bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theta Groups and Products of Abelian and Rational Varieties
Authors: Zarhin Yuri G.
Published: December 2013

We prove that an analogue of Jordan's theorem on finite subgroups of general linear groups does not hold for the groups of birational automorphisms of products of an elliptic curve and the projective line. This gives a negative answer to a question posed by Vladimir L. Popov.
Consumption of transgenic milk containing the antimicrobials lactoferrin and lysozyme separately and in conjunction by 6-week-old pigs improves intestinal and systemic health
Authors: Cooper Caitlin A , Maga Elizabeth A , Murray James D
Published: December 2013

Lactoferrin and lysozyme are antimicrobial and immunomodulatory proteins produced in high quantities in human milk that aid in gastrointestinal (GI) health and have beneficial effects when supplemented separately and in conjunction in human and animal diets. Ruminants produce low levels of lactoferrin and lysozyme; however, there are genetically engineered cattle and goats that respectively secrete recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLF-milk), and human lysozyme (hLZ-milk) in their milk. Effects of consumption of rhLF-milk, hLZ-milk and a combination of rhLF-and hLZ-milk were tested on young pigs as an animal model for the GI tract of children. Compared with control milk-fed pigs, pigs fed a combination of rhLF and hLZ (rhLF+hLZ) milk had a significantly deeper intestinal crypts and a thinner lamina propria layer. Pigs fed hLZ-milk, rhLF-milk and rhLF+hLZ had significantly reduced mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red blood cells (RBCs) were significantly increased in pigs fed hLZ-milk and rhLF-milk and tended to be increased in rhLF+hLZ-fed pigs, indicating more mature RBCs. These results support previous research demonstrating that pigs fed milk containing rhLF or hLZ had decreased intestinal inflammation, and suggest that in some parameters the combination of lactoferrin and lysozyme have additive effects, in contrast to the synergistic effects reported when utilising in-vitro models.
Absence of growth ofListeria monocytogenesin naturally contaminated Cheddar cheese
Authors: Dalmasso Marion , Jordan Kieran
Published: December 2013

Each cheese producer is responsible by the legislation for the number ofListeria monocytogenesin cheese and is required to prove that numbers will not exceed 100 cfu/g throughout the shelf-life of the cheese. Even in the case of hard-cheese such as Cheddar cheese, the absence of growth ofList. monocytogenesduring ripening has to be demonstrated to comply with EU legislation. Studies dedicated to assessingList. monocytogenesgrowth throughout cheese shelf-life are generally based on artificially contaminated cheeses. Contrary to the majority of works, the current study focused on the growth ofList. monocytogenesin naturally contaminated raw milk farmhouse Cheddar cheeses during a five-month ripening period.List. monocytogenesgrowth was assessed by direct count and its presence was detected by enrichment in two naturally contaminated cheese batches. In order to track routes of contamination, 199 processing environment samples from inside and outside the processing facility were taken, and their analysis for the presence ofList. monocytogeneswas performed on four occasions over a 9-month period.List. monocytogenesisolates were differentiated using PFGE and serotyping.List. monocytogenesnever exceeded 20 cfu/g in the cheeses and could not be detected after five months of ripening. Eleven pulsotypes were identified. One pulsotype was found in the yard outside the processing facility, in a vat, on the processing area floor and in a cheese. This indicated that the outside environment constitutes a potential source of contamination of the processing environment and of the cheese. These results demonstrate that this farmhouse Cheddar cheese does not supportList. monocytogenesgrowth and suggests that the efforts to reduce processing environment contamination are worthwhile.
Trichodina heterodentata(Ciliophora) infestation onProchilodus lineatuslarvae: a host–parasite relationship study
Authors: VALLADÃO GUSTAVO MORAES RAMOS , GALLANI SÍLVIA UMEDA , DE PÁDUA SANTIAGO BENITES , MARTINS MAURÍCIO LATERÇA , PILARSKI FABIANA
Published: December 2013

Prochilodus lineatusis a freshwater fish species found in South America. It is common in aquaculture, but few studies regarding diseases of this fish have been performed. This study presents data of the occurrence ofTrichodina heterodentataDuncan, 1977, as well as the pathological alterations detected by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Twenty 20-day-old larvae were harvested from an earth pond and examined. Larvae showed erratic swimming on the pond edges and some had a whitish tegument. Larval smears were either impregnated with silver nitrate or stained with Giemsa stain to observe the taxonomic features of the ciliates. Five larvae were fixed in formalin solution for histopathological analysis, and another five specimens were fixed in glutaraldehyde for SEM. All larvae were diagnosed with a severe infestation by trichodinidT. heterodentata. Histological sections showed discrete hyperplasia of the gill filaments with subepithelial oedema of the secondary lamellae. In the SEM, suction areas were observed on the skin, gill and eye; corrosion and ulceration of the fins were associated with the bacterial presence of cocci on the lesions. This is the first report ofT. heterodentatainP. lineatusthat is responsible for an acute disease that culminates in larval mortality.
EFFECTS OF VARIABILITY IN FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY ON L2 VOCABULARY LEARNING
Authors: Barcroft Joe , Sommers Mitchell S.
Published: December 2013

Previous studies (Barcroft & Sommers, 2005; Sommers & Barcroft, 2007) have demonstrated that variability in talker, speaking style, and speaking rate positively affect second language vocabulary learning, whereas variability in overall amplitude and fundamental frequency (F0) do not, at least for native English speakers. Sommers and Barcroft (2007) hypothesized that English speakers do not benefit (with regard to second language vocabulary learning) from amplitude and F0 variability because these are not phonetically relevant to them. The present study further tested this hypothesis by examining effects of F0 variability among adults who speak a tone language (Zapotec-Spanish bilinguals) and those who do not speak a tone language (Spanish speakers with substantial knowledge of English). Participants attempted to learn 24 Russian words while hearing the words and viewing their corresponding pictures. Three levels of F0 variability were compared. Fundamental frequency variability significantly improved vocabulary learning for speakers of the tone language (Zapotec) but not for the Spanish speakers. This result provides strong evidence that effects of acoustic variability on learning new word forms depend on phonetic relevance.
Keeping Up! Older Workers’ Adaptation in the Workplace after Age 55
Authors: Ng Eddy S. W. , Law Alan
Published: December 2013

Comment les travailleurs âgés, après l’âge de 55 ans, peuvent-ils se maintenir et s’adapter à un milieu de travail en évolution? En explorant cette question, cette étude a examiné précisément comment les changements liés à l’âge touchent aux travailleurs, comment les travailleurs âgés font face à une perte de ressources, comment ils s’engagent dans la gestion de leur vie, et pourquoi certains parmi eux réussissent plus que d’autres. Une analyse profondie a été réalisée en utilisant 32 entretiens semi-directifs menés avec les travailleurs âgés de 55 a 64 ans. Une analyse profondie a été réalisée en utilisant 32 entretiens semi-directifs menés avec les travailleurs âgés de 55 a 64 ans. Nos conclusions suggèrent que les travailleurs les plus vieux utilisent diverses stratégies pour s’adapter à un changement de ressources, et que ces stratégies les aident à se débrouiller et maintenir leur fonctionnement dans leur milieu de travail. Comme les plus vieux travailleurs exigent des types différents de soutien d’employeur, notre étude fournit une compréhension de comment les employeurs peuvent fournir ce soutien pour encourager de plus vieux travailleurs pour rester dans la main-d’oeuvre plus longue. Nous suggérons aussi plusieurs avenues pour la recherche future, y compris explorer le rôle de sources internes de soutien.
Ensuring the Success of Interprofessional Teams: Key Lessons Learned in Memory Clinics
Authors: Lee Linda , Hillier Loretta M. , Weston W. Wayne
Published: December 2013

Cliniques de mémoire en soins de santé primaires suscitent un intérêt croissant, car elles offrent la possibilité d’améliorer le diagnostic et le traitement de la démence. En Ontario, plus de 30 établissements de soins primaires ont participé à un programme de formation visant à aider les participants à établir une clinique de mémoire indépendante dans leur milieu de pratique. Cet article présente les principales leçons acquises dans la mise en oeuvre de ces cliniques sur la base d’une étude qui a utilisé une méthodologie d’entrevue avec les membres des équipes de cliniques de mémoire et a identifié les facteurs favorables, les défis et les recommandations pour la soutenabilité. L’accès à la formation qui facilite le transfert des connaissances et soutient les changements dans la pratique, la collaboration interprofessionnelle, et le soutien de l’infrastructure en cours était d’une importance capitale. Des suggestions pour la mise en place de cliniques et de renforcement des capacités continues ont été identifiés. Les leçons apprises sont applicables à la mise en oeuvre d’autres modèles de prise en charge des maladies chroniques dont le but est la gestion des soins de santé primaires de maladies chroniques complexes.
The developmental psychopathology of irritability
Authors: Leibenluft Ellen , Stoddard Joel
Published: December 2013

Chronic, severe irritability is common in childhood and is very impairing. Furthermore, childhood irritability predicts suicidality, social impairment, and depressive and anxiety disorders in adulthood. Focusing on both normative and pathologic development, we review the construct of irritability from its origins in aggression and disruptive behavior research to its contemporary relevance for affective psychopathology. We then describe two broad neurocognitive systems that show promise in differentiating irritable from nonirritable youths: aberrant processing of emotional stimuli and impaired context-sensitive regulation. We suggest behavioral, neurocognitive, and physiologic measures that may aid in studying severe irritability and assessing its therapeutics. Finally, we argue for therapeutic trials targeting severe irritability that address emotional aspects of irritability in addition to the associated disruptive behavior.
Comorbidities and continuities as ontogenic processes: Toward a developmental spectrum model of externalizing psychopathology
Authors: Beauchaine Theodore P. , McNulty Tiffany
Published: December 2013

Research on child and adolescent mental health problems has burgeoned since the inaugural issue ofDevelopment and Psychopathologywas published in 1989. In the quarter century since, static models of psychopathology have been abandoned in favor of transactional models, following the agenda set by editor Dante Cicchetti and other proponents of the discipline. The transactional approach, which has been applied to autism, depression, self-injury, and delinquency, (a) specifies vulnerabilities and risk factors across multiple levels of analysis spanning genes to cultures, (b) identifies multifinal and equifinal pathways to psychopathology, and (c) transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. However, as noted by Rutter and Sroufe (2000), specific mechanisms of continuity, discontinuity, and comorbidity of psychopathology must be identified if we wish to understand etiology fully. In this article, we present a model of early-onset externalizing behavior in which comorbidities and continuities are viewed as ontogenic processes: products of complex longitudinal transactions between interdependent individual-level vulnerabilities (e.g., genetic, epigenetic, allostatic) and equally interdependent contextual risk factors (e.g., coercive parenting, deviant peer group affiliations, neighborhood criminality). Through interactions across levels of analysis, some individuals traverse along the externalizing spectrum, beginning with heritable trait impulsivity in preschool and ending in antisociality in adulthood. In describing our model, we note that (a) the approach outlined in the DSM to subtyping externalizing disorders continues to obscure developmental pathways to antisociality, (b) molecular genetics studies will likelynotidentify meaningful subtypes of externalizing disorder, and (c) ontogenic trait approaches to psychopathology are much more likely to advance the discipline in upcoming years.
Developmental mechanisms in the prodrome to psychosis
Authors: Walker Elaine F. , Trotman Hanan D. , Goulding Sandra M. , Holtzman Carrie W. , Ryan Arthur T. , McDonald Allison , Shapiro Daniel I. , Brasfield Joy L.
Published: December 2013

Psychotic disorders continue to be among the most disabling and scientifically challenging of all mental illnesses. Accumulating research findings suggest that the etiologic processes underlying the development of these disorders are more complex than had previously been assumed. At the same time, this complexity has revealed a wider range of potential options for preventive intervention, both psychosocial and biological. In part, these opportunities result from our increased understanding of the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the neurodevelopmental mechanisms involved in the disease process, as well as the evidence that many of these entail processes that are malleable. In this article, we review the burgeoning research literature on the prodrome to psychosis, based on studies of individuals who meet clinical high risk criteria. This literature has examined a range of factors, including cognitive, genetic, psychosocial, and neurobiological. We then turn to a discussion of some contemporary models of the etiology of psychosis that emphasize the prodromal period. These models encompass the origins of vulnerability in fetal development, as well as postnatal stress, the immune response, and neuromaturational processes in adolescent brain development that appear to go awry during the prodrome to psychosis. Then, informed by these neurodevelopmental models of etiology, we turn to the application of new research paradigms that will address critical issues in future investigations. It is expected that these studies will play a major role in setting the stage for clinical trials aimed at preventive intervention.
Relational interventions for child maltreatment: Past, present, and future perspectives
Authors: Toth Sheree L. , Gravener-Davis Julie A. , Guild Danielle J. , Cicchetti Dante
Published: December 2013

It is well established that child maltreatment has significant deleterious effects for the individual as well as for society. We briefly review research regarding the impact of child maltreatment on the attachment relationship, highlighting the need for relational interventions for maltreated children and their families to effectively thwart negative developmental cascades that are so often observed in the context of child maltreatment. Next, historical and contemporaneous perspectives on relational interventions for individuals with histories of child maltreatment are discussed, with attention to the empirical evidence for and the current evidence-based status of several relationally based interventions for child maltreatment. Differential sensitivity to the environment is then discussed as a theoretical framework with important implications for interventions for individuals who have been reared in maltreating environments. Current research on neurobiology and maltreatment is then reviewed, with an emphasis on the need for future investigations on genetic variants, epigenetics, and the efficacy of relational interventions for maltreated children. We conclude with a discussion of the tenets of developmental psychopathology, their implications for relational interventions for child maltreatment, and recommendations for advancing the development, provision, and evaluation of relational interventions for individuals with histories of child maltreatment.
Childhood exposure to violence and lifelong health: Clinical intervention science and stress-biology research join forces
Authors: Moffitt Terrie E. ,   The Klaus-Grawe 2012 Think Tank
Published: December 2013

Many young people who are mistreated by an adult, victimized by bullies, criminally assaulted, or who witness domestic violence react to this violence exposure by developing behavioral, emotional, or learning problems. What is less well known is that adverse experiences like violence exposure can lead to hidden physical alterations inside a child's body, alterations that may have adverse effects on life-long health. We discuss why this is important for the field of developmental psychopathology and for society, and we recommend that stress-biology research and intervention science join forces to tackle the problem. We examine the evidence base in relation to stress-sensitive measures for the body (inflammatory reactions, telomere erosion, epigenetic methylation, and gene expression) and brain (mental disorders, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological testing). We also review promising interventions for families, couples, and children that have been designed to reduce the effects of childhood violence exposure. We invite intervention scientists and stress-biology researchers to collaborate in adding stress-biology measures to randomized clinical trials of interventions intended to reduce effects of violence exposure and other traumas on young people.
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND THE EXPANDING PROBLEM OF EVIL
Authors: Aikin Scott F.
Published: December 2013

The problem of evil is that morally gratuitous suffering and destruction is evidence against a benevolent and potent god. Often cases of this evil are restricted to human suffering, but if the moral universe is expanded in the fashion associated with environmental ethics, the scope of morally significant suffering and destruction grows. Consequently, the wider the scope of the moral universe, the problem of evil becomes harder for theists to solve.
A RESPONSE TO LOKE'S ‘IS AN INFINITE TEMPORAL REGRESS OF EVENTS POSSIBLE?’ (THINK 31)
Authors: Lyth Peter
Published: December 2013

Loke argues against the possibility of any infinite collection, mainly on the grounds that number as an abstract entity (if it exists) cannot have causal power. But I argue that his argument conflates number as an abstract entity with number as a number of events or things. Loke also maintains that a situation of ‘infinities upon infinities’ poses problems, and I argue against this. Finally, Loke queries how an ‘extra’ can be added to an infinite collection, but I suggest this is here a misleading word.
LANCE ARMSTRONG AND THE SCARLET C
Authors: Belk Alan
Published: December 2013

Cyclist Lance Armstrong cheated his way to seven Tour de France ‘victories’. Such cheating is wrong because it harms society. To explain how that harm affects all of us, I use Aristotle's ideas of virtue ethics to argue that Armstrong, despite his charitable work, is not a virtuous person. Virtue is to some extent determined by society, so we need to be clear that Armstrong is not a person to emulate. A society which does not clearly disapprove of vice is less than it might otherwise be because a good society is one that encourages virtue in its citizens.
The Association Between Self-Report Attachment Dimensions and the Rorschach Oral Dependency Scale in a Sample of Czech Adults
Authors: Lečbych Martin , Seitl Martin
Published: December 2013

This study examines the association between dimensions of ECR (attachment-related avoidance and anxiety) and the Rorschach Oral Dependency scale ( Bornstein & Masling, 2005 ) on a sample of Czech adults. It points out the association between ECR and relevant Rorschach CS variables ( Exner, 2003 ). Our research sample consists of 31 volunteers from the Czech Republic. The average age of the participants was 24.9 years, the age range from 19 to 47 years. The results indicate that attachment anxiety measured by ECR is significantly associated with the ROD score, but elaborated correlations between the ROD score and attachment anxiety show a significant association only in the group of participants without psychiatric or psychological care in their past (n = 18; r = 0.683, p < .01). There were no significant correlations between self-reported attachment dimensions and the selected CS variables (textures, active and passive movements, food). Our findings seem to be consistent with the attachment theory – people with high level of attachment anxiety are often described as dependent. We discuss our findings with regards to the discrepancy between self-report measures and performance based tools.
Itinerant magnetism in doped semiconducting β-FeSi2 and CrSi2
Authors: Singh David J. , Parker David
Published: December 2013

Novel or unusual magnetism is a subject of considerable interest, particularly in metals and degenerate semiconductors. In such materials the interplay of magnetism, transport and other Fermi liquid properties can lead to fascinating physical behavior. One example is in magnetic semiconductors, where spin polarized currents may be controlled and used. We report density functional calculations predicting magnetism in doped semiconducting β-FeSi2 and CrSi2 at relatively low doping levels particularly for n-type. In this case, there is a rapid cross-over to a half-metallic state as a function of doping level. The results are discussed in relation to the electronic structure and other properties of these compounds.
A novel fluorescent chemosensor allows the assessment of intracellular total magnesium in small samples
Authors: Sargenti Azzurra , Farruggia Giovanna , Malucelli Emil , Cappadone Concettina , Merolle Lucia , Marraccini Chiara , Andreani Giulia , Prodi Luca , Zaccheroni Nelsi , Sgarzi Massimo , Trombini Claudio , Lombardo Marco , Iotti Stefano
Published: December 2013

Remarkable features of a novel fluorescent Mg dye: high fluorescence intensity and intracellular retention.
A new colorimetric strategy for monitoring caspase 3 activity by HRP-mimicking DNAzyme–peptide conjugates
Authors: Zhou Zhaojuan , Peng Lu , Wang Xiaoyan , Xiang Yu , Tong Aijun
Published: December 2013

A new colorimetric method is designed for the detection of caspase 3 activity by HRP-mimicking DNAzyme–peptide conjugates.
Ionic liquids provide unique opportunities for oral drug delivery: structure optimization and in vivo evidence of utility
Authors: Williams Hywel D. , Sahbaz Yasemin , Ford Leigh , Nguyen Tri-Hung , Scammells Peter J. , Porter Christopher J. H.
Published: December 2013

Custom-made ILs solubilized high quantities of the poorly water-soluble drugs, danazol and itraconazole, while a danazol self-emulsifying IL formulation gave rise to higher and more prolonged exposure than the crystalline drug and a lipid formulation, respectively.
Automated glycopeptide assembly by combined solid-phase peptide and oligosaccharide synthesis
Authors: Hurevich Mattan , Seeberger Peter H.
Published: December 2013

Automated synthesis of glycopeptides was achieved using monosaccharide and amino acid building blocks. Using polystyrene beads equipped with photo-labile linker as solid support, all synthetic manipulations were performed using a single instrument.
Silica/ultrasmall Ag composite microspheres: facile synthesis, characterization and antibacterial and catalytic performance
Authors: Liu Xin-Hui , Cao Yan-Yan , Peng Huang-Yong , Qian Hai-Sheng , Yang Xian-Zhu , Zhang Hong-Bin
Published: December 2013

Uniform silica/ultrasmall silver composite microspheres have been successfully prepared from silica microspheres and [Ag(NH3)2]+via a hydrothermal process. The as-prepared silica/Ag microspheres exhibit an excellent antibacterial performance towards E. coli.
Microwave-assisted one pot-synthesis of amino acid ionic liquids in water: simple catalysts for styrene carbonate synthesis under atmospheric pressure of CO2
Authors: Roshan Kuruppathparambil Roshith , Jose Tharun , Kim Dongwoo , Cherian Kathalikkattil Amal , Park Dae Won
Published: December 2013

A novel variety of ionic liquids based on amino acids is synthesized in water using microwave energy.
Preparation of a microsized cerium chloride-based catalyst and its application in the Michael addition of β-diketones to vinyl ketones
Authors: Terent'ev Alexander O. , Vil' Vera A. , Yaremenko Ivan A. , Bityukov Oleg V. , Levitsky Dmitri O. , Chernyshev Vladimir V. , Nikishin Gennady I. , Fleury Fabrice
Published: December 2013

A facile method was developed for the preparation of microsized cerium chloride, which is an efficient catalyst in the Michael addition reaction.
Energy‐efficient hybrid capacitor switching scheme for SAR ADC
Authors: Xie Liangbo , Wen Guangjun , Liu Jiaxin , Wang Yao
Published: December 2013

A novel low‐energy hybrid capacitor switching scheme for a low‐power successive approximation register (SAR) analogue‐to‐digital converter (ADC) is presented. The proposed switching scheme combines a new switch method and the monotonic technique. The new switch method can achieve no switching energy consumption in the first three comparison cycles. Furthermore, a low‐energy monotonic procedure is performed for the rest of the comparisons. The average switching energy is reduced by 98.83% compared with the conventional architecture, resulting in the most energy‐efﬁcient switching scheme among the existing switching techniques. Besides the significant energy saving, the proposed switching scheme also achieves a 75% reduction of the capacitors over the conventional scheme.
Multisectoral climate impact hotspots in a warming world
Authors: Piontek Franziska , Müller Christoph , Pugh Thomas A. M. , Clark Douglas B. , Deryng Delphine , Elliott Joshua , Colón González Felipe de Jesus , Flörke Martina , Folberth Christian , Franssen Wietse , Frieler Katja , Friend Andrew D. , Gosling Simon N. , Hemming Deborah , Khabarov Nikolay , Kim Hyungjun , Lomas Mark R. , Masaki Yoshimitsu , Mengel Matthias , Morse Andrew , Neumann Kathleen , Nishina Kazuya , Ostberg Sebastian , Pavlick Ryan , Ruane Alex C. , Schewe Jacob , Schmid Erwin , Stacke Tobias , Tang Qiuhong , Tessler Zachary D. , Tompkins Adrian M. , Warszawski Lila , Wisser Dominik , Schellnhuber Hans Joachim
Published: December 2013

The impacts of global climate change on different aspects of humanity’s diverse life-support systems are complex and often difficult to predict. To facilitate policy decisions on mitigation and adaptation strategies, it is necessary to understand, quantify, and synthesize these climate-change impacts, taking into account their uncertainties. Crucial to these decisions is an understanding of how impacts in different sectors overlap, as overlapping impacts increase exposure, lead to interactions of impacts, and are likely to raise adaptation pressure. As a first step we develop herein a framework to study coinciding impacts and identify regional exposure hotspots. This framework can then be used as a starting point for regional case studies on vulnerability and multifaceted adaptation strategies. We consider impacts related to water, agriculture, ecosystems, and malaria at different levels of global warming. Multisectoral overlap starts to be seen robustly at a mean global warming of 3 °C above the 1980–2010 mean, with 11% of the world population subject to severe impacts in at least two of the four impact sectors at 4 °C. Despite these general conclusions, we find that uncertainty arising from the impact models is considerable, and larger than that from the climate models. In a low probability-high impact worst-case assessment, almost the whole inhabited world is at risk for multisectoral pressures. Hence, there is a pressing need for an increased research effort to develop a more comprehensive understanding of impacts, as well as for the development of policy measures under existing uncertainty.
Constraints and potentials of future irrigation water availability on agricultural production under climate change
Authors: Elliott Joshua , Deryng Delphine , Müller Christoph , Frieler Katja , Konzmann Markus , Gerten Dieter , Glotter Michael , Flörke Martina , Wada Yoshihide , Best Neil , Eisner Stephanie , Fekete Balázs M. , Folberth Christian , Foster Ian , Gosling Simon N. , Haddeland Ingjerd , Khabarov Nikolay , Ludwig Fulco , Masaki Yoshimitsu , Olin Stefan , Rosenzweig Cynthia , Ruane Alex C. , Satoh Yusuke , Schmid Erwin , Stacke Tobias , Tang Qiuhong , Wisser Dominik
Published: December 2013

Significance

Freshwater availability is relevant to almost all socioeconomic and environmental impacts of climate and demographic change and their implications for sustainability. We compare ensembles of water supply and demand projections driven by ensemble output from five global climate models. Our results suggest reasons for concern. Direct climate impacts to maize, soybean, wheat, and rice involve losses of 400–2,600 Pcal (8–43% of present-day total). Freshwater limitations in some heavily irrigated regions could necessitate reversion of 20–60 Mha of cropland from irrigated to rainfed management, and a further loss of 600–2,900 Pcal. Freshwater abundance in other regions could help ameliorate these losses, but substantial investment in infrastructure would be required.
Carbon residence time dominates uncertainty in terrestrial vegetation responses to future climate and atmospheric CO
2
Authors: Friend Andrew D. , Lucht Wolfgang , Rademacher Tim T. , Keribin Rozenn , Betts Richard , Cadule Patricia , Ciais Philippe , Clark Douglas B. , Dankers Rutger , Falloon Pete D. , Ito Akihiko , Kahana Ron , Kleidon Axel , Lomas Mark R. , Nishina Kazuya , Ostberg Sebastian , Pavlick Ryan , Peylin Philippe , Schaphoff Sibyll , Vuichard Nicolas , Warszawski Lila , Wiltshire Andy , Woodward F. Ian
Published: December 2013

Future climate change and increasing atmospheric CO
2
are expected to cause major changes in vegetation structure and function over large fractions of the global land surface. Seven global vegetation models are used to analyze possible responses to future climate simulated by a range of general circulation models run under all four representative concentration pathway scenarios of changing concentrations of greenhouse gases. All 110 simulations predict an increase in global vegetation carbon to 2100, but with substantial variation between vegetation models. For example, at 4 °C of global land surface warming (510–758 ppm of CO
2
), vegetation carbon increases by 52–477 Pg C (224 Pg C mean), mainly due to CO
2
fertilization of photosynthesis. Simulations agree on large regional increases across much of the boreal forest, western Amazonia, central Africa, western China, and southeast Asia, with reductions across southwestern North America, central South America, southern Mediterranean areas, southwestern Africa, and southwestern Australia. Four vegetation models display discontinuities across 4 °C of warming, indicating global thresholds in the balance of positive and negative influences on productivity and biomass. In contrast to previous global vegetation model studies, we emphasize the importance of uncertainties in projected changes in carbon residence times. We find, when all seven models are considered for one representative concentration pathway × general circulation model combination, such uncertainties explain 30% more variation in modeled vegetation carbon change than responses of net primary productivity alone, increasing to 151% for non-HYBRID4 models. A change in research priorities away from production and toward structural dynamics and demographic processes is recommended.
Biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions from global livestock systems
Authors: Herrero Mario , Havlík Petr , Valin Hugo , Notenbaert An , Rufino Mariana C. , Thornton Philip K. , Blümmel Michael , Weiss Franz , Grace Delia , Obersteiner Michael
Published: December 2013

Significance

This report is unique in presenting a high-resolution dataset of biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions by global livestock. This information will allow the global-change research community in enhancing our understanding of the sustainability of livestock systems and their role in food security, livelihoods and environmental sustainability.
Tonic GABA
A
conductance bidirectionally controls interneuron firing pattern and synchronization in the CA3 hippocampal network
Authors: Pavlov Ivan , Savtchenko Leonid P. , Song Inseon , Koo Jaeyeon , Pimashkin Alexey , Rusakov Dmitri A. , Semyanov Alexey
Published: December 2013

Significance

Here we demonstrate a novel feature of interneuron physiology that may have important implications for a better understanding of the relationship between rhythmical network activity and synaptic input patterns in the brain. We find that tonic GABA
A
conductance in interneurons can control this relationship in a biphasic, bell-shaped manner. As this tonic conductance increases, it fundamentally changes the interneuron firing mode, from being a faithful readout of stochastic excitatory synaptic input to becoming attuned to the intrinsic cell properties. The latter mode supports synchronic oscillations in brain networks. Our results suggest a previously unrecognized mechanism of network synchronization control that may explain how different concentrations of ambient GABA can either facilitate or suppress hippocampal rhythms.
House dust exposure mediates gut microbiome
Lactobacillus
enrichment and airway immune defense against allergens and virus infection
Authors: Fujimura Kei E. , Demoor Tine , Rauch Marcus , Faruqi Ali A. , Jang Sihyug , Johnson Christine C. , Boushey Homer A. , Zoratti Edward , Ownby Dennis , Lukacs Nicholas W. , Lynch Susan V.
Published: December 2013

Significance

Early-life exposure to dogs is protective against allergic disease development, and dog ownership is associated with a distinct milieu of house dust microbial exposures. Here, we show that mice exposed to dog-associated house dust are protected against airway allergen challenge. These animals exhibit reduced Th2 cytokine production, fewer activated T cells, and a distinct gut microbiome composition, highly enriched for
Lactobacillus johnsonii
, which itself can confer airway protection when orally supplemented as a single species. This study supports the possibility that host–environment interactions that govern allergic or infectious airway disease may be mediated, at least in part, by the impact of environmental exposures on the gastrointestinal microbiome composition and, by extension, its impact on the host immune response.
Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication
Authors: Hu Yaowu , Hu Songmei , Wang Weilin , Wu Xiaohong , Marshall Fiona B. , Chen Xianglong , Hou Liangliang , Wang Changsui
Published: December 2013

Significance

Domestic cats are one of the most popular pets worldwide, but little is known about their domestication. This study of cats living 5,300 y ago at the agricultural village of Quanhucun, China provides the earliest known evidence for mutualistic relationships between people and cats. Isotopic data demonstrate that humans, rodents, and the cats ate substantial amounts of millet-based foods, with cats preying on grain-eating animals. One cat was old and one ate less meat and more millet than others, suggesting it scavenged leftovers or was fed. Diverse data demonstrate rodent threats to stored grain, indicating cats were advantageous to farmers, whereas food in villages was attractive to cats. These findings provide evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication.
Altered inactivation of commensal LPS due to acyloxyacyl hydrolase deficiency in colonic dendritic cells impairs mucosal Th17 immunity
Authors: Janelsins Brian M. , Lu Mingfang , Datta Sandip K.
Published: December 2013

Significance

Th17 cells are a subset of T cells that secrete the cytokine IL-17 and play a role in mucosal immunity. LPS is a bacterial product that can influence the development of Th17 responses. We find that acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH), a mammalian enzyme that inactivates LPS, is uniquely expressed in a subset of colonic dendritic cells and acts to maintain dendritic cell responsiveness to LPS expressed by commensal bacteria. This dendritic cell responsiveness is required to promote Th17 responses. These data identify the ability of AOAH to modulate microbial signals that influence mucosal T cell immunity, and suggest that host pathways to handle microbial products may be targeted to modulate Th17 responses in the context of inflammation or infection at mucosal surfaces.
Amphitheater-headed canyons formed by megaflooding at Malad Gorge, Idaho
Authors: Lamb Michael P. , Mackey Benjamin H. , Farley Kenneth A.
Published: December 2013

Significance

The shapes of bedrock canyons offer clues to the history of surface water on Earth and Mars. Using field examples in Idaho, we found that canyons with amphitheater-shaped heads were likely carved rapidly by outburst flooding about 46,000 y ago and that canyons with more pointed heads evolved progressively by river erosion over tens of thousands of years. Our study suggests that the many amphitheater-headed canyons in fractured basalt on Mars, long inferred to be carved by groundwater seepage, may owe their origins instead to megafloods.
Direct observation of single stationary-phase bacteria reveals a surprisingly long period of constant protein production activity
Authors: Gefen Orit , Fridman Ofer , Ronin Irine , Balaban Nathalie Q.
Published: December 2013

Significance

Although most laboratory work is performed on dividing bacteria, in the wild bacteria spend most of their lifetime in the stationary phase, scarcely dividing. To study the stationary phase, we developed a method of tracking nondividing bacteria at the single cell level and characterizing their response to external stimulation. While following bacteria under growth-arrest conditions, we found that they maintain surprisingly constant activity for several days after entering the stationary phase. These bacteria were able to produce proteins without significant cost to their viability or regrowth dynamics. Moreover, this constant-activity stationary phase enables the measurement of different bacterial characteristics, which are difficult to perform under exponential growth conditions.
Large effect of membrane tension on the fluid–solid phase transitions of two-component phosphatidylcholine vesicles
Authors: Chen Dong , Santore Maria M.
Published: December 2013

Significance

Relative to the two-dimensional (temperature–composition) thermodynamic space on which the field of phospholipid membranes has almost exclusively focused, membrane tension represents a third unexplored dimension. We report here that tension has a large qualitative influence, for instance on domain morphology, molecular organization, and multiphase coexistence in thermodynamic space. Relevant to the development of new materials and material confinement, this study demonstrates how switching tension during processing selects morphology on mesoscopic length scales in addition to dictating molecular structure. Separately, although phospholipid rafts in cell membranes are generally considered to be fluid domains that can cluster biomolecules, the current findings demonstrate potential mechanisms for mechanical transduction of membrane structures in cell membranes with low cholesterol content.
IL-25 and type 2 innate lymphoid cells induce pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Hams Emily , Armstrong Michelle E. , Barlow Jillian L. , Saunders Sean P. , Schwartz Christian , Cooke Gordon , Fahy Ruairi J. , Crotty Thomas B. , Hirani Nikhil , Flynn Robin J. , Voehringer David , McKenzie Andrew N. J. , Donnelly Seamas C. , Fallon Padraic G.
Published: December 2013

Significance

Abnormal damage and scarring of tissue (fibrosis) in the lungs can lead to pulmonary fibrosis. Patients that develop the various forms of pulmonary fibrosis are difficult to treat and have a high level of mortality. In this study we have used mouse models to address the role of the cytokine interleukin (IL)-25 and type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) in pulmonary fibrosis. In animal models we show a role for IL-25 and ILC2 in the generation of pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, we have identified elevated levels of IL-25 and ILC2s in the lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This study provides insights on the factors and cells that may initiate pulmonary fibrosis in humans and have therapeutic potential.
Evaluation of intramitochondrial ATP levels identifies G0/G1 switch gene 2 as a positive regulator of oxidative phosphorylation
Authors: Kioka Hidetaka , Kato Hisakazu , Fujikawa Makoto , Tsukamoto Osamu , Suzuki Toshiharu , Imamura Hiromi , Nakano Atsushi , Higo Shuichiro , Yamazaki Satoru , Matsuzaki Takashi , Takafuji Kazuaki , Asanuma Hiroshi , Asakura Masanori , Minamino Tetsuo , Shintani Yasunori , Yoshida Masasuke , Noji Hiroyuki , Kitakaze Masafumi , Komuro Issei , Asano Yoshihiro , Takashima Seiji
Published: December 2013

Significance

We developed a sensitive method to assess the activity of oxidative phosphorylation in living cells using a FRET-based ATP biosensor. We then revealed that G0/G1 switch gene 2, a protein rapidly induced by hypoxia, increases mitochondrial ATP production by interacting with F
o
F
1
-ATP synthase and protects cells from a critical energy crisis.
South Africa: the transition to violent democracy
Authors: von Holdt Karl
Published: December 2013

South Africa is torn between the persistence of an exclusionary socioeconomic structure marked by deep poverty and extreme inequality on the one hand, and on the other the symbolic and institutional rupture presented by the transition to democracy. This relationship produces a highly unstable social order in which intra-elite conflict and violence are growing, characterised by new forms of violence and the reproduction of older patterns of violence, a social order that can be characterised as violent democracy. I analyse three different forms of such violence – the struggle for control of the state institutions of coercion, assassination, and the mobilisation of collective violence. The prevailing forms of politics may shift quite easily between authoritarianism, clientelism and populism, and indeed exhibit elements of all three at the same time. Violent practices accompany each of these political forms, as violence remains a critical resource in a struggle for ascendancy which democratic institutions are unable to regulate.
The Deleterious Dominance of The Times in Nineteenth-Century Scholarship
Authors: Hobbs Andrew
Published: December 2013

The Times was a mid-nineteenth-century newspaper phenomenon, defeating rival London newspapers through its skilful management, advanced technology, greater editorial resources and access to powerful politicians. Its authority enabled it to make and break governments. However, the uniqueness of The Times limits its usefulness as a historical source. This article begins with a brief history of The Times, before analysing how the newspaper remains centre stage in the historiography of journalism and of nineteenth-century culture more broadly, despite the digitization of provincial and other London papers. Over-dependence on The Times, it argues, has exaggerated the significance of London daily newspapers and underplayed the importance of weekly papers, particularly those published outside London. The Times was unusual because it was a metropolitan rather than provincial paper, with a focus on political news and a dearth of lighter, broader content, or news of events around the UK. Using quantitative analysis of recent scholarship, the article demonstrates that unwarranted conclusions are still drawn from over-use of this source and from a wider view that it was representative of nineteenth-century newspapers in general. The conclusion urges a more geographically and culturally nuanced approach to Victorian newspapers, beyond a metropolitan-focused political and cultural history.
Belief in God: the differential prediction of workplace values
Authors: Westerman James W. , Whitaker Brian G. , Hardesty Amber
Published: December 2013

We investigate the influence of three individual differences in the prediction of one’s workplace values: belief in God, conscientiousness, and Machiavellianism. Data were collected from students (n = 247) at a comprehensive university in the southeastern USA. The results supported the hypotheses, as belief in God, conscientiousness, and Machiavellianism were each predictive of different sets of personal values of importance to the workplace. The most intriguing result was the strength of one’s belief in God as a predictor of beneficial and organizationally relevant values. In ethically challenged work environments, virtuous advocates may provide a strong moral and social compass for organizations. These results also provide a foundation in demonstrating that those with higher belief in God endorse a different values profile than do those who are high on conscientiousness or Machiavellianism.
On a razor's edge: evaluating arguments from expert opinion
Authors: Walton Douglas
Published: December 2013

This paper takes an argumentation approach to find the place of trust in a method for evaluating arguments from expert opinion. The method uses the argumentation scheme for argument from expert opinion along with its matching set of critical questions. It shows how to use this scheme in three formal computational argumentation models that provide tools to analyse and evaluate instances of argument from expert opinion. The paper uses several examples to illustrate the use of these tools. A conclusion of the paper is that from an argumentation point of view, it is better to critically question arguments from expert opinion than to accept or reject them based solely on trust.
Spindle assembly checkpoint robustness requires Tpr-mediated regulation of Mad1/Mad2 proteostasis
Authors: Schweizer Nina , Ferrás Cristina , Kern David M. , Logarinho Elsa , Cheeseman Iain M. , Maiato Helder
Published: December 2013

Tpr is a conserved nuclear pore complex (NPC) protein implicated in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) by an unknown mechanism. Here, we show that Tpr is required for normal SAC response by stabilizing Mad1 and Mad2 before mitosis. Tpr coimmunoprecipitated with Mad1 and Mad2 (hereafter designated as Tpr/Mad1/Mad2 or TM2 complex) during interphase and mitosis, and is required for Mad1–c-Mad2 recruitment to NPCs. Interestingly, Tpr was normally undetectable at kinetochores and dispensable for Mad1, but not for Mad2, kinetochore localization, which suggests that SAC robustness depends on Mad2 levels at kinetochores. Protein half-life measurements demonstrate that Tpr stabilizes Mad1 and Mad2, ensuring normal Mad1–c-Mad2 production in an mRNA- and kinetochore-independent manner. Overexpression of GFP-Mad2 restored normal SAC response and Mad2 kinetochore levels in Tpr-depleted cells. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that Tpr might spatially regulate SAC proteostasis through the SUMO-isopeptidases SENP1 and SENP2 at NPCs. Thus, Tpr is a kinetochore-independent, rate-limiting factor required to mount and sustain a robust SAC response.