bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conservation status of chimpanzeesPan troglodytes verusand other large mammals in Liberia: a nationwide survey
Authors: Tweh Clement G. , Lormie Menladi M. , Kouakou Célestin Y. , Hillers Annika , Kühl Hjalmar S. , Junker Jessica
Published: April 2014

Liberia has the largest blocks of continuous forest in West Africa, providing habitat for numerous wildlife species. However, there is a lack of empirical data about the status of Liberia's wildlife populations. During 2010–2012 we conducted the first nationwide survey in Liberia along c. 320 km of systematically located transect lines to estimate the abundance of chimpanzeesPan troglodytes verus, the diversity of large mammals and the nature and degree of anthropogenic threats. With > 7,000 chimpanzees, Liberia is home to the second largest population of West African chimpanzees and is therefore a priority for conservation of the species. Compared to the fragmented populations in other range countries the Liberian population is potentially one of the most viable. Our study revealed that the majority of chimpanzees and some of the most species-diverse mammal communities in Liberia exist outside protected areas. High hunting rates and plans for large-scale exploitation of natural resources necessitate rapid implementation of effective strategies to ensure the protection of one of West Africa's last strongholds for chimpanzees and other rare and threatened mammal species. We provide a country-wide baseline dataset that may serve as a platform for Liberian wildlife authorities, policy-makers and international conservation agencies to make informed decisions about the location and delineation of proposed protected areas, to identify conservation gaps and to devise a conservation action plan to conserve Liberia's wildlife resources.
Subversive Geography in Tacitus'Germania
Authors: Tan Zoë M.
Published: April 2014

Geography is a fundamental element of ancient ethnography, yet the account of the environment in Tacitus'Germaniais notably sparse. Standard elements of geographic description are absent, or are presented in restricted (and subversive) ways. This paper examines the presentation and structuring of Germanic spaces against a backdrop of contrasting contemporary geographic writings, and considers the implications of Tacitus' rejection of geographic norms.
Investigating the origins of contemporary basics on the drum kit: an exploration of the role of the hi-hat in Anglo-American popular musics from 1960 until 1974
Authors: Fleet Paul , Winter Jonathon
Published: April 2014

The hi-hat is an instrument within the kit that is often the driving force of numerous grooves, and how the playing of this instrument developed across the period 1960–1974 in Anglo-American popular musics is a useful guide when considering how the drum kit has in turn defined certain genres and styles. This paper will study a selection of grooves that use the hi-hat as a discriminating factor which will help trace the origin of certain basics within straight rhythms. The first iterations of these grooves are traced and analysed to uncover the origin of particular patterns that have since become accepted and well used within popular musics. This date period is a particularly rich seam of popular music history in this respect, beginning with the earliest recorded examples of particular hi-hat techniques and leading to what could be considered a period where these techniques became commonplace.
Spatial scaling of protected area influences on human demography and livelihoods in Botswana
Authors: GUPTA A. CLARE
Published: April 2014

A growing body of ‘people and parks’ literature examines the interactions between protected areas (PAs) and people who live around them. This study of Chobe National Park (Botswana), which has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, highlights a PA's influence beyond its buffer zone and provides a more detailed understanding of the complex dynamics within a PA buffer. Overall net population growth in the areas adjacent to Chobe National Park (hereafter referred to as the ‘buffer’ area) does not preclude outmigration from certain Park buffer areas where declining agricultural opportunities have pushed working-age residents in search of work to urban areas around and beyond the Park. At the same time, skilled workers have moved to some of these rural Park buffer villages to take advantage of new civil service positions. The PA also influences long-time rural dwellers’ social and economic exchanges with urban kin and exacerbates dependence relations, placing economic strain upon urban migrants. In this way, the economic and social effects of PAs are neither uniform across their borders nor limited to those borders. These outcomes have important implications for biodiversity conservation in rural areas as they suggest that population growth may not be an accurate proxy for threats to biodiversity, if new and long-term residents come to rely on less resource-intensive livelihood practices.
Reduced ODE dynamics as formal relativistic asymptotics of a Peierls–Nabarro model
Authors: IBRAHIM H. , MONNEAU R.
Published: April 2014

In this paper, we consider a scalar Peierls--Nabarro model describing the motion of dislocations in the plane (x1,x2) along the linex2=0. Each dislocation can be seen as a phase transition and creates a scalar displacement field in the plane. This displacement field solves a simplified elasto-dynamics equation, which is simply a linear wave equation. The total displacement field creates a stress which makes move the dislocation itself. By symmetry, we can reduce the system to a wave equation in the half planex2>0 coupled with an equation for the dynamics of dislocations on the boundary of the half plane, i.e. onx2=0. Our goal is to understand the dynamics of well-separated dislocations in the limit when the distance between dislocations is very large, of order 1/ɛ. After rescaling, this corresponds to introduce a small parameter ɛ in the system. For the limit ɛ → 0, we are formally able to identify a reduced ordinary differential equation model describing the dynamics of relativistic dislocations if a certain conjecture is assumed to be true.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Tsunami in Thailand
Authors: Pityaratstian Nuttorn , Piyasil Vinadda , Ketumarn Panom , Sitdhiraksa Nanthawat , Ularntinon Sirirat , Pariwatcharakul Pornjira
Published: April 2014

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and debilitating consequence of natural disaster in children and adolescents. Accumulating data show that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for PTSD. However, application of CBT in a large-scale disaster in a setting with limited resources, such as when the tsunami hit several Asian countries in 2004, poses a major problem. Aims: This randomized controlled trial aimed to test for the efficacy of the modified version of CBT for children and adolescents with PSTD. Method: Thirty-six children (aged 10–15 years) who had been diagnosed with PSTD 4 years after the tsunami were randomly allocated to either CBT or wait list. CBT was delivered in 3-day, 2-hour-daily, group format followed by 1-month posttreatment self-monitoring and daily homework. Results: Compared to the wait list, participants who received CBT demonstrated significantly greater improvement in symptoms of PTSD at 1-month follow-up, although no significant improvement was observed when the measures were done immediately posttreatment. Conclusions: Brief, group CBT is an effective treatment for PTSD in children and adolescents when delivered in conjunction with posttreatment self-monitoring and daily homework.
Working Memory and Facial Expression Recognition in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Alonso-Recio Laura , Martín-Plasencia Pilar , Loeches-Alonso Ángela , Serrano-Rodríguez Juan M.
Published: April 2014

Facial expression recognition impairment has been reported in Parkinson’s disease. While some authors have referred to specific emotional disabilities, others view them as secondary to executive deficits frequently described in the disease, such as working memory. The present study aims to analyze the relationship between working memory and facial expression recognition abilities in Parkinson’s disease. We observed 50 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 49 healthy controls by means of an n-back procedure with four types of stimuli: emotional facial expressions, gender, spatial locations, and non-sense syllables. Other executive and visuospatial neuropsychological tests were also administered. Results showed that Parkinson’s disease patients with high levels of disability performed worse than healthy individuals on the emotional facial expression and spatial location tasks. Moreover, spatial location task performance was correlated with executive neuropsychological scores, but emotional facial expression was not. Thus, working memory seems to be altered in Parkinson’s disease, particularly in tasks that involve the appreciation of spatial relationships in stimuli. Additionally, non-executive, facial emotional recognition difficulty seems to be present and related to disease progression. (JINS, 2014,20, 1–10)
Factors associated with alcohol consumption patterns in a Puerto Rican urban cohort
Authors: Andrews-Chavez Johanna Y , Lee Christina S , Houser Robert F , Falcon Luis M , Tucker Katherine L
Published: April 2014

Objective

There is little research on factors associated with alcohol consumption among Puerto Ricans living in the USA; thus the aim of the present study was to examine alcohol intake patterns, and factors associated with drinking categories, in a cohort of Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts.

Design

Cross-sectional study. Descriptive and polytomous logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with drinking patterns, stratified by gender.

Setting

Greater Boston area, MA, USA.

Subjects

Puerto Rican adults (n 1292), aged 45–75 years.

Results

Eight per cent of men and 39 % of women were lifetime abstainers; 40 % of men and 25 % of women were former drinkers; 31 % of men and 27 % of women were moderate drinkers; and 21 % of men and 8 % of women were heavy drinkers. Thirty-five per cent of participants reported drinking alcohol while taking medications with alcohol contraindications. After multivariable adjustment, young men were less likely than older men to be moderate drinkers. Among women, higher BMI, age, lower income and lower psychological acculturation were associated with abstention; age and lower perceived emotional support were associated with increased likelihood of former drinking; and women without v. with diabetes were more likely to be heavy drinkers.

Conclusions

High prevalence of chronic disease, heavy drinking and alcohol use while taking medications with alcohol contraindications suggest an urgent need for better screening and interventions tailored to this rapidly growing Hispanic national subgroup. As heavy drinking appears to increase with acculturation for women, public health initiatives are needed to support appropriate alcohol use.
The economic theory of rights
Authors: HOLCOMBE RANDALL G.
Published: April 2014

People have rights to the degree that they are willing to claim them and are able to enforce them, either themselves or through a third-party enforcer. This economic theory of rights is based on the rights people actually do have and are able to exercise, not the rights they should have based on some normative criteria. Natural rights theories and contractual rights theories are examined and found to be ambiguous as to the actual rights they imply. Furthermore, there is no assurance that people will actually be able to exercise any natural rights or agreed-upon rights. People's actual ability to claim and enforce rights is based on the economic and political power they have, which in turn is based on their ability to provide benefits to others in exchange for others respecting the claimed rights, and in some cases being willing to use force to make others respect them.
Selbstkonzept und Schulleistungen von Grundschülern mit ADHS-Symptomen
Authors: Ehm Jan-Henning , Merkt Julia , Gawrilow Caterina , Hasselhorn Marcus
Published: April 2014

Diese Studie untersucht, ob Kinder mit Symptomen einer Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS) ein positiv illusorisches Selbstkonzept (Positive Illusory Bias, Hoza, Pelham, Dobbs, Owens & Pillow, 2002 ) bezüglich ihrer Schulleistungen aufzeigen. Dazu wird das akademische Selbstkonzept von Zweitklässlern im Lesen, Schreiben und Rechnen mit den entsprechenden Schulleistungen in Beziehung gesetzt. Kinder, die laut Lehrerurteil ADHS-Symptome zeigen (n = 262) überschätzen im Vergleich zu Kindern ohne ADHS-Symptome (n = 981) ihre Leistungen deutlich stärker. Keine Gruppenunterschiede finden sich hingegen, wenn Kinder mit ADHS-Symptomen einer nach Schulleistung parallelisierten Kontrollgruppe gegenübergestellt werden. Zudem schätzen sich Kinder mit ADHS-Symptomen in dem Leistungsbereich am besten ein, in dem sie auch am besten abschneiden. Die Analysen legen die Vermutung nahe, dass der Positive Illusory Bias nicht spezifisch für die ADHS ist.
Regional increases of cortical thickness in untreated, first-episode major depressive disorder
Authors: Qiu L , Lui S , Kuang W , Huang X , Li J , Li J , Zhang J , Chen H , Sweeney J A , Gong Q
Published: April 2014

The large majority of structural MRI studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) investigated volumetric changes in chronic medicated patients in whom course of illness and treatment effects may impact anatomic measurements. Further, in few studies, separate measurements of cortical thickness and surface area have been performed that reflect different neurobiological processes regulated by different genetic mechanisms. In the present study, we investigated both cortical thickness and surface area in first-episode, treatment-naïve, mid-life MDD to elucidate the core pathophysiology of this disease and its early impact on the brain. We observed increased cortical thickness in the right hemisphere, including medial orbitofrontal gyrus, pars opercularis, rostral middle frontal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus. Increased thickness of rostral middle frontal gyrus was negatively related with depression severity on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Furthermore, MDD patients showed significantly increased associations in cortical thickness measurements among areas where increased cortical thickness was observed. Analysis of pial area revealed a trend toward increased surface area in the left parahippocampal gyrus in MDD. To permit comparison of our data with those of previous gray matter volume studies, voxel-based morphometry was performed. That analysis revealed significantly increased gray matter volume in left paracentral lobule, left superior frontal gyrus, bilateral cuneus and thalamus which form limbic-cortico–striato–pallido–thalamic loops. These changes in first-episode, treatment-naïve, mid-life MDD patients may reflect an active illness-related cortical change close to illness onset, and thus potentially provide important new insight into the early neurobiology of the disorder.
A snapshot of plasma metabolites in first-episode schizophrenia: a capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry study
Authors: Koike S , Bundo M , Iwamoto K , Suga M , Kuwabara H , Ohashi Y , Shinoda K , Takano Y , Iwashiro N , Satomura Y , Nagai T , Natsubori T , Tada M , Yamasue H , Kasai K
Published: April 2014

Few biomarkers have been known that can easily measure clinical conditions in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOFMS) is a new method that can measure ionized and low-molecular-weight metabolites. To explore global metabolomic alterations that characterize the onset of schizophrenia and identify biomarkers, we profiled the relative and absolute concentrations of the plasma metabolites from 30 patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FESZ, four drug-naïve samples), 38 healthy controls and 15 individuals with autism spectrum disorders using CE-TOFMS. Five metabolites had robust changes (increased creatine and decreased betaine, nonanoic acid, benzoic acid and perillic acid) in two independent sample sets. Altered levels of these metabolites are consistent with well-known hypotheses regarding abnormalities of the homocysteine metabolism, creatine kinase-emia and oxidative stress. Although it should be considered that most patients with FESZ received medication, these metabolites are candidate biomarkers to improve the determination of diagnosis, severity and clinical stages, especially for FESZ.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to quantify collagen and elastin in an in vitro model of extracellular matrix degradation in aorta
Authors: Cheheltani Rabee , McGoverin Cushla M. , Rao Jayashree , Vorp David A. , Kiani Mohammad F. , Pleshko Nancy
Published: April 2014

FTIR-based analyses can quantify elastin and collagen in vascular tissues.
A theoretical view of protein dynamics
Authors: Orozco Modesto
Published: April 2014

Moving from a traditional static picture of proteins to an alternative dynamic paradigm is one of the biggest challenges of structural biology, and the point where modeling can contribute the most. I review here the current state of the art in theoretical methods for dynamic representation of proteins.
A phosphoramidite-based [FeFe]H2ase functional mimic displaying fast electrocatalytic proton reduction
Authors: Derossi Sofia , Becker René , Li Ping , Hartl František , Reek Joost N. H.
Published: April 2014

The work reports rapid electrocatalytic proton reduction by a diiron dithiolate complex bearing the 3-pyridylphosphoramidite ligand as a proton relay.
Poly(trifluoromethyl)azulenes: structures and acceptor properties
Authors: Clikeman Tyler T. , Bukovsky Eric V. , Kuvychko Igor V. , San Long K. , Deng Shihu H. M. , Wang Xue-Bin , Chen Yu-Sheng , Strauss Steven H. , Boltalina Olga V.
Published: April 2014

A family of highly trifluoromethylated azulenes prepared in a single-step high-temperature gas-phase reaction of azulene with CF3I exhibit outstanding electron accepting properties in the gas-phase and in solution that are linearly correlated with the number of CF3 groups.
Synthesis and electrocatalytic performance of atomically ordered nickel carbide (Ni3C) nanoparticles
Authors: Fadil Nor A. , Saravanan Govindachetty , Ramesh Gubbala V. , Matsumoto Futoshi , Yoshikawa Hideki , Ueda Shigenori , Tanabe Toyokazu , Hara Toru , Ishihara Shinsuke , Murakami Hideyuki , Ariga Katsuhiko , Abe Hideki
Published: April 2014

The smallest Ni3C Nps ever produced exhibited a catalytic activity superior to that of Ni Nps in the electrooxidation of NaBH4.
Effective dehydrogenation of 2-pyridylmethanol derivatives catalyzed by an iron complex
Authors: Kamitani Masahiro , Ito Masaki , Itazaki Masumi , Nakazawa Hiroshi
Published: April 2014

Effective dehydrogenation of 2-pyridylmethanol derivatives was achieved using an iron catalyst (TON = 67 000) without a hydrogen acceptor.
A self-oscillating gel actuator driven by ferroin
Authors: Arimura Takashi , Mukai Masaru
Published: April 2014

In the wake of the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction catalyzed by ferroin, the swelling–deswelling oscillating soft actuator exhibits 7 min period of self-oscillation for the first time.
A masked diboron in Cu-catalysed borylation reaction: highly regioselective formal hydroboration of alkynes for synthesis of branched alkenylborons
Authors: Yoshida Hiroto , Takemoto Yuki , Takaki Ken
Published: April 2014

Cu-catalysed α-selective formal hydroboration of alkynes by use of a masked diboron and its application to total synthesis of pharmacologically significant 1,1-disubstituted alkene derivatives are described.
Unusual redox stability of neptunium in the ionic liquid [Hbet][Tf2N]
Authors: Long Kristy , Goff George , Runde Wolfgang
Published: April 2014

In contrast to its aqueous chemistry, neptunium exhibits a highly complex redox behavior in the ionic liquid betaine bistriflimide, [Hbet][Tf2N]. Spectroscopic studies have shown for the first time that up to three oxidation states (iv,vandvi) and up to six neptunium species can exist simultaneously. Both redox reactions and coordination of betaine lead to an unprecedented stability of Np(iv) and Np(vi).
A BODIPY-based reactive probe for the detection of Au(iii) species and its application to cell imaging
Authors: Üçüncü Muhammed , Emrullahoğlu Mustafa
Published: April 2014

A BODIPY-based chemodosimeter for turn-on detection of gold ions which relies on a novel CN bond hydrolysis mechanism.
Isomer-selective infrared spectroscopy of the cationic trimethylamine dimer to reveal its charge sharing and enhanced acidity of the methyl groups
Authors: Matsuda Yoshiyuki , Nakayama Yuichiro , Mikami Naohiko , Fujii Asuka
Published: April 2014

The isomer-selective infrared spectroscopy revealed the charge-shared (hemibond) and the C⋯HN hydrogen-bond structures of the trimethylamine dimer cation.
Phase stability of Li–Mn–O oxides as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries: insights from ab initio calculations
Authors: Longo R. C. , Kong F. T. , KC Santosh , Park M. S. , Yoon J. , Yeon D.-H. , Park J.-H. , Doo S.-G. , Cho K.
Published: April 2014

The Li–Mn–O phase diagram as a function of the chemical potential of Li and O and the pH.
A facile sol–gel synthesis of impurity-free nanocrystalline titania
Authors: Vinogradov Alexandr V. , Ermakova Al'ena V. , Butman Mikhail F. , Hey-Hawkins Evamarie , Vinogradov Vladimir V.
Published: April 2014

A low-temperature ultrasonic-assisted method is used to prepare nanocrystalline TiO2 sol–gel materials from hydrolysis products of titanium isopropoxide in aqueous medium with no addition of modifying agents.
Inexpensive ionic liquids: [HSO4]−-based solvent production at bulk scale
Authors: Chen Long , Sharifzadeh Mahdi , Mac Dowell Niall , Welton Tom , Shah Nilay , Hallett Jason P.
Published: April 2014

ILs manufactured from inexpensive raw materials in few steps are cheaper than some organic solvents and have a low environmental impact.
Facile fabrication of hierarchical ZnCo2O4/NiO core/shell nanowire arrays with improved lithium-ion battery performance
Authors: Sun Zhipeng , Ai Wei , Liu Jilei , Qi Xiaoying , Wang Yanlong , Zhu Jianhui , Zhang Hua , Yu Ting
Published: April 2014

We report a two-step, solution-based method for the fabrication of 3D ZnCo2O4/NiO core/shell nanowire arrays that can be applied in Li-ion batteries.
An acid/base switchable and reversibly cross-linkable polyrotaxane
Authors: Li Shijun , Weng Guan-Huan , Lin Wei , Sun Zhi-Bin , Zhou Mi , Zhu Bin , Ye Yang , Wu Jing
Published: April 2014

A main chain-type polyrotaxane was fabricated based on the DP24C8/dialkylammonium recognition motif, in which the host could be controllably shuttled on the axle of the polyrotaxane upon acid–base stimuli and reversibly cross-linked via Pd coordination and decoordination.
Design and synthesis of carbonized polypyrrole-coated graphene aerogel acting as an efficient metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction
Authors: Wei Hua , Xu Mao-Wen , Bao Shu-Juan , Yang Fan , Chai Hui
Published: April 2014

Synthesis of 3D N-doped graphene aerogel for ORR in alkaline electrolyte using hydrothermal process without any oxidant.
The luminescence properties of novel α-Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+ phosphor prepared in air
Authors: Chen Jian , Liu Yan-gai , Liu Haikun , Yang Dexin , Ding Hao , Fang Minghao , Huang Zhaohui
Published: April 2014

The α-Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+ phosphor was firstly prepared via the conventional high temperature solid-state reaction method and the reduction of Eu3+ to Eu2+ in air was observed in α-Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu. Emission and excitation spectra were employed to detect the presence of Eu2+ ions in the compound.
Thermal and pH sensitive multifunctional polymer nanoparticles for cancer imaging and therapy
Authors: Lei Tingjun , Manchanda Romila , Fernandez-Fernandez Alicia , Huang Yen-Chih , Wright Douglas , McGoron Anthony J.
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this study was the synthesis of a thermal and pH sensitive polymer which would provide a tunable and predictable pharmacokinetic release profile using thermal or pH stimuli. This novel and adjustable delivery vehicle was loaded with the chemotherapy agent DOX and the imaging and hyperthermia (HT) agent IR820.
Template-free syntheses of CdS microspheres composed of ultrasmall nanocrystals and their photocatalytic study
Authors: Kaur Manjodh , Nagaraja C. M.
Published: April 2014

A one-pot, template-free, solvothermal method for synthesizing CdS microspheres composed of ultrasmall (∼2 nm) nanocrystals without and with the use of MCE-capping agent has been developed. The photocatalytic activity of the microspheres for degradation of MO under UV and natural sunlight irradiation has been compared.
An enzyme-responsive supra-amphiphile constructed by pillar[5]arene/acetylcholine molecular recognition
Authors: Yu Guocan , Yang Jie , Xia Danyu , Yao Yong
Published: April 2014

A novel molecular recognition motif between a water-soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5) and acetylcholine is established with an association constant of (5.05 ± 0.13) × 104 M−1.
Phytic acid: a biogenic organocatalyst for one-pot Biginelli reactions to 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones/thiones
Authors: Zhang Qiguo , Wang Xin , Li Zhenjiang , Wu Wenzhuo , Liu Jingjing , Wu Hao , Cui Saide , Guo Kai
Published: April 2014

PhyA as a biogenic organocatalyst for Biginelli reactions under solvent-free conditions with good yields and by a plausible bifunctional mechanism.
Cellular aging of skeletal muscle: telomeric and free radical evidence that physical inactivity is responsible and not age
Authors: Venturelli Massimo , Morgan Garrett R. , Donato Anthony J. , Reese Van , Bottura Renato , Tarperi Cantor , Milanese Chiara , Schena Federico , Reggiani Carlo , Naro Fabio , Cawthon Richard M. , Richardson Russell S.
Published: April 2014

Telomeres play an essential role in maintaining chromosomal integrity in the face of physiological stressors. Although the age-related shortening of TL (telomere length) in highly proliferative tissue is predominantly due to the replication process, the mechanism for telomere shortening in skeletal muscle, which is minimally proliferative, is unclear. By studying TL in both the upper and lower limbs of the young, old-mobile and old-immobile subjects and by virtue of the bipedal nature of human locomotion, which declines with age, it may be possible to elucidate the mechanism(s) responsible for cellular aging of skeletal muscle. With this approach, we revealed that TL (~15 kb) in arm skeletal muscle is unaffected by age. In contrast TL fell progressively in the legs across the young (~15 kb), the old mobile (~13 kb) and old immobile (~11 kb) subjects. Interestingly, there was a reciprocal increase in leg muscle free radicals across these groups that was correlated with TL (r=0.7), with no such relationship in the arm (r=0.09). Our results document that chronological age does not affect the cellular aging of skeletal muscle, but reveals that physical inactivity, probably mediated by free radicals, has a profound effect upon this process.
New mixed‐delay‐dependent robust stability conditions for uncertain linear neutral systems
Authors: Chen Yonggang , Fei Shumin , Gu Zhou , Li Yongmin
Published: April 2014

In this study, mixed‐delay‐dependent robust stability problem is investigated for uncertain linear neutral systems with mixed delays. The existing stability conditions are obtained by employing the information of neutral delay and discrete delay independently, and are conservative to some extent. Different from most existing methods, this study attempts to introduce the interconnected information between neutral delay and discrete delay. Based on such an idea, the simple stability and robust stability conditions are firstly proposed by integral inequality method, then improved stability and robust stability conditions are obtained by incorporating delay‐decomposition idea and augmented Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional. Theory analysis and examples show the benefits of the proposed techniques and conditions.
Management Commitments that Maximize Business Impact from IT
Authors: Quaadgras Anne , Weill Peter , Ross Jeanne W
Published: April 2014

As digitization becomes pervasive, many organizations struggle to drive value from the growing number of IT-related opportunities. We show how the drivers of IT value creation can be framed as firm-wide commitments to a set of IT capabilities. On the basis of 20 published case studies, we identify a small set of IT decisions that organizations must make to use IT to successfully enhance their impact. We group these decisions into a framework of four commitments. Making these commitments helps organizations reinforce what really matters over time, which in turn helps focus the attention of their employees. We demonstrate, via a survey of 210 publicly traded firms, that firms which are more effective in making these four commitments have higher business impact from IT, which in turn correlates with higher financial performance. We suggest the construct of commitment is a step toward unifying the IT value literature and creating an overarching concept that brings together many of the important management practices identified in previous work.
Infection-induced autoantibodies and pregnancy related pathology: an animal model
Authors: Petrušiū Vladimir , Živkoviū Irena , Muhandes Lina , Dimitrijeviū Rajna , Stojanoviū Marijana , Dimitrijeviū Ljiljana
Published: April 2014

In addition to being the main cause of mortality worldwide, bacterial and viral infections can be the cause of autoimmune and pregnancy disorders as well. The production of autoantibodies during infection can be explained by various mechanisms, including molecular mimicry, bystander cell activation and epitope spreading. Conversely, bacterial and viral infections during pregnancy are especially dangerous for the fetus. It is documented that infection-induced inflammatory processes mediated by Toll-like receptors (TLR) represent the main cause of preterm labour. We used two crucial bacterial components and TLR ligands, namely peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide, to stimulate BALB/c mice before immunisation with tetanus toxoid. Tetanus toxoid is an inactive form of the toxin produced by bacterium Clostridium tetani and shares structural similarity with plasma protein β2-glycoprotein I. Treatment with peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide in combination with tetanus toxoid induced the production of pathological autoantibodies, different fluctuations in natural autoantibodies and different types of reproductive pathology in treated animals, with peptidoglycan treatment being more deleterious. We propose that the production of pathological autoantibodies, TLR activation and changes in natural autoantibodies play crucial roles in infection-induced reproductive pathology in our animal model.
Inverse hormesis of cancer growth mediated by narrow ranges of tumor-directed antibodies
Authors: Pearce Oliver M. T. , Läubli Heinz , Verhagen Andrea , Secrest Patrick , Zhang Jiquan , Varki Nissi M. , Crocker Paul R. , Bui Jack D. , Varki Ajit
Published: April 2014

Significance

We have previously shown that antibodies directed against tumor-associated antigens containing the nonhuman sialic acid
N
-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) can influence tumor progression. Here, we analyzed growth of Neu5Gc-positive tumors in Neu5Gc-deficient mice, following administration of increasing concentrations of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies. Although lower antibody concentrations stimulated tumor growth, higher concentrations inhibited growth, over a surprisingly narrow dose range. This biphasic narrow-range tumor growth response to tumor-directed antibodies (inverse hormesis) was reproduced in multiple mouse models, including one using a clinically approved monoclonal antibody. Our results are a novel experimental demonstration of how the levels of circulating antibodies can differentially influence tumor growth. These findings might have important implications in natural cancer progression and/or in cancer immunotherapy with antibodies.
Homeostasis of functional maps in active dendrites emerges in the absence of individual channelostasis
Authors: Rathour Rahul Kumar , Narayanan Rishikesh
Published: April 2014

Significance

Voltage-gated ion channels and their subcellular localization profiles mediate several continuous maps of neuronal physiological properties and confer astounding computational capabilities on single neurons. How do neurons with complex morphologies maintain these functional maps despite constant turnover of and plasticity in the ion channels that mediate them? We addressed this question through a computational framework spanning channels and measurements from the cell body and dendrites of hippocampal neurons. Our results demonstrate that individual channel properties or their densities need not be maintained at constant levels in achieving overall homeostasis of several coexistent functional maps. We suggest collective channelostasis, where several channels regulate their properties and expression profiles in an uncorrelated manner, as an alternative for accomplishing homeostasis of functional maps.
Granzyme K synergistically potentiates LPS-induced cytokine responses in human monocytes
Authors: Wensink Annette C. , Kemp Vera , Fermie Job , García Laorden M. Isabel , van der Poll Tom , Hack C. Erik , Bovenschen Niels
Published: April 2014

Significance

Granzymes are serine proteases released by cytotoxic lymphocytes and induce cell death in virus-infected cells and tumor cells. However, granzymes also exist extracellularly in the blood circulation of patients with autoimmune diseases and infections and may contribute to inflammation. Here, we show that human granzyme K (GrK) binds to Gram-negative bacteria and to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Gram-negative bacterial cell wall component. Our data indicate that GrK lowers the threshold for monocyte activation by LPS, in that GrK synergistically increases LPS-induced release of proinflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, GrK modulates the innate immune response against LPS and Gram-negative bacteria and may contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases associated with a local or systemic bacterial infection.
Neurobiological basis of head motion in brain imaging
Authors: Zeng Ling-Li , Wang Danhong , Fox Michael D. , Sabuncu Mert , Hu Dewen , Ge Manling , Buckner Randy L. , Liu Hesheng
Published: April 2014

Significance

This study expands our understanding of head motion in brain imaging. Complementing the common knowledge that motion artifacts can distort brain connectivity measures by causing artifacts, this study identifies a neurobiological trait that is linked to differences in motion. This correlate of head motion consists of reduced distant functional connectivity primarily in the default network areas in individuals with high head motion. Importantly, this correlate is stable within individuals across time. These findings may revise the interpretations of imaging findings in many neurodevelopmental, aging, and neuropsychiatric studies. In addition, differentiating the true disease effects from the correlates of motion tendency as reported here is critical for using connectivity markers in the clinical arena because correlates of motion may reduce specificity of biomarkers.
Bending forces plastically deform growing bacterial cell walls
Authors: Amir Ariel , Babaeipour Farinaz , McIntosh Dustin B. , Nelson David R. , Jun Suckjoon
Published: April 2014

Significance

Regulation of cell wall growth is a process of fundamental importance in cell biology. In this paper, to our knowledge, we demonstrate for the first time that mechanical stress directly influences cell wall synthesis of bacteria. In a series of simple experiments, we elastically and plastically deform cell walls as they grow by applying anisotropic mechanical stresses to bacteria. Using a theory of dislocation-mediated growth, we explain how growth and form of the cell walls are quantitatively related to one another in bacteria.
Furin cleavage of the Moloney murine leukemia virus Env precursor reorganizes the spike structure
Authors: Sjöberg Mathilda , Wu Shang-Rung , Löving Robin , Rantalainen Kimmo , Lindqvist Birgitta , Garoff Henrik
Published: April 2014

Significance

Viral membrane fusion proteins or spikes, like those of influenza, paramyxo, and retroviruses, mature by furin cleavage in the infected cell into a form that can be activated by receptor binding and/or low pH. Although the cleavage of the precursor releases the fusion peptide at the end of the transmembrane subunit, structural studies have shown that this causes only a local change in spike organization. Here we have studied the effect of furin cleavage on the fusion protein of a γ-retrovirus, the murine leukemia virus, by cryoelectron microscopy. We found that this caused a major reorganization of the spike structure. This might explain the activation of the intersubunit disulfide isomerase, which is unique for the spike of these retroviruses.
Integrative framework for identification of key cell identity genes uncovers determinants of ES cell identity and homeostasis
Authors: Cinghu Senthilkumar , Yellaboina Sailu , Freudenberg Johannes M. , Ghosh Swati , Zheng Xiaofeng , Oldfield Andrew J. , Lackford Brad L. , Zaykin Dmitri V. , Hu Guang , Jothi Raja
Published: April 2014

Significance

A key step to understanding a phenotype of interest is the identification of genes defining that phenotype. We propose a computational framework for a systematic integration of published gene expression data to identify genes defining a cell identity of interest. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach by identifying genes essential for the maintenance of ES cell (ESC) identity. Follow-up functional studies on candidate gene Nucleolin (
Ncl
) reveal
Ncl
's essential role in the maintenance of ESC homeostasis. Ncl deficiency increases endogenous reactive oxygen species levels and induces p53 activity, resulting in p53-mediated suppression of
Nanog
and subsequent ESC differentiation. These studies uncover a previously unknown regulatory circuitry involving genes associated with traits in both ESCs and cancer.
Distinctive properties of identical twins' TCR repertoires revealed by high-throughput sequencing
Authors: Zvyagin Ivan V. , Pogorelyy Mikhail V. , Ivanova Marina E. , Komech Ekaterina A. , Shugay Mikhail , Bolotin Dmitry A. , Shelenkov Andrey A. , Kurnosov Alexey A. , Staroverov Dmitriy B. , Chudakov Dmitriy M. , Lebedev Yuri B. , Mamedov Ilgar Z.
Published: April 2014

Significance

The power of adaptive immunity in humans is realized through the hypervariable molecules: the T-cell receptors (TCRs). Each of those is built from genetically encoded parts with the addition of random nucleotides finally forming individual TCR repertoire. Despite that the individual TCR repertoire potentially can include 10
11
–10
14
different variants, substantially less molecules are found in a single individual. The particular genetic impact on the final set of TCR molecules is still poorly understood. In this study, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, we compare deep TCR repertoires of genetically identical twins. We found that, although TCR repertoires of any pair of individuals have the same amount of identical receptors, twin repertoires share certain specific features.
Staphylococcal pathogenicity island DNA packaging system involving
cos
-site packaging and phage-encoded HNH endonucleases
Authors: Quiles-Puchalt Nuria , Carpena Nuria , Alonso Juan C. , Novick Richard P. , Marina Alberto , Penadés José R.
Published: April 2014

Significance

Staphylococcal pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) are highly mobile and carry and disseminate superantigen and other virulence genes. Here we report a remarkable example of molecular parasitism in which the SaPIs hijack the packaging machinery of the phages they victimize, using two unrelated and complementary mechanisms. Phage packaging starts with the recognition in the phage DNA of a specific sequence, termed “
pac
” or “
cos
” depending on the phage type. The SaPI strategies involve carriage of the helper phage
pac
- or
cos
-like sequences in the SaPI genome, which ensures SaPI packaging in full-sized phage particles, depending on the helper phage machinery. These strategies interfere with phage reproduction, which ultimately is a critical advantage for the bacterial population by reducing the number of phage particles.
HNH proteins are a widespread component of phage DNA packaging machines
Authors: Kala Smriti , Cumby Nichole , Sadowski Paul D. , Hyder Batool Zafar , Kanelis Voula , Davidson Alan R. , Maxwell Karen L.
Published: April 2014

Significance

In double-stranded DNA tailed bacteriophages and herpes viruses, genomes are packaged into a preformed protein shell called the “prohead.” Terminase enzymes are responsible for cleaving the replicated concatemeric genomes into single genome units, and mediating the packaging of these genomes into the prohead. We have discovered that a member of a very large family of nuclease-associated proteins called “HNH proteins” is a crucial component of the terminase packaging reaction of
Escherichia coli
phage HK97. Bioinformatic studies indicate that HNH proteins are associated with the terminases of a large number of diverse phages. This work demonstrates a unique function for HNH proteins and reveals a novel component of the phage packaging machinery.
Effects of land use on bird populations and pest control services on coffee farms
Authors: Railsback Steven F. , Johnson Matthew D.
Published: April 2014

Significance

How land use can support both natural and agricultural resources is a key sustainability question. This question is more complicated when nature and agriculture support each other; here, birds consume pest insects, and coffee provides bird habitat. We used a model based on field research to study the effects of agricultural and natural land uses on birds, the pest control services that birds provide, and crop production on Jamaican coffee farms. Our conclusions address whether small forest-like areas are more valuable for pest control than large intact forest, how the size and number of natural patches affect birds and crop production, and whether replacing sun coffee (a monoculture) with more diverse and tree-rich shade coffee increases pest consumption to a degree sufficient to offset the reduced yield.
DNA methylation and evolution of duplicate genes
Authors: Keller Thomas E. , Yi Soojin V.
Published: April 2014

Significance

Duplicate genes are essential and ongoing sources of genetic material that evolution can act on, yet new duplicates are under constant risk of being inactivated by mutations and subsequently lost. We show that a common heritable epigenetic modifier, DNA methylation, plays an important role in duplicate gene evolution. DNA methylation clearly distinguishes young and old duplicates, and the differences in DNA methylation of duplicate genes are associated with functional differences in expression. Remarkably, for a majority of duplicate gene pairs, a specific duplicate partner is consistently hypo- or hypermethylated across highly divergent tissues. Our results indicate that epigenetic modifications are intimately involved in the regulation and maintenance of duplicate genes.
Replication protein of tobacco mosaic virus cotranslationally binds the 5′ untranslated region of genomic RNA to enable viral replication
Authors: Kawamura-Nagaya Kazue , Ishibashi Kazuhiro , Huang Ying-Ping , Miyashita Shuhei , Ishikawa Masayuki
Published: April 2014

Significance

Replication of many positive-strand RNA viruses is
cis
-preferential: i.e., viral replicase proteins replicate genomic RNA molecules that have served as translation templates for their own synthesis, but not the other molecules in the same cell. Here, we show that tobacco mosaic virus replicase cotranslationally binds the 5′ untranslated region of genomic RNA and that this binding inhibits further translation and leads to genomic RNA replication. Intriguingly, full-length replicase protein could not bind genomic RNA posttranslationally due to autoinhibition by the C-terminal domain. These results reveal an elegant viral strategy to enable
cis
-preferential replication and phase switching from translation to replication at once.
Distinct phosphatases antagonize the p53 response in different phases of the cell cycle
Authors: Shaltiel Indra A. , Aprelia Melinda , Saurin Adrian T. , Chowdhury Dipanjan , Kops Geert J. P. L. , Voest Emile E. , Medema René H.
Published: April 2014

Significance

Cell cycle checkpoints coordinate repair of DNA damage with progression through the cell cycle to prevent propagation of DNA mutations and tumor formation. Here, we show that two phosphatases, phosphoprotein phosphatase 4 catalytic subunit (PP4) and WT p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1), are required to promote cell cycle reentry after DNA damage. PP4 is essential for cell cycle reentry in G1, whereas Wip1 is required for reentry in G2, but both act to revert the p53 response. These findings help us understand how overexpression of PP4 and Wip1, frequently observed in human cancers, may translate to a poor response to genotoxic therapies.
Damage to insula abolishes cognitive distortions during simulated gambling
Authors: Clark Luke , Studer Bettina , Bruss Joel , Tranel Daniel , Bechara Antoine
Published: April 2014

Significance

Gambling games are associated with a distorted psychological processing of random sequences (the gambler’s fallacy) and unrewarded outcomes that fall close to a jackpot (near misses). Problem gamblers appear more susceptible to these effects. Here, we show that these two gambling distortions are disrupted in patients with brain injury affecting the insula compared with patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex or amygdala. In a roulette task (red/black predictions), comparison groups chose either color less after longer runs of that color outcome. On a slot machine task, comparison groups rated higher motivation following near misses relative to full misses. Our results generate a clinical hypothesis that, in disordered gambling, these cognitions may be underpinned by excessive recruitment of insula circuitry.
Hypothalamic oxytocin and vasopressin neurons exert sex-specific effects on pair bonding, gregariousness, and aggression in finches
Authors: Kelly Aubrey M. , Goodson James L.
Published: April 2014

Significance

Vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) modulate numerous social behaviors, including aggression, grouping, and pair bonding, and many sites of action are known. However, the sources of peptide at those sites remains largely unknown. All sites of action likely receive VP and OT from multiple cell groups (of 20 or more), through either direct innervation or paracrine signaling; thus, experimental manipulations are required to determine functions of individual cell groups. Relevant data are scarce, however. Using RNA interference, we found that OT and VP neurons of the paraventricular hypothalamus modulate various diverse behaviors, including grouping, opposite-sex aggression, pair bonding, intrapair affiliation, and stress coping. Hence paraventricular neurons are major contributors to the effects of VP-OT on behavior.