in the realm of MHD. Whether pre-existing turbulence can significantly modify the transition to the kinetic regime is not currently known. Although most studies of turbulent reconnection have been based on MHD, recent advances in kinetic simulations are enabling 3D studies of turbulence and reconnection in the collisionless regime. A summary of these recent works, highlighting similarities and differences with the MHD models of turbulent reconnection, as well as comparison with in situ observations in the magnetosphere and in the solar wind, are presented. The paper concludes with a list of important open questions and suggestions for future work.
Non-Markovian effects in dissipative flux qubits with time-dependent magnetic fields and partial-collapse quantum measurements
Authors: Hu Zheng-Da , Xu Jing-Bo , Zhang Ye-Qi
Published: November 2013

We investigate the effects of the time-dependent magnetic field (TDMF) and partial-collapse quantum measurements (PCQMs) on the information flow of a superconducting flux qubit coupled to a reservoir and find that the information flow is equivalent to the quantum Fisher information flow in the resonant case. A scheme is proposed to preserve the quantum correlations of two uncoupled flux qubits interacting with independent reservoirs via PCQMs and TDMFs, and steady amount of entanglement can be achieved by the PCQMs. We also discuss the effect of TDMF on the dynamics of the entanglement and show distinct behaviors in the Markovian and non-Markovian regimes. Finally, we explore the influence of non-Markovian effect on the dynamics of entanglement under the combined action of TDMFs and PCQMs and show that the combined action of TDMFs and PCQMs can protect entanglement better for some situations.
Annealing effect on the FePt/Fe exchange-coupled granular bilayer
Authors: Huang L. S. , Hu J. F. , Chow G. M. , Chen J. S.
Published: November 2013

It was found that the coercivity of the FePt/Fe exchange-coupled granular bilayer reduced after in situ annealing at elevated temperature. With the assistance of Landau-Liftshitz-Gilbert (LLG) micromagnetic simulation, the possible reasons that may lead to the coercivity change, such as the formation of magnetically graded interface and the Fe soft layer capping configuration, were investigated separately. It was found that magnetically graded interface resulted from interface diffusion did not have significant influence on the coercivity. However, the coercivity was reduced dramatically when the Fe magnetically soft layer extended more in the lateral direction.
Stoichiometry and phase purity control of radio frequency magnetron sputter deposited Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 thin films for tunable devices
Authors: Alema Fikadu , Reinholz Aaron , Pokhodnya Konstantin
Published: November 2013

The systematic study of the oxygen partial pressure (OPP) and total chamber gas pressure (TGP) effects on the stoichiometry and crystal structure of rf sputtered Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) films and their phase purity allowed identifying close to optimal sputtering parameters for BST single phase polycrystalline film. The film with a Ba/Sr ratio equal to that of the source target and (Ba + Sr)/Ti ratio close to unity demonstrated the enhanced permittivity value of 553 and tunability of 69%. It was confirmed that the increase of TGP enables better match of the film and target stoichiometry. However, using O2/Ar ratio as a parameter should be utilized cautiously since exceeding a threshold OPP (2 mTorr in our case) may facilitate secondary phase formation. Relatively large dielectric losses were observed in both films sputtered at high (30 mTorr) and low (5 mTor) TGPs. The presence of oxygen vacancies was identified as a probable cause of losses, which is indirectly confirmed by the deviation of the film lattice constant from that of the bulk target.
Spiritual values and practices in the workplace and employee stress and mental well-being
Authors: Arnetz Bengt B. , Ventimiglia Matthew , Beech Pamela , DeMarinis Valerie , Lökk Johan , Arnetz Judith E.
Published: November 2013

Objective: To determine whether employees’ spiritual values and practices in the workplace attenuate occupational stress and work-related exhaustion, and promote mental well-being. Methods: Participants (N = 649) completed validated measures
of mental well-being, occupational stress, and work-related exhaustion, as well as two newly developed measures of individual spiritual values and practices in the workplace. Results: Factor analysis confirmed that spirituality items belonged to two separate constructs. In logistic
regression models, the Spiritual Values in the Workplace scale was positively associated with mental well-being and low occupational stress. The spiritual practices at work scale was positively associated with low work-related exhaustion. Conclusions: Employee spiritual values and practices,
as well as workplace acceptance of such practices, appear to promote mental well-being and attenuate stress.
Dreaming of dragons: on the imagination of real life
Authors: Ingold Tim
Published: November 2013

This article draws on studies of medieval monasticism and northern indigenous ontologies to show how we might heal the rupture between the real world and our imagination of it, which underpins the official procedures of modern science. Though science is not averse to dreams of the imagination as potential sources of novel insight, they are banished from the reality it seeks to uncover. Ever since Bacon and Galileo, nature has been thought of as a book that will not willingly give up its secrets to human readers. The idea of the book of nature, however, dates from medieval times. For medieval readers as for indigenous hunters, creatures would speak and offer counsel. But in the transition to modernity the book was silenced. This article suggests that by acknowledging our imaginative participation in a more‐than‐human world, and the commitments this entails, we can reconcile scientific inquiry with religious sensibility as ways of knowing in being.
Playing with perspectives: spirit possession, mimesis, and permeability in the buuta ritual in South India
Authors: Ishii Miho
Published: November 2013

The aim of this study is to investigate spirit possession through the lenses of mimesis, permeability, and perspectivity. Recent studies have explored the significance of perspective exchange as reciprocal subjectification. At the same time, the importance of reflexive self‐awareness amid perspective exchange has been noted. Linking studies on perspective exchange with those on spirit possession, this article tries to show an alternative understanding of perspective exchange as the de‐subjectification and generative transformation of self and other. Focusing on the buuta ritual in South India, I examine perspective exchange as the capability for freeing oneself from one's subjectivity enough to let various perspectives come and go through the permeable self. Being permeable and reflexive, the buuta impersonator plays with multiple perspectives to transform both his and others' perspectives to enable all to become ‘real’ humans in relation to the deity.
Insights into the provenance of Roman moulds and poinçons found at Scoppieto (Terni, Italy)
Authors: Comodi P. , Buccianti A. , Zucchini A. , Merletti M. , Bergamini M. , Nazzareni S.
Published: November 2013

Laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) was used to determine the composition of four poinçons and six moulds from the large Roman archaeological site of Scoppieto (Terni, Italy), an important production centre for several types of ceramic wares from the fourth century bc to the fifth century ad. Compositional data were transformed to move from the simplex to the real space, and classical multivariate tools applied to highlight the similarities between the new material found at Scoppieto and existing reference groups. Statistical analysis identified distinctive chemical characteristics in the samples from Arezzo and Vasanello (central Italy), which are clearly different from moulds from Scoppieto. The results indicate that poinçons found at Scoppieto were probably made in Arezzo and raw materials from Scoppieto were used for local production of moulds. Therefore, Scoppieto should be considered one of the most important production centres of Roman pottery, since all stages of the production cycle were carried out by highly specialized workers.
Analysis of Early Medieval Glass From Excavations at ‘Piazza Bovio’, Naples (Italy)
Authors: De Francesco A. M. , Scarpelli R. , Del Vecchio F. , Giampaola D.
Published: November 2013

The archaeological excavation of ‘Piazza Bovio’ at Naples has yielded a large deposit, characterized by exceptional findings relating to the production of a glass workshop dated to the sixth to seventh centuries ad. The workshop features, coupled with the presence of broken glass for recycling and abundant glass scrap, leads us to identify the area as part of a secondary workshop. Selected finished objects and glass scraps were characterized by SEM/EDS and LA–ICP–MS and compared with major compositional groups of glass recognized in the western Mediterranean during the first millennium ad. The aim is to verify the hypothesis of a secondary production in Naples, using raw glass from the Levant area. Three different natron groups were identified on the basis of the colour and the chemical composition. The naturally coloured (blue–green) group is consistent with Levantine I glass. The yellow–green group is associated with HIMT glass, while the colourless glass was produced with different raw materials and probably in another specialized workshop.
CXCR4 blockade and Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate activation facilitate engraftment of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in a non‐myeloablative transplant model
Authors: Shayegi Nona , Meyer Claudia , Lambert Katrin , Ehninger Gerhard , Brand Michael , Bornhäuser Martin
Published: November 2013

Both immunosuppressive and cytoreductive effects of γ‐irradiation contribute to engraftment of allogeneic haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We hypothesized that a release of host stem and progenitor cells from the niche prior to conditioning would permit engraftment after less intensive conditioning. Administration of AMD3100 and SEW2871 on days −4 to −2 followed by irradiation on day −1 in a non‐myeloablative zebrafish transplant model resulted in a reduced radiation minimum dose of 10 Gy from 15 Gy being sufficient for engraftment. Targeting the SDF‐1 (CXCL12)/CXCR4‐ and S1P/S1P1‐axis increased the efficacy of allografting in an experimental transplant model.
Low serum sex hormone‐binding globulin is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Hua Xiaomin , Sun Yanjun , Zhong Yingjie , Feng Wenhuan , Huang Hong , Wang Weimin , Zhang Tianyan , Hu Yun
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Studies have indicated that low serum sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone levels are associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, it remains unclear whether an association exists between SHBG and NAFLD independent of testosterone.

Objective

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between SHBG and both total and free testosterone levels with NAFLD.

Subjects and Measures

One hundred and twenty patients with NAFLD and 120 age‐, sex‐ and BMI‐matched patients with non‐NAFLD were enrolled into a case–control study. Serums SHBG, total testosterone (TT), liver enzymes, lipids, insulin, C‐peptide and plasma glucose were measured. Free testosterone (FT) and fatty liver index were calculated.

Results

Serum SHBG levels were significantly lower in NAFLD group than in non‐NAFLD group (24·5 ± 11·0 vs 37·6 ± 14·4 nm, P < 0·001). After adjustment for age, smoking status, alcohol use, duration of diabetes, BMI and fasting C‐peptide, serum SHBG levels in men and women were inversely associated with NAFLD, with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in the forth quartile as 0·05 (0·01–0·30) and 0·25 (0·08–0·77) compared with the first quartile (OR = 1·00). Additional adjustment for TT in men and FT in women did not materially alter the association. The relationship between serum TT (for men) and FT (for women) with NAFLD was attenuated and even diminished after multivariable adjustment for known risk factors and SHBG.

Conclusion

Low serum SHBG levels, but not TT or FT, are associated with NAFLD in type 2 diabetic patients.
Long Chains or Stable Communities? The Role of Emotional Stability in Twitter Conversations
Authors: Celli Fabio , Rossi Luca
Published: November 2013

In this article, we address the issue of how emotional stability affects social relationships in Twitter. In particular, we focus our study on users’ communicative interactions, identified by the symbol “@.” We collected a corpus of about 200,000 Twitter posts, and we annotated it with our personality recognition system. This system exploits linguistic features, such as punctuation and emoticons, and statistical features, such as follower count and retweeted posts. We tested the system on a data set annotated with personality models produced by human subjects and against a software for the analysis of Twitter data. Social network analysis shows that, whereas secure users have more mutual connections, neurotic users post more than secure ones and have the tendency to build longer chains of interacting users. Clustering coefficient analysis reveals that, whereas secure users tend to build stronger networks, neurotic users have difficulty in belonging to a stable community; hence, they seek for new contacts in online social networks.
Pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia involving the ear from gout: a diagnostic pitfall
Authors: Morrissey Kelly A. , Garcia‐Albea Victoria , Goldberg Lynne J.
Published: November 2013

The ear is a characteristic location for deposition of uric acid in patients with gout. Pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia has not been described in this location. We report three patients with tophaceous gout on the ear whose biopsies exhibited epidermal hyperplasia mimicking squamous cell carcinoma, in order to call attention to this potential diagnostic pitfall.
Assessing conservation regionalization schemes: employing a beta diversity metric to test the environmental surrogacy approach
Authors: Rickbeil Gregory J. M. , Coops Nicholas C. , Andrew Margaret E. , Bolton Douglas K. , Mahony Nancy , Nelson Trisalyn A.
Published: November 2013

Aim

Systematic conservation planning often involves the application of a regionalization scheme, which is assumed to delineate distinct ecological communities of target species. Commonly, such schemes are constructed using environmental surrogates; however, their effectiveness with regard to community delineation has been questioned in previous studies. Here, we aim to assess multiple environmental regionalization schemes' ability to delineate avian communities and to evaluate these schemes against a regionalization scheme built using species data directly.

Location

British Columbia, Canada.

Methods

We employed a beta diversity metric using community data from the BC Breeding Bird Atlas in multiple analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) tests, to assess the ability of a number of environmental regionalization schemes to delineate species turnover. We also developed a new species‐based scheme using kriged local beta diversity values and a thematic resolution optimized through ANOSIM testing, which was then evaluated against the previously tested schemes.

Results

All regionalization schemes delineated significant patterns in community structure, with the Bird Conservation Regions performing most similarly to the species‐based regionalization. Regionalizations that required regions to be spatially contiguous outperformed non‐contiguous regionalizations. Increasing thematic resolution (the number of regions within a regionalization) improved a regionalization's overall performance; however, regional redundancy also increased.

Main conclusions

We argue that environmental regionalizations can function as effective alternatives to species‐based regionalizations, particularly in areas with poor availability of species data. Also, we conclude that spatially contiguous regionalizations are superior to non‐contiguous ones for delineating distinct communities. Lastly, we demonstrate how thematic resolution represents a trade‐off between overall regionalization performance and regional redundancy, and how differing thematic resolutions can be employed depending upon the goals of the user.
Engineering by an invasive species alters landscape‐level ecosystem function, but does not affect biodiversity in freshwater systems
Authors: Anderson Christopher B. , Vanessa Lencinas María , Wallem Petra K. , Valenzuela Alejandro E. J. , Simanonok Michael P. , Martínez Pastur Guillermo
Published: November 2013

Aim

Ecological theory predicts that invasive ecosystem engineers like the American beaver (Castor canadensis) in Tierra del Fuego (TDF) affect landscape‐level biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) when engineered habitats are novel or extensive. We tested these hypotheses on freshwater BEF, sampling benthic habitat and macroinvertebrates in natural lotic (forest and grassland streams) and natural lentic habitats (bogs, lakes) and beaver‐modified lentic ecosystems (active and abandoned ponds).

Location

Tierra del Fuego Archipelago (Chile and Argentina).

Methods

To determine effects on patch‐scale BEF, we assessed two drivers: substrate diversity (H′) and benthic organic matter standing crop (BOM, g m−2). Extent of impact was estimated as relative stream length (%) for each patch type in four 1000 ha images.

Results

The freshwater landscape was 56% free‐flowing streams (natural lotic), 13% bogs and lakes (natural lentic) and 31% active and abandoned beaver ponds (beaver lentic). While engineering significantly modified lotic habitats (converting them to ponds), the beaver ponds were largely similar to natural lentic systems, but engineered lentic patches retained more BOM. While benthic biodiversity in beaver ponds was less than streams, the assemblage contained no habitat‐specific taxa and was a subset of the natural lentic community.

Main conclusions

Invasive beavers engineer habitats whose biodiversity is similar to the landscape's natural lentic habitats, but by increasing the surface area and unit area retention of BOM via its impoundments, this invasion augments carbon standing stock approximately 72% in watersheds. While this invasion is considered the largest alteration to TDF's forested biome in the Holocene, here we discover that its impact is to ecosystem function, rather than biodiversity in the aquatic landscape.
Chinese Investors, Labour Discipline and Developmental Cosmopolitanism
Authors: Pál Nyíri
Published: November 2013

In recent years, China has emerged as a major source of investment and development assistance across the ‘developing world’, triggering the rise of global networks that in some ways stand apart from the existing order of globalization. This article, based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews in Cambodia from 2009 to 2011, begins to explore the significance of Chinese investors and managers, a new globe‐trotting elite involved in projects around the world. Understanding how this new Chinese mobile class sees its mission is crucial for making sense of how China's ‘rise’ may be re‐scripting globalization and, specifically, how it may be offering new visions of modernity. The author's research suggests that Chinese investors and managers engage in a developmental discourse which is reminiscent partly of colonial days and partly of the heyday of post‐war developmentalism. This discourse articulates the possibility and necessity of progress imposed by outside actors, and is accompanied by measures that inculcate a strict Fordist labour discipline. At the same time, the author argues, it may also contain the seeds of a new developmental cosmopolitanism.
Forecast of Natural Aquifer Discharge Using a Data‐Driven, Statistical Approach
Authors: Boggs Kevin G. , Van Kirk Rob , Johnson Gary S. , Fairley Jerry P.
Published: November 2013

In the Western United States, demand for water is often out of balance with limited water supplies. This has led to extensive water rights conflict and litigation. A tool that can reliably forecast natural aquifer discharge months ahead of peak water demand could help water practitioners and managers by providing advanced knowledge of potential water‐right mitigation requirements. The timing and magnitude of natural aquifer discharge from the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) in southern Idaho is accurately forecast 4 months ahead of the peak water demand, which occurs annually in July. An ARIMA time‐series model with exogenous predictors (ARIMAX model) was used to develop the forecast. The ARIMAX model fit to a set of training data was assessed using Akaike's information criterion to select the optimal model that forecasts aquifer discharge, given the previous year's discharge and values of the predictor variables. Model performance was assessed by application of the model to a validation subset of data. The Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency for model predictions made on the validation set was 0.57. The predictor variables used in our forecast represent the major recharge and discharge components of the ESPA water budget, including variables that reflect overall water supply and important aspects of water administration and management. Coefficients of variation on the regression coefficients for streamflow and irrigation diversions were all much less than 0.5, indicating that these variables are strong predictors. The model with the highest AIC weight included streamflow, two irrigation diversion variables, and storage.
Sexual dimorphism in scales of marbled flounder Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae (Pleuronectiformes: Pleuronectidae), with comments on the relevance to their spawning behaviour
Authors: Tomiyama T.
Published: November 2013

Variation of scales on the blind side of Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae in relation to sex, maturity and body size was examined. Immature males often have cycloid scales, while mature males have mostly ctenoid scales. Large females also often have ctenoid scales (but with fewer spines compared with males), and small females have mostly cycloid scales. The number of spines (ctenii) on the blind‐side scale increases with body size in both sexes, indicating an ontogenetic change in scale morphology. As P. yokohamae spawn demersal eggs with males positioning themselves above the females on the ocular side, it is hypothesized that ctenoid scales on the blind side in mature males function for maintaining contact with females during spawning.
Calcium‐activated chloride channels do not contribute to the odorant transduction current in the marine teleost Isacia conceptionis
Authors: Osorio R. , Schmachtenberg O.
Published: November 2013

This study compared the contribution of the Ca2+‐activated Cl− conductance to the electroolfactogram (EOG) evoked by different odorant classes between the marine Cabinza grunt Isacia conceptionis and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. The Ca2+‐activated Cl− channel blocker niflumic acid significantly diminished odorant responses in O. mykiss, but had no effect on the EOG in I. conceptionis, supporting the notion that Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels may not operate as odorant transduction current amplifiers in this marine teleost.
When Will Employees Embrace Managers' Technological Innovations? The Mediating Effects of Employees' Perceptions of Fairness on Their Willingness to Accept Change and its Legitimacy
Authors: Jiao Hao , Zhao Guozhen
Published: November 2013

Innovation researchers have thoroughly discussed how attitudes toward innovation influence people's intentions to use it. Most prior research tried to explore employees' acceptance of technological change through the lens of change initiators; however, using a manager's or the “great man's” perspective to explain change recipients' reaction to an innovation is indirect and peripheral. This paper argues that innovation should be studied directly from the perspective of change recipients, and that their perceptions of fairness in the wake of an innovation become a key factor in their willingness to accept it. More specifically, this paper argues that the recipients' fairness perceptions mediate the impact of innovation characteristics (operationalized as “usefulness” and “ease of use”) and implementation approach on their acceptance and belief in the legitimacy of the innovation. Two studies investigated the hypothesized mediating effects of procedural fairness/outcome fairness. The field study was conducted in a real‐world technological innovation setting, but raised questions about whether the causal effect of the mediating model really existed. The scenario study was conducted in a semi‐experimental condition which had high internal validity and guaranteed the cause–effect relation. Hence, the research design of the two studies complemented each other. The multiple regression analyses using the criteria proposed by Baron and Kenny were used to test the mediating models in the paper. Moreover, both Sobel tests and bootstrapping methods were used to guarantee that the mediating paths do exist among the independent variables, mediators, and the dependent variables. Both the field study and the scenario study showed that most of our hypotheses were supported, and change recipients had strong psychological reactions to the innovation and how the innovation was implemented in terms of fairness perceptions. Change recipients' perception of procedural and outcome fairness mediated the impact of innovation characteristics and implementation approach on their acceptance of the innovation and the perceived legitimacy of the innovation. The results disclosed that the change recipients' fairness perceptions were a key step for their sense‐making process of an innovation and its implementation. The results also indicated that studying change from recipients' perspective, as well as trying to understand their fairness perceptions, can broaden our knowledge about change. Other theoretical and practical implications were also discussed.
Apnea‐related sleep fragmentation and poor vigilance in children with well‐controlled asthma
Authors: Yoon Ho‐Kyoung , Kang Seung‐Gul , Lee Heon‐Jeong , Yoo Young , Choung Ji Tae , Seo Won Hee , Kim Leen
Published: November 2013

It has been reported that sleep problems and neurocognitive deficit in asthmatic children is prevalent. However, systematic studies on these problems in stable asthma using polysomnography have rarely been performed. We therefore investigated sleep and neurocognitive functioning in children with well‐controlled asthma. Forty‐three children with well‐controlled, stable asthma and 31 controls (age range: 6–9 years) were enrolled in the study. Subjects were questioned for daytime sleepiness using the Paediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale. Complete overnight polysomnography and neurocognitive function tests were performed on all subjects. Children with stable asthma had lower pulmonary function in comparison to their age‐matched controls. Asthmatic children had a higher apnea–hypopnea index (P < 0.001) and apnea–hypopnea‐related arousal index (P < 0.001) as compared with non‐asthmatics. Deep sleep was decreased in asthmatics (P = 0.001). In the vigilance test, the mean number of correct answers was lower (P = 0.005) and the mean reaction time was slower (P = 0.002) in asthmatic children. A hierarchical multiple linear regression showed that deep sleep and apnea–hypopnea‐related arousal index were significant predictors of vigilance. The data suggest that the prevalence of paediatric sleep‐disordered breathing and sleep fragmentation could be very high among children with well‐controlled asthma. Moreover, vigilance, the ability to maintain attention and alertness, was worse in stable asthmatic children when compared with healthy controls. Sleep‐disordered breathing should be checked even in stable asthmatic children as they are at risk for developing neurobehavioural deterioration associated with frequent arousals during sleep. Furthermore, early treatment for asthma may be required in order to prevent airway remodelling that could cause sleep problems.
Medicinal Cannibalism in Early Modern Literature and Culture
Authors: Sugg Richard
Published: November 2013

Just as the real and imagined cannibals of the New World became, for Old World authors, a subject of fascination, condemnation and polemic, medicinal cannibalism and corpse medicine became a widespread and systematic phenomenon in early modern Europe. Matter from Egyptian mummies, along with more recently dead human flesh, fat, blood, skull and the moss of the skull (known as usnea) were in high demand by patients in Britain, France, Germanic countries and Scandinavia. Paracelsian chemists and physicians in particular made rigorously thorough use of virtually the entire human corpse. Those involved in this practice included Thomas Willis, Robert Boyle, Charles II and a host of affluent gentry and aristocrats, along with a more shadowy world of merchants, executioners and graverobbers. This essay explores both the facts of medicinal cannibalism and the peculiar social and political ironies it could produce in the highly unequal societies of the early modern world.
Thioploca spp. sheaths as niches for bacterial and protistan assemblages
Authors: Buck Kurt R. , Barry James P. , Hallam Steven J.
Published: November 2013

Sulfide oxidizing bacterial mats are common in regions of the continental shelves characterized by high primary production and the resultant oxygen minimum zone. These mats are made up of several species of Beggiatoa and/or Thioploca, which oxidize sulfide that is generated in the sediment. Thioploca spp. inhabit a large polysaccharide sheath that encompasses bundles of 1–20 filaments (trichomes), each ranging from 3 to 60 μm in diameter. This sheath has been shown to be a critical component of the autecology of Thioploca. Analysis of Thioploca from cold seeps in Monterey Bay using light and transmission electron microscopy identified new and diverse microbial assemblages associated with interstitial spaces between trichomes, inside the sheath. Small diameter, non‐vacuolate, filamentous prokaryotes were numerous. Amoebae, euglenozoa, ciliates and other protists of unknown affiliation were observed in sheaths. Most of the protists possessed food vacuoles and some protists showed ultrastructural evidence of endosymbionts. These observations suggest that Thioploca sheaths may serve as oases on the sea floor, providing nutritional and detoxification services to previously unrecognized microbial partners.
Symbiodinium diversity within Acropora muricata and the surrounding environment
Authors: Sweet Michael J.
Published: November 2013

Several long‐term studies have monitored populations of algal symbionts, Symbiodinium sp., in coral hosts over different temporal and spatial scales, and among multiple host species. The extension of these studies to include environmental pools of algal symbionts from sources such as the water column, sediments, free‐floating mucus mats and those settling on biofilms has only been studied by a few, yet has the potential to enhance our understanding of the dynamics and controls on symbiont populations. Adaptive changes in the coral symbiont complement rely either on the uptake of new strains from the environment or population expansion of rarer strains in the existing symbiont population. The relative scope for these alternative pathways of uptake is unknown. This study therefore examined spatial changes in Symbiodinium clades within the water column at two different time periods and compared these with other environmental pools (biofilms, sediments, and mucus mats) and those within the dominant reef‐building species at the study site, Acropora muricata. A diversity of algal symbiont clades were detected in environmental pools, with specific clades associated with different habitats. At an island scale, there was significant variation in clade composition between sites separated by 0.5–7 km, a result which was repeated for both sample periods encompassing different seasons (March 2009 and August 2010). Although no single environmental pool contained a Symbiodinium complement comparable to that of the host coral species investigated, the dominant coral Symbiodinium were available in combinations of the environmental pools, indicating that the coral has the potential to obtain its symbionts from a variety of environmental sources.