bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On equilibrium states for partially hyperbolic horseshoes
Authors: RIOS I. , SIQUEIRA J.
Published: July 2016

We prove the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium states for a family of partially hyperbolic systems, with respect to Hölder continuous potentials with small variation. The family comes from the projection, on the center-unstable direction, of a family of partially hyperbolic horseshoes introduced by Díaz et al [Destroying horseshoes via heterodimensional cycles: generating bifurcations inside homoclinic classes. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.29 (2009), 433–474]. For the original three-dimensional system we consider potentials with small variation, constant on local stable manifolds, obtaining existence and uniqueness of equilibrium states.
On the non-robustness of intermingled basins
Authors: URES RAÚL , VÁSQUEZ CARLOS H.
Published: July 2016

It is well known that it is possible to construct a partially hyperbolic diffeomorphism on the 3-torus in a similar way to Kan’s example. It has two hyperbolic physical measures with intermingled basins supported on two embedded tori with Anosov dynamics. A natural question is how robust is the intermingled basin phenomenon for diffeomorphisms defined on boundaryless manifolds? In this work we study partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms on the 3-torus and show that the intermingled basin phenomenon is not robust.
The generalized recurrent set and strong chain recurrence
Authors: WISEMAN JIM
Published: July 2016

Fathi and Pageault have recently shown a connection between Auslander’s generalized recurrent set$\text{GR}(f)$and Easton’s strong chain recurrent set. We study$\text{GR}(f)$by examining that connection in more detail, as well as connections with other notions of recurrence. We give equivalent definitions that do not refer to a metric. In particular, we show that$\text{GR}(f^{k})=\text{GR}(f)$for any$k>0$, and give a characterization of maps for which the generalized recurrent set is different from the ordinary chain recurrent set.
How Much Do We Really Know About Employee Resilience?
Authors: Britt Thomas W. , Shen Winny , Sinclair Robert R. , Grossman Matthew R. , Klieger David M.
Published: July 2016

Past research purporting to study employee resilience suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity about both the resilience construct and the methodological designs that examine resilience without ensuring the occurrence of significant adversity. The overall goal of this article is to address our contemporary understanding of employee resilience and identify pathways for the future advancement of resilience research in the workplace. We first address conceptual definitions of resilience both inside and outside of industrial and organizational psychology and make the case that researchers have generally failed to document the experience of significant adversity when studying resilience in working populations. Next, we discuss methods used to examine resilience, with an emphasis on distinguishing thecapacity forresilience and thedemonstration ofresilience. Representative research is then reviewed by examining self-reports of resilience or resilience-related traits along with research on resilient and nonresilient trajectories following significant adversity. We then briefly address the issues involved in selecting resilient employees and building resilience in employees. The article concludes with recommendations for future research studying resilience in the workplace, including documenting significant adversity among employees, assessing multiple outcomes, using longitudinal designs with theoretically supported time lags, broadening the study of resilience to people in occupations outside the military who may face significant adversity, and addressing the potential dark side of an emphasis on resilience.
Working With Social Comparisons in the Appraisal and Management of Performance
Authors: Jelley R. Blake
Published: July 2016

Research and practice in performance appraisal and performance management seem to suffer from the same “delusion of absolute performance” that Rosenzweig (2007, p. 112) described with respect to commentators’ evaluations of company performance in a competitive market economy. Commentators on business success factors have tended to speciously neglect or downplay the relative nature of performance (Rosenzweig, 2007). Downplaying the relative nature of performance is apparently the strategy endorsed by most performance appraisal scholars, too. Goffin, Jelley, Powell, and Johnston (2009) estimated that less than 4% of the published performance rating research has involved relative or social-comparative approaches, despite demonstrable advantages for relative over absolute rating formats (discussed below). Similarly, social comparison research and organizational scholarship have not traditionally been closely integrated (Buunk & Gibbons, 2007; Greenberg, Ashton-James, & Ashkanasy, 2007).
Construct Validity Evidence for Multisource Performance Ratings: Is Interrater Reliability Enough?
Authors: Ock Jisoo
Published: July 2016

As organizations become decentralized and work becomes team based, organizations are adopting performance management practices that integrate employees’ performance information from multiple perspectives (e.g., 360-degree performance ratings). Both arguments for and against the use of performance ratings presented in the focal article focused on rater agreement (or lack thereof) as evidence supporting the position that multisource ratings are a useful (or not a useful) approach to performance appraisal. In the argument for the use of multisource ratings, Adler, Campion, and Grubb (Adler et al., 2016) point out that multisource ratings are advantageous because they lead to increased interrater reliability in the ratings. Although Adler and colleagues were not explicit about why this would be true, proponents of multisource ratings often cite the measurement theory assumption that increasing the number of raters will yield more valid and reliable scores to the extent that there is any correlation in the ratings (Shrout & Fleiss, 1979). In the argument against the use of multisource performance ratings, Colquitt, Murphy, and Ollander-Krane argued that because multisource ratings pool together ratings from raters who are systematically different in terms of their roles and perspectives about the target employee's performance, the increased number of raters is not expected to resolve the low level of interrater agreement that is typically observed in performance ratings (Viswesvaran, Ones, & Schmidt, 1996).
Getting Rid of Performance Ratings
Authors: Sorcher Melvin
Published: July 2016

And the beat goes on. The same questions about performance appraisals keep popping up despite significant changes in work environments, contexts, and expectations over the past 2 or 3 decades (Adler et al., 2016). Even after decades of research and debate about the benefits and construction of performance appraisal ratings, no closure is reached or “best practice” identified. The application of ratings differs widely among companies, and the criteria, scaling, and language are tweaked by virtually every human resources group. In my experience, each organization believes that its performance criteria are unique. This should not be surprising because supervisors who observe and rate human performance do not react like a school of fish. What most human resources managers miss is that each of the supervisors who apply ratings are also unique, and they do not perceive performance consistently—except, perhaps, for the most exceptional and the poorest performers. Methods of quantifying or behaviorally slotting employee performance along a variety of dimensions to arrive at some accurate scaled rating have not made employees happy and are a painful chore for most supervisors.
(Mis)Steps for Attracting High Resilience Workers
Authors: Eschleman Kevin J. , Wright Chris W.
Published: July 2016

Organizations are becoming increasingly likely to incorporate measures of trait resilience into their selection batteries despite the challenges and validity questions described by Britt, Shen, Sinclair, Grossman, and Klieger (2016). Organizations can overcome some of the challenges of selecting high resilience workers by improving attraction and recruitment methods. In the following commentary, we describe common organization efforts to attract high resilience workers for occupations with risk of psychological trauma. We integrate research on organizational attraction and trait resilience to predict which of these approaches are likely to have the desired (attract high resilient workers) or undesired (attract low resilient workers) effect.
Integrating Multiple Perspectives Into the Study of Resilience
Authors: January Samantha C.
Published: July 2016

Resilience has become a popular buzzword in society today, both inside and outside academia. If you look at the mission statement of most companies nowadays, you are likely to come across some form of the term resilience. The United States Army has adopted The Ready and Resilient Campaign, which seeks to build and maintain resilience across all forces and integrate resilience into the culture of the U.S. Army so that improvements can be made in soldier resilience and unit readiness.
Extending the Conversation: Employee Resilience at the Team Level
Authors: Kennedy Deanna M. , Landon Lauren Blackwell , Maynard M. Travis
Published: July 2016

In the focal article, Britt, Shen, Sinclair, Grossman, and Klieger (2016) are rightfully concerned that the topic of resilience may become a “quicksand” term that is used by different audiences in different manners. However, we are more optimistic than the authors of the focal article, as several researchers at the team level of analysis have outlined frameworks that have attempted to tease apart team resilience from related constructs such as adaptation. Likewise, such work has also provided a deeper understanding of the factors that serve as antecedents to team resilience and adaptation, as well as how both constructs can shape subsequent team outcomes. Accordingly, the “sand” is starting to congeal at the team level of analysis, and we bring in these insights to extend the conversation about resilience.
Looking Backward, Moving Forward: Exploring Theoretical Foundations for Understanding Employee Resilience
Authors: Conley Kate M. , Clark Malissa A. , Griek Olivia H. Vande , Mancini Jay A.
Published: July 2016

Britt, Shen, Sinclair, Grossman, and Klieger (2016) provide a summary of the conceptual confusion surrounding the construct of resilience as well as several key recommendations for spurring future organizational research on resilience. However, we feel that two key points were not adequately addressed in the focal article. First, we argue that we cannot fully understand the concept of resilience or apply it in our field of organizational studies without first understanding its fundamental theoretical groundings. Many of these underlying theoretical foundations on resilience were founded in and advanced through 50+ years of theory and research on family resilience literature; however, many of these perspectives were not addressed in the focal article. In this commentary, we outline and provide contextualized examples of how to apply one of the most widely used and empirically supported theoretical models of resilience—the ABC-X model (Hill, 1958)—to the work domain. Using the ABC-X model as a starting framework, we then highlight several additional theoretical perspectives that can inform research on employee resilience: Masten's (2001) ordinary magic, Antonovsky's (1979) sense of coherence, and Walsh's (2003) focus on strengths.
Profiles as a Way of Learning More About Resilience
Authors: Becker Thomas E. , Ferry Diane L.
Published: July 2016

Britt, Shen, Sinclair, Grossman, and Klieger (2016) discuss employee resilience trajectories, noting that only a few studies taking this approach have been conducted in the workplace. They recommend that with such an approach it is essential to assess baseline functioning, document adversity, and gather longitudinal data. They also point out the need to clarify what variables should be measured in the demonstration of resilience and suggest that resilience trajectories across different outcomes may or may not converge. We agree that trajectories are a promising approach to studying employee resilience. However, conceptualizing trajectories as profiles provides additional meaningful concepts for describing the demonstration of resilience. These concepts have the potential for moving theory and research beyond the work on trajectories described by Britt et al.
Aligning Research and the Current Practice of Performance Management
Authors: Ledford Gerald E. , Benson George , Lawler Edward E.
Published: July 2016

The debate over eliminating performance ratings addresses many important theoretical and practical issues. However, the academic debate on the topic is disconnected from the concerns of practitioners. Knowledge gained from theory-driven research is not leading practice on the use of performance ratings, despite the large volume of potentially relevant research findings. Many organizations are charging ahead with performance management solutions that seem sensible to them. They may be interested in academic research, but they are not waiting for it. We will argue that academic researchers who hope to influence practice need to better understand the concerns of practitioners and the research opportunities that are presented by contemporary practice.
Reproducibility of data-driven dietary patterns in two groups of adult Spanish women from different studies
Authors: Castelló Adela , Lope Virginia , Vioque Jesús , Santamariña Carmen , Pedraz-Pingarrón Carmen , Abad Soledad , Ederra Maria , Salas-Trejo Dolores , Vidal Carmen , Sánchez-Contador Carmen , Aragonés Nuria , Pérez-Gómez Beatriz , Pollán Marina
Published: July 2016

The objective of the present study was to assess the reproducibility of data-driven dietary patterns in different samples extracted from similar populations. Dietary patterns were extracted by applying principal component analyses to the dietary information collected from a sample of 3550 women recruited from seven screening centres belonging to the Spanish breast cancer (BC) screening network (Determinants of Mammographic Density in Spain (DDM-Spain) study). The resulting patterns were compared with three dietary patterns obtained from a previous Spanish case–control study on female BC (Epidemiological study of the Spanish group for breast cancer research (GEICAM: grupo Español de investigación en cáncer de mama)) using the dietary intake data of 973 healthy participants. The level of agreement between patterns was determined using both the congruence coefficient (CC) between the pattern loadings (considering patterns with a CC≥0·85 as fairly similar) and the linear correlation between patterns scores (considering as fairly similar those patterns with a statistically significant correlation). The conclusions reached with both methods were compared. This is the first study exploring the reproducibility of data-driven patterns from two studies and the first using the CC to determine pattern similarity. We were able to reproduce the EpiGEICAM Western pattern in the DDM-Spain sample (CC=0·90). However, the reproducibility of the Prudent (CC=0·76) and Mediterranean (CC=0·77) patterns was not as good. The linear correlation between pattern scores was statistically significant in all cases, highlighting its arbitrariness for determining pattern similarity. We conclude that the reproducibility of widely prevalent dietary patterns is better than the reproducibility of more population-specific patterns. More methodological studies are needed to establish an objective measurement and threshold to determine pattern similarity.
Evaluation of anthelmintic activity of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles against the gastrointestinal nematode, Haemonchus contortus
Authors: Tomar R.S. , Preet S.
Published: July 2016

The present study focuses on the in vitro anthelmintic activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using the aqueous extract of Azadirachta indica against Haemonchus contortus. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The UV-Vis spectrum exhibited a sharp peak at 420 nm, which was validated by electron microscopy, indicating the preparation of spherical nanoparticles measuring 15–25 nm in size. The in vitro study was based on an egg hatch assay (EHA) and adult motility inhibition assays. Six concentrations of AgNPs were used for EHA, ranging from 0.00001 to 1.0 μg/ml, and a range of 1–25 μg/ml was used for adult worms. The highest concentration induced 85 ± 2.89% egg hatch inhibition. The IC50 value for EHA was 0.001 μg/ml, whereas in vitro adult H. contortus motility inhibition was produced at 7.89 μg/ml (LC50). The effectiveness of A. indica leaf extract (aqueous) was also evaluated, which showed an IC50 value for EHA of 115.67 μg/ml, while the LC50 against adult H. contortus was 588.54 μg/ml. The overall findings of the present study show that the experimental plant extract contains reducing properties for the synthesis of AgNPs which, in turn, showed potent anthelmintic properties. This is the first report where AgNPs have been tested for their anthelmintic properties in an in vitro model.
Strongyloidesspp. infections of veterinary importance
Authors: THAMSBORG STIG M. , KETZIS JENNIFER , HORII YOICHIRO , MATTHEWS JACQUELINE B.
Published: July 2016

This paper reviews the occurrence and impact of threadworms,Strongyloidesspp., in companion animals and large livestock, the potential zoonotic implications and future research.Strongyloidesspp. infect a range of domestic animal species worldwide and clinical disease is most often encountered in young animals. Dogs are infected withStrongyloides stercoraliswhile cats are infected with different species according to geographical location (Strongyloides felis, Strongyloides tumefaciens, Strongyloides planicepsand perhapsS. stercoralis). In contrast to the other species, lactogenic transmission is not a primary means of infection in dogs, andS. stercoralisis the only species considered zoonotic.Strongyloides papillosusin calves has been linked to heavy fatalities under conditions of high stocking density.Strongyloides westeriandStrongyloides ransomiof horses and pigs, respectively, cause only sporadic clinical disease. In conclusion, these infections are generally of low relative importance in livestock and equines, most likely due to extensive use of macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics and/or improved hygiene. Future prevalence studies need to include molecular typing ofStrongyloidesspecies in relation to different hosts. More research is urgently needed on the potential zoonotic capacity ofStrongyloidesfrom dogs and cats based on molecular typing, information on risk factors and mapping of transmission routes.
Childhood maltreatment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults: a large twin study
Authors: Capusan A. J. , Kuja-Halkola R. , Bendtsen P. , Viding E. , McCrory E. , Marteinsdottir I. , Larsson H.
Published: July 2016

Background

Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. It is, however, unclear whether this association is causal or due to familial confounding.

Method

Data from 18 168 adult twins, aged 20–46 years, were drawn from the population-based Swedish twin registry. Retrospective self-ratings of CM (emotional and physical neglect, physical and sexual abuse and witnessing family violence), and self-ratings for DSM-IV ADHD symptoms in adulthood were analysed. Possible familial confounding was investigated using a within twin-pair design based on monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins.

Results

CM was significantly associated with increased levels of ADHD symptom scores in adults [regression coefficient: 0.40 standard deviations, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37–0.43]. Within twin-pair analyses showed attenuated but significant estimates within DZ (0.29, 95% CI 0.21–0.36) and MZ (0.18, 95% CI 0.10–0.25) twin pairs. Similar results emerged for hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive ADHD symptom scores separately in association with CM. We conducted sensitivity analyses for early maltreatment, before age 7, and for abuse and neglect separately, and found similarly reduced estimates in DZ and MZ pairs. Re-traumatization after age 7 did not significantly influence results.

Conclusions

CM was significantly associated with increased ADHD symptoms in adults. Associations were partly due to familial confounding, but also consistent with a causal interpretation. Our findings support cognitive neuroscience studies investigating neural pathways through which exposure to CM may influence ADHD. Clinicians treating adults with ADHD should be aware of the association with maltreatment.
Wildlife habitat selection on landscapes with industrial disturbance
Authors: CRISTESCU BOGDAN , STENHOUSE GORDON B. , SYMBALUK MARC , NIELSEN SCOTT E. , BOYCE MARK S.
Published: July 2016

Technological advancements in remote sensing and telemetry provide opportunities for assessing the effects of expanding extractive industries on animal populations. Here, we illustrate the applicability of resource selection functions (RSFs) for modelling wildlife habitat selection on industrially-disturbed landscapes. We used grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) from a threatened population in Canada and surface mining as a case study. RSF predictions based on GPS radiocollared bears (nduring mining= 7; npost mining= 9) showed that males and solitary females selected areas primarily outside mineral surface leases (MSLs) during active mining, and conversely inside MSLs after mine closure. However, females with cubs selected areas within compared to outside MSLs irrespective of mining activity. Individual variability was pronounced, although some environmental- and human-related variables were consistent across reproductive classes. For males and solitary females, regional-scale RSFs yielded comparable results to site-specific models, whereas for females with cubs, modelling the two scales produced divergent results. While mine reclamation may afford opportunities for bear persistence, managing public access will likely decrease the risk of human-caused bear mortality. RSFs are powerful tools that merit widespread use in quantitative and visual investigations of wildlife habitat selection on industrially-modified landscapes, using Geographic Information System layers that precisely characterize site-specific conditions.
Early nutrition transition in Haiti: linking food purchasing and availability to overweight status in school-aged children
Authors: Morshed Alexandra B , Becker Haley V , Delnatus Jacques Raymond , Wolff Patricia B , Iannotti Lora L
Published: July 2016

Objective

The primary aim was to examine the association of socio-economic factors and diet with overweight (including obesity) among school-aged children in Haiti. The secondary aim was to describe food availability and the physical activity built environment in participating schools.

Design

This cross-sectional study examined baseline data from the intervention Mamba study assessing the effectiveness of a fortified peanut butter paste in school-aged children. Logistic regression modelling was used to test hypothesized factors in association with overweight status.

Setting

Six primary schools in Cap-Haitien, the second largest city in Haiti.

Subjects

Children (n 968) aged 3–13 years, in good health and enrolled in a participating school for the 2012/13 school year.

Results

Child age (adjusted OR (AOR); 95 % CI=0·25; 0·12, 0·56), child age squared (1·08; 1·03, 1·13), always purchasing food at school (3·52; 1·12, 11·08), mother’s BMI (1·10; 1·04, 1·16) and household ownership of a bicycle (0·28; 0·11, 0·71) were significantly associated with overweight (likelihood ratio=36, P<0·0001). Consumption of fish was significantly lower in overweight children in the binary analysis (P=0·033) and improved the fit of the model. Schools had limited time and space for physical activity and foods sold by vendors were predominantly high in sugar or fat.

Conclusions

To our knowledge the present study is the first to examine the covariates of childhood overweight or describe school food availability and physical activity built environments in Haiti. Further research is necessary to identify intervention targets and feasible, cost-effective approaches for prevention of obesity in Haiti children.
Spontaneous loss of a co-twin and the risk of birth defects after assisted conception
Authors: Davies M. J. , Rumbold A. R. , Whitrow M. J. , Willson K. J. , Scheil W. K. , Mol B. W. , Moore V. M.
Published: July 2016

The study of very early pregnancy loss is impractical in the general population, but possible amongst infertility patients receiving carefully monitored treatments. We examined the association between fetal loss and the risk of birth defects in the surviving co-twin in a retrospective cohort study of infertility patients within an infertility clinic in South Australia from January 1986 to December 2002, linked to population registries for births, terminations and birth defects. The study population consisted of a total of 5683 births. Births from singleton pregnancies without loss were compared with survivors from (1) pregnancies with an empty fetal sac at 6–8 weeks after embryo transfer, (2) fetal loss subsequent to 8-week ultrasound and (3) multiple pregnancy continuing to birth. Odds ratios (OR) for birth defects were calculated with adjustment for confounders. Amongst infertility patients, the prevalence of birth defects was 7.9% for all twin pregnancies without fetal loss compared with 14.6% in pregnancies in which there had been an empty sac at ultrasound, and 11.6% for pregnancies with fetal loss after 6–8 weeks. Compared with singleton pregnancies without loss, the presence of an empty sac was associated with an increased risk of any defect (OR=1.90, 95% confidence intervals (CI)=1.09–3.30) and with multiple defects (OR=2.87, 95% CI=1.31–6.28). Twin pregnancies continuing to birth without loss were not associated with an overall increased prevalence of defects. We conclude that the observed loss of a co-twin by 6–8 weeks of pregnancy is related to the risk of major birth defects in the survivor.
Bioavailability and Chemical/Functional Aspects of Synthetic MK-7 vs Fermentation-Derived MK-7 in Randomised Controlled Trials
Authors: Møller Mona , Gjelstad Ingrid M. Fange , Baksaas Ingebjørg , Grande Tone , Aukrust Inger Reidun , Drevon Christian A.
Published: July 2016

Abstract. We investigated the bioavailability of a synthetic form of the vitamin K2 molecule menaquinone-7 (MK-7) in a randomised single-blinded two-way cross-over study. Healthy subjects (20 – 66 years of age) took a single 180 μg dose of synthetic MK-7 or fermentation-derived MK-7, and serum MK-7 concentrations were monitored for 72 hours to calculate AUC(0 – 72 h) and Cmax. We also compared the biological effects of placebo, fermentation-derived MK-7 (90 μg) and 3 doses of synthetic MK-7(45, 90 and 180 μg) in a randomised double-blinded parallel study. Healthy subjects (20 – 60 years of age) took one of the supplements daily for 43 days, and the fraction of carboxylated osteocalcin (OC) was compared between day 1 and day 43 as a marker for vitamin K activity. In the bioavailability study, the 90 % confidence interval for the ratio of the AUC(0-72 h) values for synthetic and fermentationderived MK-7 was 83 – 111, indicating bioequivalence. The 90 % confidence interval for the Cmax ratio was 83 – 131. The serum concentrations of carboxylated OC and undercarboxylated OC were increased (p = 0.01) and reduced (p = 0.02), respectively, after daily intake of 180 μg of synthetic MK-7 for 43 days, indicating increased vitamin K activity. Across both studies, only 1 participant reported an adverse event (dry mouth; 180 μg synthetic MK-7 group, functional study) that was considered possibly related to synthetic MK-7 supplementation. Our findings provide evidence that the tested synthetic form of MK-7 is bioequivalent to fermentation-derived MK-7, exhibits vitamin K activity and is well tolerated in healthy subjects.
Shp2 suppresses the adipogenic differentiation of preadipocyte 3T3-L1 cells at an early stage
Authors: Tao J , Zheng L , Meng M , Li Y , Lu Z
Published: July 2016

Tyrosine phosphatase protein Shp2 is a potential therapeutic target for obesity. However, the mechanism of Shp2 during adipogenesis is not fully understood. The present study investigated the role of Shp2 in the terminal differentiation of preadipocytes. The results showed that Shp2 suppressed adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells; overexpression of Shp2 reduced lipid droplet production in 3T3-L1 cells, whereas Shp2 knockdown increased lipid droplet production in 3T3-L1 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of Shp2 activity also enhanced adipocyte differentiation. Interestingly, Shp2 expression was specifically decreased early during differentiation in response to stimulation with the dexamethasone–methylisobutylxanthine–insulin (DMI) hormone cocktail. During the first 2 days of differentiation, Shp2 overexpression impaired the DMI-induced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in 3T3-L1 cells and blocked the peak expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins β and δ during preadipocyte differentiation. In conclusion, Shp2 downregulated the early stages of hormone-induced differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells and inhibited the expression of the first wave of transcription factors by suppressing the DMI-induced STAT3 signaling pathway. These discoveries point to a novel role of Shp2 during adipogenesis and support the hypothesis that Shp2 could be a therapeutic target for the control of obesity.
Retinal pigment epithelial cell necroptosis in response to sodium iodate
Authors: Hanus J , Anderson C , Sarraf D , Ma J , Wang S
Published: July 2016

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative disease of the retina and the leading cause of blindness in the elderly in developed countries. The late stage of dry AMD, or geographic atrophy (GA), is characterized by extensive retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration. The underlying molecular mechanism for RPE cell death in GA remains unclear. Our previous study has established that RPE cells die predominantly from necroptosis in response to oxidative stress in vitro. Here, we extend our study and aim to characterize the nature of RPE cell death in response to sodium iodate (NaIO3) in vitro and in a NaIO3-induced retina degeneration mouse model. We found that NaIO3 induces RPE necroptosis in vitro by using a combination of molecular hallmarks. By using TUNEL assays, active caspase-3 and HMGB1 immunostaining, we confirmed that photoreceptor cells die mainly from apoptosis and RPE cells die mainly from necroptosis in response to NaIO3in vivo. RPE necroptosis in this model is also supported by use of the RIPK1 inhibitor, Necrostatin-1. Furthermore, using novel RIPK3-GFP transgenic mouse lines, we detected RIPK3 aggregation, a hallmark of necroptosis, in the RPE cells in vivo after NaIO3 injection. Our findings suggest the necessity of re-evaluating RPE cell death mechanism in AMD models and have the potential to influence therapeutic development for dry AMD, especially GA.
Voltage-tunable dual-layer terahertz metamaterials
Authors: Zhao Xiaoguang , Fan Kebin , Zhang Jingdi , Keiser George R , Duan Guangwu , Averitt Richard D , Zhang Xin
Published: July 2016

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a real-time voltage-tunable terahertz metamaterial based on microelectromechanical systems and broadside-coupled split-ring resonators. In our metamaterial, the magnetic and electric interactions between the coupled resonators are modulated by a comb-drive actuator, which provides continuous lateral shifting between the coupled resonators by up to 20 μm. For these strongly coupled split-ring resonators, both a symmetric mode and an anti-symmetric mode are observed. With increasing lateral shift, the electromagnetic interactions between the split-ring resonators weaken, resulting in frequency shifting of the resonant modes. Over the entire lateral shift range, the symmetric mode blueshifts by ~60 GHz, and the anti-symmetric mode redshifts by ~50 GHz. The amplitude of the transmission at 1.03 THz is modulated by 74%; moreover, a 180° phase shift is achieved at 1.08 THz. Our tunable metamaterial device has myriad potential applications, including terahertz spatial light modulation, phase modulation, and chemical sensing. Furthermore, the scheme that we have implemented can be scaled to operate at other frequencies, thereby enabling a wide range of distinct applications.
The neuritic plaque facilitates pathological conversion of tau in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model
Authors: Li Tong , Braunstein Kerstin E. , Zhang Juhong , Lau Ashley , Sibener Leslie , Deeble Christopher , Wong Philip C.
Published: July 2016

A central question in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is whether the neuritic plaque is necessary and sufficient for the development of tau pathology. Hyperphosphorylation of tau is found within dystrophic neurites surrounding β-amyloid deposits in AD mouse models but the pathological conversion of tau is absent. Likewise, expression of a human tau repeat domain in mice is insufficient to drive the pathological conversion of tau. Here we developed an Aβ-amyloidosis mouse model that expresses the human tau repeat domain and show that in these mice, the neuritic plaque facilitates the pathological conversion of wild-type tau. We show that this tau fragment seeds the neuritic plaque-dependent pathological conversion of wild-type tau that spreads from the cortex and hippocampus to the brain stem. These results establish that in addition to the neuritic plaque, a second determinant is required to drive the conversion of wild-type tau.
Hypoxia causes transgenerational impairments in reproduction of fish
Authors: Wang Simon Yuan , Lau Karen , Lai Keng-Po , Zhang Jiang-Wen , Tse Anna Chung-Kwan , Li Jing-Woei , Tong Yin , Chan Ting-Fung , Wong Chris Kong-Chu , Chiu Jill Man-Ying , Au Doris Wai-Ting , Wong Alice Sze-Tsai , Kong Richard Yuen-Chong , Wu Rudolf Shiu-Sun
Published: July 2016

Hypoxia is amongst the most widespread and pressing problems in aquatic environments. Here we demonstrate that fish (Oryzias melastigma) exposed to hypoxia show reproductive impairments (retarded gonad development, decrease in sperm count and sperm motility) in F1 and F2 generations despite these progenies (and their germ cells) having never been exposed to hypoxia. We further show that the observed transgenerational reproductive impairments are associated with a differential methylation pattern of specific genes in sperm of both F0 and F2 coupled with relevant transcriptomic and proteomic alterations, which may impair spermatogenesis. The discovered transgenerational and epigenetic effects suggest that hypoxia might pose a dramatic and long-lasting threat to the sustainability of fish populations. Because the genes regulating spermatogenesis and epigenetic modifications are highly conserved among vertebrates, these results may also shed light on the potential transgenerational effects of hypoxia on other vertebrates, including humans.
Differences in glycemic control across world regions: a post-hoc analysis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on dual antidiabetes drug therapy
Authors: Brath H , Paldánius P M , Bader G , Kolaczynski W M , Nilsson P M
Published: July 2016

Objective:

Thispost-hocanalysis of the EDGE (Effectiveness of Diabetes control with vildaGliptin and vildagliptin/mEtformin) study assessed inter-regional differences in baseline characteristics and response to treatment intensification with dual oral antidiabetes drugs (OADs) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods:

Patients with T2DM inadequately controlled with first-line monotherapy were assigned to receive a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, vildagliptin, or comparator OADs as add-on dual therapy. The primary effectiveness end point (PEP) was achieving glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reduction >0.3% without hypoglycemia, peripheral edema, discontinuation owing to gastrointestinal events or weight gain ⩾5% at 12 months. The secondary effectiveness end point (SEP) was achieving HbA1c of <7% without hypoglycemia or weight gain ⩾3% at 12 months.

Results:

Baseline characteristics of patients (N=43 791), including mean HbA1c (8.2%), varied across regions. Baseline age (62.3 years) and T2DM duration (6.3 years) were greater in patients from Europe than those from India and the Middle East (age: 51.8 and 52.1 years; T2DM duration: 4.3 and 4.2 years, respectively). The probability of achieving PEP with dual therapy was higher in India (odds ratio (OR): 1.5), Latin America (OR: 1.2) and Middle East (OR: 2.0) than in Europe (OR: 0.8) and East Asia (OR: 0.3). Achievement of SEP in patients receiving dual therapy was greater in Latin America (OR: 1.7) and Middle East (OR: 1.7). Vildagliptin add-on therapy allowed more patients to achieve SEP across regions. Women aged ⩾45 years less often attained glycemic target (HbA1c<7%) without significant weight gain ⩾5% compared with women aged <45 years (OR: 0.876, 95% confidence interval: 0.774, 0.992;P=0.037).

Conclusions:

Baseline HbA1c and T2DM duration differed considerably across all regions. Treatment intensification with second OAD, particularly with a DPP-4 inhibitor vildagliptin, resulted in good treatment response without tolerability issues despite delayed intensification of failing monotherapy across regions.
The effect of consuming low- versus high-glycemic index meals after exercise on postprandial blood lipid response following a next-day high-fat meal
Authors: Kaviani M , Chilibeck P D , Yee P , Zello G A
Published: July 2016

Background/Objectives:

Exercise performed shortly before (that is, within half a day of) a high-fat meal is beneficial for stimulating fat oxidation after the meal and reducing postprandial triglycerides (TG). This benefit of exercise is unfortunately negated if the after-exercise food choice to replace the calories expended during exercise is one containing high-glycemic index (HGI) carbohydrates. We determined the effect of consuming low-glycemic index (LGI) carbohydrates after an exercise session on fat oxidation and TG after a subsequent high-fat meal.

Subjects/Methods:

Using a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design, 23 overweight or obese individuals (body mass index ⩾25 kg m−2) performed: walking exercise (90 min) at 1800 h followed by no meal (EX); exercise followed by a meal with LGI carbohydrates (that is, lentils, EX-LGI); exercise followed by a meal with HGI carbohydrates (that is, instant potatoes, white bread, EX-HGI); and a control condition with no exercise or meal. After a 10-h overnight fast, participants were given a standardized high-fat meal. Fat oxidation was estimated before and for 6 h after this meal from respiratory gas measures and TG determined from blood samples.

Results:

Fat oxidation (mean±s.d.) was higher with EX (6.9±1.7 g h−1) than EX-HGI (6.3±1.6 g h−1; P=0.007) and Control (5.9±1.7 g h−1; P=0.00002), and EX-LGI (6.6±1.7 g h−1) was higher than Control (P=0.002). TG total area under the curve was 18–32% lower with EX and EX-LGI compared with control (P=0.0005 and P=0.0001, respectively) and EX-HGI (P=0.05 and P=0.021, respectively).

Conclusions:

A meal containing HGI carbohydrates consumed after an evening exercise session cancels the beneficial effect of exercise for stimulating fat oxidation and lowering TG after a subsequent high-fat meal, whereas consuming a post-exercise meal with LGI carbohydrates retains the positive effect of exercise.
Spatiotemporal dataset on Chinese population distribution and its driving factors from 1949 to 2013
Authors: Wang Lizhe , Chen Lajiao
Published: July 2016

Spatio-temporal data on human population and its driving factors is critical to understanding and responding to population problems. Unfortunately, such spatio-temporal data on a large scale and over the long term are often difficult to obtain. Here, we present a dataset on Chinese population distribution and its driving factors over a remarkably long period, from 1949 to 2013. Driving factors of population distribution were selected according to the push-pull migration laws, which were summarized into four categories: natural environment, natural resources, economic factors and social factors. Natural environment and natural resources indicators were calculated using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques, whereas economic and social factors from 1949 to 2013 were collected from the China Statistical Yearbook and China Compendium of Statistics from 1949 to 2008. All of the data were quality controlled and unified into an identical dataset with the same spatial scope and time period. The dataset is expected to be useful for understanding how population responds to and impacts environmental change.
Downscaled and debiased climate simulations for North America from 21,000 years ago to 2100AD
Authors: Lorenz David J. , Nieto-Lugilde Diego , Blois Jessica L. , Fitzpatrick Matthew C. , Williams John W.
Published: July 2016

Increasingly, ecological modellers are integrating paleodata with future projections to understand climate-driven biodiversity dynamics from the past through the current century. Climate simulations from earth system models are necessary to this effort, but must be debiased and downscaled before they can be used by ecological models. Downscaling methods and observational baselines vary among researchers, which produces confounding biases among downscaled climate simulations. We present unified datasets of debiased and downscaled climate simulations for North America from 21 ka BP to 2100AD, at 0.5° spatial resolution. Temporal resolution is decadal averages of monthly data until 1950AD, average climates for 1950–2005 AD, and monthly data from 2010 to 2100AD, with decadal averages also provided. This downscaling includes two transient paleoclimatic simulations and 12 climate models for the IPCC AR5 (CMIP5) historical (1850–2005), RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 21st-century scenarios. Climate variables include primary variables and derived bioclimatic variables. These datasets provide a common set of climate simulations suitable for seamlessly modelling the effects of past and future climate change on species distributions and diversity.
A catalogue of 136 microbial draft genomes from Red Sea metagenomes
Authors: Haroon Mohamed F. , Thompson Luke R. , Parks Donovan H. , Hugenholtz Philip , Stingl Ulrich
Published: July 2016

Earth is expected to continue warming and the Red Sea is a model environment for understanding the effects of global warming on ocean microbiomes due to its unusually high temperature, salinity and solar irradiance. However, most microbial diversity analyses of the Red Sea have been limited to cultured representatives and single marker gene analyses, hence neglecting the substantial uncultured majority. Here, we report 136 microbial genomes (completion minus contamination is ≥50%) assembled from 45 metagenomes from eight stations spanning the Red Sea and taken from multiple depths between 10 to 500 m. Phylogenomic analysis showed that most of the retrieved genomes belong to seven different phyla of known marine microbes, but more than half representing currently uncultured species. The open-access data presented here is the largest number of Red Sea representative microbial genomes reported in a single study and will help facilitate future studies in understanding the physiology of these microorganisms and how they have adapted to the relatively harsh conditions of the Red Sea.
Long non-coding RNA expression profiling in the NCI60 cancer cell line panel using high-throughput RT-qPCR
Authors: Mestdagh Pieter , Lefever Steve , Volders Pieter-Jan , Derveaux Stefaan , Hellemans Jan , Vandesompele Jo
Published: July 2016

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) form a new class of RNA molecules implicated in various aspects of protein coding gene expression regulation. To study lncRNAs in cancer, we generated expression profiles for 1707 human lncRNAs in the NCI60 cancer cell line panel using a high-throughput nanowell RT-qPCR platform. We describe how qPCR assays were designed and validated and provide processed and normalized expression data for further analysis. Data quality is demonstrated by matching the lncRNA expression profiles with phenotypic and genomic characteristics of the cancer cell lines. This data set can be integrated with publicly available omics and pharmacological data sets to uncover novel associations between lncRNA expression and mRNA expression, miRNA expression, DNA copy number, protein coding gene mutation status or drug response
ATRA modulates mechanical activation of TGF-β by pancreatic stellate cells
Authors: Sarper Muge , Cortes Ernesto , Lieberthal Tyler J. , del Río Hernández Armando
Published: July 2016

The hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is abundant desmoplasia, which is orchestrated by pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and accounts for the majority of the stroma surrounding the tumour. Healthy PSCs are quiescent, but upon activation during disease progression, they adopt a myofibroblast-contractile phenotype and secrete and concomitantly reorganise the stiff extracellular matrix (ECM). Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a potent activator of PSCs, and its activation requires spatiotemporal organisation of cellular and extracellular cues to liberate it from an inactive complex with latent TGF-β binding protein (LTBP). Here we study the mechanical activation of TGF-β by PSCs in vitro by investigating LTBP-1 organisation with fibrillar fibronectin and show that all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), which induces PSC quiescence, down-regulates the ability of PSCs to mechanically organise LTBP-1 and activate TGF-β through a mechanism involving myosin II dependent contractility. Therefore, ATRA inhibits the ability of PSCs to mechanically release active TGF-β, which might otherwise act in an autocrine manner to sustain PSCs in an active state and a tumour-favouring stiff microenvironment.
Ecosystem experiment reveals benefits of natural and simulated beaver dams to a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Bouwes Nicolaas , Weber Nicholas , Jordan Chris E. , Saunders W. Carl , Tattam Ian A. , Volk Carol , Wheaton Joseph M. , Pollock Michael M.
Published: July 2016

Beaver have been referred to as ecosystem engineers because of the large impacts their dam building activities have on the landscape; however, the benefits they may provide to fluvial fish species has been debated. We conducted a watershed-scale experiment to test how increasing beaver dam and colony persistence in a highly degraded incised stream affects the freshwater production of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Following the installation of beaver dam analogs (BDAs), we observed significant increases in the density, survival and production of juvenile steelhead without impacting upstream and downstream migrations. The steelhead response occurred as the quantity and complexity of their habitat increased. This study is the first large-scale experiment to quantify the benefits of beavers and BDAs to a fish population and its habitat. Beaver mediated restoration may be a viable and efficient strategy to recover ecosystem function of previously incised streams and to increase the production of imperiled fish populations.