bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of tunnelling and asymmetry for system-bath models of electron transfer
Authors: Mattiat Johann , Richardson Jeremy O.
Published: October 2017

We apply the newly derived nonadiabatic golden-rule instanton theory to asymmetric models describing electron-transfer in solution. The models go beyond the usual spin-boson description and have anharmonic free-energy surfaces with different values for the reactant and product reorganization energies. The instanton method gives an excellent description of the behaviour of the rate constant with respect to asymmetry for the whole range studied. We derive a general formula for an asymmetric version of the Marcus theory based on the classical limit of the instanton and find that this gives significant corrections to the standard Marcus theory. A scheme is given to compute this rate based only on equilibrium simulations. We also compare the rate constants obtained by the instanton method with its classical limit to study the effect of tunnelling and other quantum nuclear effects. These quantum effects can increase the rate constant by orders of magnitude.
Resonance properties of forced oscillations of particles and gaseous bubbles in a viscous fluid at small Reynolds numbers
Authors: Hassan H. K. , Stepanyants Y. A.
Published: October 2017

We consider small oscillations of micro-particles and gaseous bubbles in a viscous fluid around equilibrium states under the action of a sinusoidal external force. Exact solutions to the governing integro-differential equations containing both Stokes and memory-integral drag forces are obtained. The main aim of this study is to clarify the influence of the memory-integral drag force on the resonance characteristics of oscillating particles or gaseous bubbles in a viscous fluid at small Reynolds numbers. The resonant curves (the amplitude versus the frequency of an external force) and phase-frequency dependences are obtained for both these objects and compared with the corresponding dependences of the traditional oscillator with the Stokes drag force only.
From the discrete Weyl–Wigner formalism for symmetric ordering to a number–phase Wigner function
Authors: Przanowski Maciej , Tosiek Jaromir
Published: October 2017

The general Weyl–Wigner formalism in finite dimensional phase spaces is investigated. Then this formalism is specified to the case of symmetric ordering of operators in an odd-dimensional Hilbert space. A respective Wigner function on the discrete phase space is found and the limit, when the dimension of Hilbert space tends to infinity, is considered. It is shown that this limit gives the number–phase Wigner function in quantum optics. Analogous results for the “almost” symmetric ordering in an even-dimensional Hilbert space are obtained. Relations between the discrete Wigner functions introduced in our paper and some other discrete Wigner functions appearing in literature are studied.
Identification and characterization of
Sr13
, a tetraploid wheat gene that confers resistance to the Ug99 stem rust race group
Authors: Zhang Wenjun , Chen Shisheng , Abate Zewdie , Nirmala Jayaveeramuthu , Rouse Matthew N. , Dubcovsky Jorge
Published: October 2017

Significance

Wheat provides a substantial proportion of the calories and proteins consumed by humans, but further production increases are necessary to feed a growing human population. Reducing yield losses caused by pathogens can contribute to these increases. In this study, we report the identification of
Sr13
, a gene from pasta wheat that confers resistance to the new virulent races of the stem rust pathogen that appeared in Africa at the beginning of this century. We identified three different resistance forms of
Sr13
and developed a diagnostic marker to accelerate their deployment in wheat breeding programs. In addition,
Sr13
can be a useful component of transgenic cassettes including multiple resistance genes.
Search predicts and changes patience in intertemporal choice
Authors: Reeck Crystal , Wall Daniel , Johnson Eric J.
Published: October 2017

Significance

People often make decisions with consequences that unfold over time. When facing such intertemporal choices, people use different search strategies. We examine how these search strategies differ and how they relate to patience in intertemporal choice. We demonstrate that search varies substantially across individuals and identify two main search strategies—comparative or integrative search. Importantly, comparative search correlates with greater patience and higher susceptibility to contextual influences on choice. We manipulated search using an unobtrusive technique, revealing a causal relationship between strategy and choice. Comparative searchers make more patient choices and exhibit larger framing effects than integrative searchers. An understanding of how differences in psychological processes change discounting can inform the design of behavioral interventions to improve consumer welfare.
Unique growth strategy in the Earth’s first trees revealed in silicified fossil trunks from China
Authors: Xu Hong-He , Berry Christopher M. , Stein William E. , Wang Yi , Tang Peng , Fu Qiang
Published: October 2017

Significance

The evolution of trees and forests in the Mid–Late Devonian Period, 393–359 million years ago, profoundly transformed the terrestrial environment and atmosphere. The oldest fossil trees belong to the Cladoxylopsida. Their water-conducting system is a ring of hundreds of individual strands of xylem (water-conducting cells) that are interconnected in many places. Using anatomically preserved trunks, we show how these trees could grow to a large size by the production of large amounts of soft tissues and new wood around the individual xylem strands and by a controlled structural collapse at the expanding base. We have discovered a complex tree growth strategy unique in Earth history, but with some similarity to that of living palms.
Requirement of zinc transporter ZIP10 for epidermal development: Implication of the ZIP10–p63 axis in epithelial homeostasis
Authors: Bin Bum-Ho , Bhin Jinhyuk , Takaishi Mikiro , Toyoshima Koh-ei , Kawamata Saeko , Ito Kana , Hara Takafumi , Watanabe Takashi , Irié Tarou , Takagishi Teruhisa , Lee Su-Hyon , Jung Haeng-Sun , Rho Sangchul , Seo Juyeon , Choi Dong-Hwa , Hwang Daehee , Koseki Haruhiko , Ohara Osamu , Sano Shigetoshi , Tsuji Takashi , Mishima Kenji , Fukada Toshiyuki
Published: October 2017

Significance

Although the epidermis of the skin is the first tissue to manifest a zinc deficiency, the mechanisms underlying zinc-mediated epidermal formation are largely unknown. We demonstrated that the zinc transporter ZIP10, which is highly expressed in the outer root shelf of hair follicles, is essential for epidermal formation. Ablating
Zip10
caused epidermal hypoplasia by down-regulating the transcriptional activity of p63, whereas ZIP10-mediated zinc influx promoted p63 transactivation to induce epidermal morphogenesis. Our results establish the physiological relevance of ZIP10 in epidermal development.
Molecular ensembles make evolution unpredictable
Authors: Sailer Zachary R. , Harms Michael J.
Published: October 2017

Significance

A long-standing goal in evolutionary biology is predicting evolution. Here, we show that the architecture of macromolecules fundamentally limits evolutionary predictability. Under physiological conditions, macromolecules, like proteins, flip between multiple structures, forming an ensemble of structures. A mutation affects all of these structures in slightly different ways, redistributing the relative probabilities of structures in the ensemble. As a result, mutations that follow the first mutation have a different effect than they would if introduced before. This implies that knowing the effects of every mutation in an ancestor would be insufficient to predict evolutionary trajectories past the first few steps, leading to profound unpredictability in evolution. We, therefore, conclude that detailed evolutionary predictions are not possible given the chemistry of macromolecules.
Abiotic production of sugar phosphates and uridine ribonucleoside in aqueous microdroplets
Authors: Nam Inho , Lee Jae Kyoo , Nam Hong Gil , Zare Richard N.
Published: October 2017

Significance

Phosphorylation is essential for life. Phosphorylated molecules play diverse functions in cells, including metabolic (e.g., sugar phosphates), structural (e.g., phospholipids), and instructional (e.g., RNA and DNA). In nature, the phosphorylation of sugars via condensation is thermodynamically and kinetically unfavorable in bulk solution. Thus, a key question arising within prebiotic chemistry concerning the origin of life is, “How was phosphorus incorporated into the biological world?” Here, we show that sugar phosphates and a ribonucleoside form spontaneously in microdroplets, without enzymes or an external energy source. Sugar phosphorylation in microdroplets has a lower entropic cost than in bulk solution. Therefore, thermodynamic obstacles of prebiotic condensation reactions can be circumvented in microdroplets.
Indigenous Common Names and Toponyms in Southern Africa
Authors: Raper Peter E.
Published: October 2017

The primary process of toponymic formation by the earliest indigenous inhabitants of the African sub-continent, the Bushmen and Khoikhoi, was evolutionary. Due to their primary onomastic function, descriptions or common names that identified and referred to geographical features gradually lost their descriptive or lexical semantic relevance and assumed the status of proper names. Physical and cultural contact, including language contact, took place between these indigenous groups and incoming Bantu and European peoples over the past 2000 years. Some indigenous toponyms were adopted by the incoming peoples, but adapted to the phonological and later orthographic systems of the receiver languages; some names were translated, while some were replaced by other names. The present article investigates the phonological and semantic processes of the adaptation of Bushman toponyms by Bantu and European peoples, including folk etymological and associative reinterpretation, and identifies fossilized and disguised Bushman common names embedded in the toponyms.
Onomastic Palimpsests and Indigenous Renaming: Examples from Victoria, Australia
Authors: Clark Ian D.
Published: October 2017

This paper is concerned with onomastic palimpsests in Victoria, Australia, focusing in particular on the 1870s, when the deliberate erasure of colonial names and their replacement with Indigenous names was at the forefront of government policy. In contextualizing this reinstatement of Indigenous toponyms, the paper highlights the agency of parliamentarian and government minister Hon. Robert Ramsay. The primary sources of data are newspaper articles and official government reports. The methodology used is “thick description”. The findings reveal that the government’s efforts were grounded in the collection and collation of place names and vocabulary from Aboriginal people in the previous decade by district surveyors and other local officials. Consistent with recent campaigns in Victoria, the sustained efforts by governments in the 1870s were driven by a desire to remove duplication, erase inappropriate non-Aboriginal place names, and preserve Aboriginal place names. The campaign is unparalleled in the history of Victoria’s toponymic administration.
Survival, Movement, and Distribution of Juvenile Burbot in a Tributary of the Kootenai River
Authors: Beard Zachary S. , Quist Michael C. , Hardy Ryan S. , Ross Tyler J.
Published: October 2017

Burbot Lota lota in the lower Kootenai River, Idaho, have been the focus of extensive conservation efforts, particularly the release of hatchery-reared juvenile Burbot into small tributaries. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game installed a fixed PIT antenna on Deep Creek, a tributary of the Kootenai River, to evaluate movement of juvenile Burbot to the Kootenai River. Since then, approximately 12,000 juvenile Burbot have been PIT-tagged and released into Deep Creek, but few Burbot have been detected at the antenna, thus raising questions about their fate in the creek. The objectives of this study were to evaluate survival, movement, and distribution of Burbot released into Deep Creek. During 2014, 3,000 age-0, 200 age-1, 16 age-2, and 16 age-4 Burbot were released at two different locations; during 2015, 3,000 age-0 Burbot were released at six different locations (i.e., 500 fish/site). Five additional stationary PIT tag antennas were installed on Deep Creek prior to stocking in 2014. Mobile PIT tag antennas were used to survey the creek in 2015 and 2016. A Barker model in Program MARK was used to estimate survival. Stationary and mobile PIT tag antennas relocated 3,372 (56%) of the Burbot released in Deep Creek during 2014 and 2015. Eighty-eight percent of PIT tags relocated during mobile surveys were relocated within 1 km of a release location. Mobile surveys of release locations in Deep Creek suggested poor dispersal from stocking locations. Survival did not vary across years or release groups. Initial 7-month survival in Deep Creek was 0.27, and survival improved to 0.63 after the first 7 months. Although survival did not differ between years or among release groups, managers may consider releasing Burbot at lower densities across multiple locations.

Received April 25, 2017; accepted September 1, 2017 Published online October 23, 2017
Changes in water quality of the rivers discharging into Lake Tanganyika in Bujumbura, Burundi
Authors: Yu Cheng , Chen Shuang S. , Zhang Lu , Gao Qun , Wang Zhaode , Shen Qiushi
Published: October 2017

Sources of pollution at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika are concentrated around Bujumbura, Burundi. This article studied the water quality characteristics of seven inflowing rivers emptying into Lake Tanganyika. Chemical analyses were carried out during rainy and dry seasons. The nutrients and suspended solids at some sites were above the critical level for healthy river water. Contamination was concentrated mainly around urban areas which have been newly developed to accommodate the rapidly growing population in the country. Compared to previous studies, the concentrations of nutrients in the river water were relatively high, indicating increasing pollution in Bujumbura's rivers. The mean values of physico-chemical parameters, with the exception of suspended solids, were found to be higher in the dry season than in the rainy season. This result is consistent with previous studies. Principal components analysis and factor analysis were employed for numerical analyses, and proven to be useful to assess the source of pollution in specific river sites, where monitoring data is missing. Routine monitoring of basic physical and chemical indicators of water quality is recommended for all urban lakes and rivers in order to protect both the aquatic ecosystem and health of the local residents living near the lake.
Thermodynamic cooperativity of cosubstrate binding and cation selectivity of Salmonella typhimurium MelB
Authors: Hariharan Parameswaran , Guan Lan
Published: October 2017

The Na+-coupled melibiose symporter MelB, which can also be coupled to H+ or Li+ transport, is a prototype for the glycoside-pentoside-hexuronide:cation symporter family. Although the 3-D x-ray crystal structure of Salmonella typhimurium MelB (MelBSt) has been determined, the symport mechanisms for the obligatory coupled transport are not well understood. Here, we apply isothermal titration calorimetry to determine the energetics of Na+ and melibiose binding to MelBSt, as well as protonation of this transporter. Studies of the thermodynamic cycle for the formation of the Na+–MelBSt–melibiose ternary complex at pH 7.45 reveal that the binding of Na+ and melibiose is cooperative. The binding affinity for one substrate (Na+ or melibiose) is increased by the presence of the other by about eightfold. The coupling free energies (ΔΔG) of either substrate binding are ∼5 kJ/mol, and binding of both substrates releases a free energy of ∼35 kJ/mol. Measurements of the Na+-binding enthalpy at three different pH values, including the pKa value of MelB, indicate that the binding of one Na+ displaces one H+ per MelBSt molecule. In addition, the absolute dissociation constants for Na+ and H+, determined by competitive binding, show that MelBSt is selective for H+ over Na+ by ∼1,000-fold at a pKa of 6.25. Thus, the Na+ coupling in MelBSt is based not on ion selectivity but on ion concentrations and competitive binding because of a much higher Na+ concentration under physiological conditions. Such a selectivity feature seems to be common for membrane transport proteins that can bind both H+ and Na+ at a common site.
Bayesian data integration for quantifying the contribution of diverse measurements to parameter estimates
Authors: Thijssen Bram , Dijkstra Tjeerd M H , Heskes Tom , Wessels Lodewyk F A
Published: October 2017

Motivation

Computational models in biology are frequently underdetermined, due to limits in our capacity to measure biological systems. In particular, mechanistic models often contain parameters whose values are not constrained by a single type of measurement. It may be possible to achieve better model determination by combining the information contained in different types of measurements. Bayesian statistics provides a convenient framework for this, allowing a quantification of the reduction in uncertainty with each additional measurement type. We wished to explore whether such integration is feasible and whether it can allow computational models to be more accurately determined.

Results

We created an ordinary differential equation model of cell cycle regulation in budding yeast and integrated data from 13 different studies covering different experimental techniques. We found that for some parameters, a single type of measurement, relative time course mRNA expression, is sufficient to constrain them. Other parameters, however, were only constrained when two types of measurements were combined, namely relative time course and absolute transcript concentration. Comparing the estimates to measurements from three additional, independent studies, we found that the degradation and transcription rates indeed matched the model predictions in order of magnitude. The predicted translation rate was incorrect however, thus revealing a deficiency in the model. Since this parameter was not constrained by any of the measurement types separately, it was only possible to falsify the model when integrating multiple types of measurements. In conclusion, this study shows that integrating multiple measurement types can allow models to be more accurately determined.

Availability and implementation

The models and files required for running the inference are included in the Supplementary information.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The first near-complete assembly of the hexaploid bread wheat genome, Triticum aestivum
Authors: Zimin Aleksey V , Puiu Daniela , Hall Richard , Kingan Sarah , Clavijo Bernardo J , Salzberg Steven L
Published: October 2017

Common bread wheat, Triticum aestivum, has one of the most complex genomes known to science, with 6 copies of each chromosome, enormous numbers of near-identical sequences scattered throughout, and an overall haploid size of more than 15 billion bases. Multiple past attempts to assemble the genome have produced assemblies that were well short of the estimated genome size. Here we report the first near-complete assembly of T. aestivum, using deep sequencing coverage from a combination of short Illumina reads and very long Pacific Biosciences reads. The final assembly contains 15 344 693 583 bases and has a weighted average (N50) contig size of 232 659 bases. This represents by far the most complete and contiguous assembly of the wheat genome to date, providing a strong foundation for future genetic studies of this important food crop. We also report how we used the recently published genome of Aegilops tauschii, the diploid ancestor of the wheat D genome, to identify 4 179 762 575 bp of T. aestivum that correspond to its D genome components.
Nature inspired algorithms for solving the community detection problem
Authors: Hussein Eslam , Ibrahem Hafez Ahmed , Ella Hassanien Aboul , Fahmy Aly A
Published: October 2017

Nature inspired Swarm algorithms have proven to be effective in solving recent complex optimization problems. Comparing such algorithm is a difficult task due to many facts, the nature of the swarm, the nature of the optimization problem itself and number of controlling parameters of the swarm algorithm. In this work we compared two recent swarm algorithms applied to the community detection problem which are the Bat Algorithm (BA) and Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (AFSA). Community detection is an active problem in social network analysis. The problem of detecting communities can be represented as an optimization problem where a quality fitness function that captures the intuition of a community as a group of nodes with better internal connectivity than external connectivity is chosen to be optimized. We also investigated the application of the BA and AFSA in solving the community section problem. And introduced a comparative analysis between the two algorithms and other well-known methods. The study show the effectiveness and the limitations of both algorithms.
Sequential Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in a Single Year Caused by Norovirus Genotypes GII.2 and GII.6 in an Institutional Setting
Authors: Karangwa Consolee K , Parra Gabriel I , Bok Karin , Johnson Jordan A , Levenson Eric A , Green Kim Y
Published: October 2017

Background

Norovirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Improved diagnostic capability has been instrumental in the characterization of archival norovirus strains associated with gastroenteritis outbreaks that were investigated decades ago. One such investigation was that of 2 sequential gastroenteritis outbreaks that occurred in 1971 at the former Henryton State Hospital in Maryland. Approximately 40% of the resident population experienced clinical symptoms in both outbreaks, which occurred 11 months apart.

Methods

Stored stools and paired sera were re-analyzed to investigate the etiology of the 2 outbreaks.

Results

Different norovirus genotypes were identified as the etiological agents responsible for the illnesses, with GII.2 associated with the first outbreak and GII.6 with the second. The viruses were antigenically distinct as determined by analyses of hyperimmune sera raised against the corresponding virus-like particles in animals, as well as paired sera from infected individuals.

Conclusions

The observed antigenic differences were consistent with the failure of the GII.2 strain to provide cross-protective immunity to the GII.6 strain a few months later. An understanding of antigenic diversity among norovirus genotypes will be important in the design of norovirus vaccines.
Clustering of quasars in a wide luminosity range at redshift 4 with Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Wide-field imaging
Authors: He Wanqiu , Akiyama Masayuki , Bosch James , Enoki Motohiro , Harikane Yuichi , Ikeda Hiroyuki , Kashikawa Nobunari , Kawaguchi Toshihiro , Komiyama Yutaka , Lee Chien-Hsiu , Matsuoka Yoshiki , Miyazaki Satoshi , Nagao Tohru , Nagashima Masahiro , Niida Mana , Nishizawa Atsushi J , Oguri Masamune , Onoue Masafusa , Oogi Taira , Ouchi Masami , Schulze Andreas , Shirasaki Yuji , Silverman John D , Tanaka Manobu M , Tanaka Masayuki , Toba Yoshiki , Uchiyama Hisakazu , Yamashita Takuji
Published: October 2017

We examine the clustering of quasars over a wide luminosity range, by utilizing 901 quasars at $\overline{z}_{\rm phot}\sim 3.8$ with −24.73 < M1450 < −22.23 photometrically selected from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) S16A Wide2 date release and 342 more luminous quasars at 3.4 < zspec < 4.6 with −28.0 < M1450 < −23.95 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey that fall in the HSC survey fields. We measure the bias factors of two quasar samples by evaluating the cross-correlation functions (CCFs) between the quasar samples and 25790 bright z ∼ 4 Lyman break galaxies in M1450 < −21.25 photometrically selected from the HSC dataset. Over an angular scale of 10${^{\prime\prime}_{.}}$0 to 1000${^{\prime\prime}_{.}}$0, the bias factors are $5.93^{+1.34}_{-1.43}$ and $2.73^{+2.44}_{-2.55}$ for the low- and high-luminosity quasars, respectively, indicating no significant luminosity dependence of quasar clustering at z ∼ 4. It is noted that the bias factor of the luminous quasars estimated by the CCF is smaller than that estimated by the auto-correlation function over a similar redshift range, especially on scales below 40${^{\prime\prime}_{.}}$0. Moreover, the bias factor of the less-luminous quasars implies the minimal mass of their host dark matter halos is 0.3–2 × 1012 h−1 M⊙, corresponding to a quasar duty cycle of 0.001–0.06.
Impact of global change on future Ebola emergence and epidemic potential in Africa
Authors: Redding D. W. , Atkinson P. M. , Cunningham A. A. , Lo Iacono G. , Moses L. M. , Wood J. , Jones K. E.
Published: October 2017

Animal-borne or zoonotic human diseases (e.g., SARS, Rabies) represent major health and economic burdens throughout the world, disproportionately impacting poor communities. In 2013-2016, an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), a zoonotic disease spread from animal reservoirs caused by the Zaire Ebola virus (EBOV), infected approximately 30,000 people, causing considerable negative social and economic impacts in an unexpected geographical location(Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia). It is not known whether the spatial distribution of this outbreak and unprecedented severity was precipitated by environmental changes and, if so, which areas might be at risk in the future. To better address the major health and economic impacts of zoonotic diseases we develop a system-dynamics approach to capture the impact of future climate, land use and human population change on Ebola (EVD). We create future risk maps for affected areas and predict between a 1.75-3.2 fold increase in EVD outbreaks per year by 2070. While the best case future scenarios we test saw a reduction in the likelihood of epidemics, other future scenarios with high human population growth and low rates of socioeconomic development saw a fourfold increase in the risk of epidemics occurring and almost 50% increase in the risk of catastrophic epidemics. As well as helping to target where health infrastructure might be further developed or vaccines best deployed, our modelling framework can be used to target global interventions and forecast risk for many other zoonotic diseases.

Significance Statement

Despite the severe health and economic impacts of outbreaks of diseases like SARS or Zika, there has been surprisingly little progress in predicting where and when human infectious disease outbreaks will occur next. By modelling the impacts of future climate, land use and human population change on one particular disease Ebola, we develop future risk maps for the affected areas and predict 1.7-3.2 times as many human Ebola outbreaks per year by 2070, and a 50% increase in the chance that these outbreaks will become epidemics. As well as helping to target where health infrastructure might be further developed or vaccines deployed, our approach can also be used to target actions and predict risk hotspots for many other infectious diseases.
Distinct glycosaminoglycan chain length and sulfation patterns required for cellular uptake of Tau, Aβ, and α-Synuclein
Authors: Stopschinski Barbara E. , Holmes Brandon B. , Miller Gregory M. , Vaquer-Alicea Jaime , Hsieh-Wilson Linda C. , Diamond Marc I.
Published: October 2017

Transcellular propagation of aggregate “seeds” has been proposed to mediate progression of neurodegenerative diseases in tauopathies and α-synucleinopathies. We have previously determined that tau and α-synuclein aggregates bind heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) on the cell surface. This mediates uptake and intracellular seeding. The specificity and mode of binding to HSPGs has been unknown. We used modified heparins to determine the size and sulfation requirements of glycosaminoglycan (GAGs) binding to aggregates in biochemical and cell uptake and seeding assays. Aggregates of tau require a precise GAG architecture with defined sulfate moieties in the N- and 6-O-positions, whereas α-synuclein and Aβ rely slightly more on overall charge on the GAGs. To determine the genetic requirements for aggregate uptake, we individually knocked out the major genes of the HSPG synthesis pathway using CRISPR/Cas9 in HEK293T cells. Knockout of EXT1, EXT2 and EXTL3, N-sulfotransferase (NDST1), and 6-O-sulfotransferase (HS6ST2) significantly reduced tau uptake. α-Synuclein was not sensitive to HS6ST2 knockout. Good correlation between pharmacologic and genetic manipulation of GAG binding by tau and α-synuclein indicates specificity that may help elucidate a path to mechanism-based inhibition of transcellular propagation of pathology.
Clinically-guided mutation screening of two families with hereditary retinal disease
Authors: Li Jian , Yiming Aierken , Wang Ping
Published: October 2017

Hereditary retinal disease (HRD) is a series of Mendelian diseases affecting the retina in the eye. The genetic basis of HRD is very complicated, with more than 100 disease-causing genes being identified. Though NGS has allowed rapid and large-scale mutation screening of Mendelian disease, the cost of NGS still prevents its universal application all over the world, for an accurate molecular diagnosis. Here, by clinical guidance from patient phenotypes, we performed targeted molecular diagnosis by direct Sanger sequencing of the most likely candidate gene in two families diagnosed with HRD. Then we identified two novel protein-truncating variants in the gene CRB1. Our results demonstrated the notion that molecular diagnosis and clinical diagnosis can be mutually supplemented and clinically guided direct sequencing is a cost-effective approach for molecular diagnosis and subsequent genetic counseling.
Field evidence for manipulation of mosquito host selection by the human malaria parasite,Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Vantaux Amélie , Yao Franck , Hien Domonbabele FdS , Guissou Edwige , Yameogo Bienvenue K. , Gouagna Louis-Clément , Fontenille Didier , Renaud François , Simard Frédéric , Constantini Carlo , Thomas Fréderic , Mouline Karine , Roche Benjamin , Cohuet Anna , Dabiré Kounbobr R , Lefèvre Thierry
Published: October 2017

Whether the malaria parasitePlasmodium falciparumcan manipulate mosquito host choice in ways that enhance parasite transmission toward humans is unknown. We assessed the influence ofP. falciparumon the blood-feeding behaviour of three of its major vectors (Anopheles coluzzii, An. gambiaeandAn. arabiensis) in Burkina Faso. Host preference assays using odour-baited traps revealed no effect of infection on mosquito long-range anthropophily. However, the identification of the blood meal origin of mosquitoes showed that females carrying sporozoites, the mature transmissible stage of the parasite, displayed a 24% increase in anthropophagy compared to both females harbouring oocysts, the parasite immature stage, and uninfected individuals. Using a mathematical model, we further showed that this increased anthropophagy in infectious females resulted in a > 250% increase in parasite transmission potential, everything else being equal. This important epidemiological consequence highlights the importance of vector control tools targeting infectious females.
Periplasmic form of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV fromPseudoxanthomonas mexicanaWO24: purification, kinetic characterization, crystallization and X-ray crystallographic analysis
Authors: Roppongi Saori , Tateoka Chika , Fujimoto Mayu , Iizuka Ippei , Morisawa Saori , Nakamura Akihiro , Honma Nobuyuki , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Shida Yosuke , Ogasawara Wataru , Tanaka Nobutada , Sakamoto Yasumitsu , Nonaka Takamasa
Published: October 2017

Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV (DAP IV or DPP IV) fromPseudoxanthomonas mexicanaWO24 (PmDAP IV) preferentially cleaves substrate peptides with Pro or Ala at the P1 position [NH2-P2-P1(Pro/Ala)-P1′-P2′…]. For crystallographic studies, the periplasmic form of PmDAP IV was overproduced inEscherichia coli, purified and crystallized in complex with the tripeptide Lys-Pro-Tyr using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. Kinetic parameters of the purified enzyme against a synthetic substrate were also determined. X-ray diffraction data to 1.90 Å resolution were collected from a triclinic crystal form belonging to space groupP1, with unit-cell parametersa= 88.66,b= 104.49,c = 112.84 Å, α = 67.42, β = 68.83, γ = 65.46°. Initial phases were determined by the molecular-replacement method usingStenotrophomonas maltophiliaDPP IV (PDB entry 2ecf) as a template and refinement of the structure is in progress.
Crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis of native and selenomethionine-substituted PhyH-DI fromBacillussp. HJB17
Authors: Lu Fang , Zhang Bei , Liu Yong , Song Ying , Guo Gangxing , Feng Duo , Huang Huoqing , Yang Peilong , Gao Wei , Guo Sujuan , Yao Bin
Published: October 2017

Phytases are phosphatases that hydrolyze phytates to less phosphorylatedmyo-inositol derivatives and inorganic phosphate. β-Propeller phytases, which are very diverse phytases with improved thermostability that are active at neutral and alkaline pH and have absolute substrate specificity, are ideal substitutes for other commercial phytases. PhyH-DI, a β-propeller phytase fromBacillussp. HJB17, was found to act synergistically with other single-domain phytases and can increase their efficiency in the hydrolysis of phytate. Crystals of native and selenomethionine-substituted PhyH-DI were obtained using the vapour-diffusion method in a condition consisting of 0.2 Msodium chloride, 0.1 MTris pH 8.5, 25%(w/v) PEG 3350 at 289 K. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 3.00 and 2.70 Å resolution, respectively, at 100 K. Native PhyH-DI crystals belonged to space groupC121, with unit-cell parametersa = 156.84,b = 45.54,c = 97.64 Å, α = 90.00, β = 125.86, γ = 90.00°. The asymmetric unit contained two molecules of PhyH-DI, with a corresponding Matthews coefficient of 2.17 Å3 Da−1and a solvent content of 43.26%. Crystals of selenomethionine-substituted PhyH-DI belonged to space groupC2221, with unit-cell parametersa = 94.71,b= 97.03,c= 69.16 Å, α = β = γ = 90.00°. The asymmetric unit contained one molecule of the protein, with a corresponding Matthews coefficient of 2.44 Å3 Da−1and a solvent content of 49.64%. Initial phases for PhyH-DI were obtained from SeMet SAD data sets. These data will be useful for further studies of the structure–function relationship of PhyH-DI.
Scandals from an island: Testing Anglo-American corporate governance frameworks
Authors: Uddin Shahzad , Jayasinghe Kelum , Ahmed Shaila
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an account of banking scandals in relation to corporate governance (CG) failures in an emerging economy, arguing that Anglo-American ideas of CG are misplaced in traditional settings.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. Observations of annual general meetings (AGMs) and the personal working experience of one of the researchers, along with documentation, provided triangulating data on CG practices.

Findings

The authors have found that both of the banks studied had adopted CG practices contrary to the expectations of the Sri Lankan CG codes. Key features of CG practices that emerged from their investigations of these two scandals are ineffectual central bank regulations, familial boards of directors, ceremonial board meetings, biased auditing practices and manipulative AGMs, relying on traditional structures of accountability centred around families, kin and social networks.

Research limitations/implications

The authors argue, drawing on Weber (1958, 1961, 1968, 1978), that the traditionalist culture mediates the process of rationality in bank governance codes and regulatory frameworks Therefore, practices fall far short of expectations.

Originality/value

The paper builds on the extended critique of shareholder-centric CG models and their transferability to alien contexts. It contributes to the CG studies calling for more appreciation of the need to move beyond the conventional view of CG problems as simply down to conflicts of interests. The authors complement and advance the decoupling debate in CG studies drawing on the Weberian notion of traditionalism.
Impulse buying intentions of young consumers from a hedonic shopping perspective
Authors: Dey Dipanjan Kumar , Srivastava Ankur
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to examine predictors of impulsive buying intentions among youngsters from a hedonic shopping perspective. Recent theoretical work suggests that impulsive buying can function as a form of different hedonic shopping value dimensions such as fun, social interactions, novelty, escapism and outside appreciation.

Design/methodology/approach

The present research empirically tests a theoretical model of impulse buying intentions by examining the associations between hedonic shopping value dimensions and intentions in the presence of situational characteristics as moderators. A survey of 333 youngsters aged 15 to 23 is conducted using a structured questionnaire. Constructs are measured using established scales.

Findings

Results indicate that the impulsive buying intentions of youngsters are positively associated with all the five dimensions of hedonic shopping value. Situational characteristics of money and time availability positively moderate this relationship. Task definition negatively moderates the association between impulsive buying intention and hedonic shopping value dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

Two major theoretical implications result from this study. First, the study enabled the conceptualization of a theoretical framework of impulse buying intentions by including five dimensions of hedonic shopping value as important factors in young consumers’ impulse behavior buying intentions. Further, it includes the moderating effects of all the three aspects of situational characteristics in the same model.

Practical implications

The marketers can make use of the shopping value dimensions and the situational characteristics moderators to design and implement marketing strategies so that sales via impulse buying are maximized.

Originality/value

This study provides novel insights on the complex process of impulsive buying by youngsters by expanding the application of the hedonic shopping motives in the presence of situational factors as moderating variables.
Alternative explanations of relationship maintenance intention in mediation
Authors: Ha Hong-Youl , Kim Jang-Gyem , Chung Yongkyun
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to select the best model among alternative models explaining the relationship maintenance in mediation.

Design/methodology/approach

Four alternative models are employed in order to select best fit model through the test of each construct using Korean and Indonesian firm data.

Findings

The settlement model out of four alternative models is the best fit model in both Korea and Indonesia. The nexus of experience-settlement is not similar between Korea and Indonesia. The nexus of cost-saving-settlement is similar between two countries.

Practical implications

The field manager and policy maker get useful information from the findings. In particular, Korea and Indonesia belong to different cultural clusters.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the mediation literature through the suggestion of hypothesized model of relationship maintenance intention in mediation.
Judicial Murder‐Suicides in Van Diemen's Land
Authors: Byard Roger W. , Maxwell Stewart Hamish
Published: October 2017

On the morning of December 17, 1827, nine convicts were executed by public hanging in Hobart Town, the capital of the British colony of Van Diemen's Land (now the Australian state of Tasmania). Two months previously they had drowned senior Constable George Rex on Small Island, which was part of the penal settlement at Macquarie Harbor, in front of five bound and gagged witnesses. They offered no defence at their trial. Examination of the Tasmanian colonial convict records shows that “suicide by lottery” involved convicts choosing two men, one to die and the other to kill him. The witnesses would earn a respite when taken away for the trial, and the murderer would be executed. “Death by gallows” could be considered a nineteenth‐century version of an orchestrated suicide reminiscent of more modern “death by cop.” This category of “judicial” murder‐suicide expands the range of contemporary classifications of dyadic deaths.
Minimally invasive esophagectomy in the lateral‐prone position: Experience of 124 cases in a single center
Authors: Ma Shaohua , Yan Tianshen , Liu Dandan , Wang Keyi , Wang Jingdi , Song Jintao , Wang Tong , He Wei , Bai Jie , Jin Liang
Published: October 2017

Background

Minimally invasive esophagectomy was first introduced as a new technique for esophageal cancer treatment 20 years ago. Performing this procedure in the lateral‐prone position is the most appropriate method. Since May 2013, our center has performed 124 esophageal cancer operations using this procedure. Herein, we share our experience.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 124 consecutive patients who had received minimally invasive esophagectomy in the lateral‐prone position from May 2013 to June 2017. The procedure, operative variables, postoperative complications, and oncology outcomes were assessed.

Results

The surgery was successful in all 124 patients; three cases converted to an abdominal opening procedure during surgery. The mean total lymph node harvest was 19.2: 12.9 in the thoracic cavity and 6.0 in the abdominal cavity. The average total operation duration was 376 minutes and blood loss was 156 mL. No mortality occurred within 30 postoperative days. Forty‐three cases of postoperative morbidity occurred in 38 patients (30.6%), including 11 anastomotic leakages (8.9%), 1 chyle leak (0.8%), 12 lateral recurrent nerve palsies (9.7%), 11 pulmonary complications (8.9%), and 8 other complications (6.5%). A learning curve indicated that blood loss, operation duration, and the number of lymph nodes harvested would improve with time.

Conclusions

Surgical and oncological outcomes following minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were acceptable. There are some advantages to this technique compared to previous reports of opening procedures.
A systematic review of nonpharmacological prenatal interventions for pregnancy‐specific anxiety and fear of childbirth
Authors: Stoll Kathrin , Swift Emma Marie , Fairbrother Nichole , Nethery Elizabeth , Janssen Patricia
Published: October 2017

Background

Despite a sharp increase in the number of publications that report on treatment options for pregnancy‐specific anxiety and fear of childbirth (PSA/FoB), no systematic review of nonpharmacological prenatal interventions for PSA/FoB has been published. Our team addressed this gap, as an important first step in developing guidelines and recommendations for the treatment of women with PSA/FoB.

Methods

Two databases (PubMed and Mendeley) were searched, using a combination of 42 search terms. After removing duplicates, two authors independently assessed 208 abstracts. Sixteen studies met eligibility criteria, ie, the article reported on an intervention, educational component, or treatment regime for PSA/FoB during pregnancy, and included a control group. Independent quality assessments resulted in the retention of seven studies.

Results

Six of seven included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one a quasi‐experimental study. Five studies received moderate quality ratings and two strong ratings. Five of seven studies reported significant changes in PSA/FoB, as a result of the intervention. Short individual psychotherapeutic interventions (1.5‐5 hours) delivered by midwives or obstetricians were effective for women with elevated childbirth fear. Interventions that were effective for pregnant women with a range of different fear/anxiety levels were childbirth education at the hospital (2 hours), prenatal Hatha yoga (8 weeks), and an 8‐week prenatal education course (16 hours).

Conclusions

Findings from this review can inform the development of treatment approaches to support pregnant women with PSA/FoB.
The cost of simplifying complex developmental phenomena: a new perspective on learning to walk
Authors: Lee Do Kyeong , Cole Whitney G. , Golenia Laura , Adolph Karen E.
Published: October 2017

Researchers can study complex developmental phenomena with all the inherent noise and complexity or simplify behaviors to hone in on the essential aspects of a phenomenon. We used the development of walking as a model system to compare the costs and benefits of simplifying a complex, noisy behavior. Traditionally, researchers simplify infant walking by recording gait measures as infants take continuous, forward steps along straight paths. Here, we compared the traditional straight‐path task with spontaneous walking during 20 minutes of free play in 97 infants (10.75–19.99 months of age). We recorded infants’ footfalls on an instrumented floor to calculate gait measures in the straight‐path and free‐play tasks. In addition, we scored videos for other critical aspects of spontaneous walking—steps per bout, shape of walking path, and step direction. Studying infant walking during free play incurred no cost compared with the straight‐path task, but considerable benefits. Straight‐path gait was highly correlated with spontaneous gait and both sets of measures improved with walking age, validating use of the straight‐path task as an index of development. However, a large proportion of free‐play bouts were too short to permit standard gait measures, and most bouts were curved with omnidirectional steps. The high prevalence of these “non‐canonical” bouts was constant over development. We propose that a focus on spontaneous walking, the phenomenon we ostensibly wish to explain, yields important insights into the problems infants solve while learning to walk. Other areas of developmental research may also benefit from retaining the complexity of complex phenomena.
Media coverage of the ‘UK flooding crisis’: a social panorama
Authors: Valencio Norma , Valencio Arthur
Published: October 2017

A disaster referred to by the press as the ‘UK flooding crisis’ occurred between December 2015 and January 2016. This study employed three different levels of analysis to identify a multidimensional perspective adopted in the disaster reporting of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). These levels revealed details about the social actors and their interactions. The set of news exposed diverse viewpoints on the crisis, from loss and damage to distinct affected subgroups to the various social engagement actions of aid and the multiplicity of technical response measures. The conclusions highlight considerable social amplitude in the BBC's coverage; however, owing to the reductionist approach of this media communicator, the field of action involving different social actors was not very clear in the content of the news, particularly with regard to cohesion, conflict/obstruction, and concernthe concept of crisis in its essence. In addition, the paper suggests new questions for future reports.