bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening for at-risk youth: Predicting adolescent depression from coping styles
Authors: Cunningham Everarda G. , Walker Gordon. A.
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a non-intrusive and brief screening measure for identifying young people at risk for depression. Coping and depression questionnaires were completed by a sample of 115 Year 9 students from two post-primary schools in Melbourne, Australia. The study replicated the frequently reported findings in the literature of positive associations between an avoidant, emotion-focused, or non-productive coping style, together with inverse associations with an active or productive coping style, and depressive syndromes. When results were analysed based on a median split of coping style scores, adolescents who utilised more non-productive coping strategies together with fewer productive coping strategies reported significantly higher levels of depressive syndromes than any of the other categories. The findings not only suggest that a brief measure of coping may be appropriate in the early identification of students who may be at risk for depression, but also have implications for the design of future preventive and early intervention programs.
Building resilience in early adolescence through a universal school-based preventive program
Authors: Cunningham E. G. , Brandon C. M. , Frydenberg E.
Published: February 2016

The development of effective coping resources, including positive thinking and an increased sense of self-efficacy, is related to enhancing resilience and healthy development in young people. A universal school-based prevention program that adapted techniques cognitive therapists use for depressed children, and directly based on the work of Seligman (1995), was implemented over a six-week period to whole-class groups by classroom teachers within their regular school curricula. Learning was facilitated through the use of stories, cartoons, hypothetical examples, practice and role-plays. Fifty-eight Year 5 and 6 students from four schools in regional and rural Victoria completed pre- and post-program questionnaires on self-efficacy, coping and attributional style. Following program participation, children reported significant improvements in optimistic thinking and self-efficacy, as well as a reduction in the use of the non-productive coping strategies of worry, wishful thinking, not coping, and reliance on friends. These promising results provide evidence for the feasibility of implementing a low-cost, non-intrusive program that addresses the emotional well-being of all young people in school settings. The longer-term success and viability of any universal preventive programs may ultimately depend upon the extent to which such programs can be integrated into the mainstream curriculum practices of schools.
Career Dreams of Children: Developmental Stages and Gender Differences
Authors: McMahon Mary , Gillies Robyn M. , Carroll John
Published: February 2016

Career development is a lifelong process influenced by a range of factors including gender. The process of career development is accounted for in several ways including models which describe stages through which individuals pass. Career education programs in schools attend to the career development of young people in secondary schools more often than in primary schools. The present study examined the occupational aspirations of Year 6 children in terms of developmental stages and the influence of gender. Data were collected before and after the children participated in a short term career education program. Comparisons were made of the pre-and post-test data.
Inside the Vortex: School Psychology and the Dynamics of Public Sector Transformation
Authors: Faulkner Michael
Published: February 2016

This paper overviews school psychology at the close of the 20th century, exploring the profession's location within public sector bureaucracies. The paper draws liberally from various literatures: the dynamics of globalisation and its impact on nation-states, perspectives on public sector organisational change, developments in school psychology, international perspectives from practicing school psychologists, and, a case example which illustrates the dynamic and problematic relationship between organisational reform and professional practice. The paper concludes with several themes around which practitioners are encouraged to reflect upon the profession, and their own practices, with the view to considering how best to develop pro-active responses in their own organisational and workplace circumstances.
Loss in the lives of children and adolescents: Understanding a common aspect of adverse events
Authors: Murray Judith A.
Published: February 2016

Adverse life events and situations such as educational failure, social rejection, traumatic loss, family breakdown, abuse, migration and dislocation, natural and manmade disaster, chronic illness and death are not uncommon in the lives of children and adolescents. Considerable empirical evidence exists concerning both short- and long-term deleterious effects of such events on the mental health of children and adolescents. There is broad acceptance of the need to find means of preventing, or at least reducing, psychopathology associated with such events or situations. However, those working with children and adolescents are often overwhelmed by the expectation to provide for the legitimate needs of an individual child or adolescent, while having the daily responsibility for large groups of children, many of whom are distressed by adversity. Consequently, a valuable contribution to any program aimed at improving the mental health of children and young people would be the identification of a common aspect of adverse situations, the understanding of which could guide carers and educators in the provision of care for children and adolescents facing diverse life challenges. This paper argues that loss, and the grief associated with loss, is this common element. It reviews and integrates the literature concerning loss to enhance the understanding of families and practitioners of this central aspect of adverse life events.
The Efficacy of Relaxation Training with Year 12 Students
Authors: Morton Kate , Cescato Mark
Published: February 2016

This study explored the potential benefits of an eight-week relaxation training program for students in their final year of high school. The relaxation program was structured around the concept of applied relaxation, consisting of a blend of progressive muscle relaxation, cue-controlled, and rapid relaxation, whilst also incorporating a cognitive coping strategies component, and goal-directed visualisation. Treatment participants were compared with control group members on measures of anxiety, stress, and locus of control. Overall, the results support the efficacy of a school-based relaxation training program in reducing student stress and anxiety levels, but not on influencing locus of control orientation towards internality. Furthermore the results of this project indicate that it is possible to incorporate relaxation training within a preventative framework as part of the regular school curriculum.
Debriefing Strategies in Adventure Based Counselling
Authors: Reupert Andrea , Maybery Darryl
Published: February 2016

This paper describes an Adventure Based Counselling (ABC) program that aimed to improve sixth grade student behaviour in the classroom. In particular, this paper focuses on the ABC debriefing strategy, as summarised in the “What?” “So What?” and “Now What?” format. This debriefing process was employed with both students and ABC program facilitators. While there is extensive literature concerned with the application of the ABC debrief with the target group, an ABC debrief with the facilitators of the program is lacking in the applied literature. The strategies and sample questions employed in the ABC format, as applied to both groups, are described in detail. The procedure was highly effective for both behavioural intervention with students and for maximising learning of the ABC facilitators.
Prevention and Intervention for Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Whole School Approach
Authors: Campbell Marilyn A.
Published: February 2016

This paper explores a whole school approach to the prevention and intervention for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychopathology in childhood and adolescence. In addition to having serious consequences for academic, social and family life, anxiety has also been shown to be a precursor to depression, substance abuse and eating disorders. School counsellors are well placed to identify students with anxiety disorders, instigate prevention programs and treat or refer anxious students. Prevention and early intervention for anxiety disorders needs to be coordinated and integrated into the regular curriculum as well as into the life of the classroom and the school. Barriers to schools working well in this area are identified and discussed.
Testing tolerance for lexically-specific factors in Gradient Symbolic Computation
Authors: VAN HELL JANET G. , COHEN CLARA , GREY SARAH
Published: February 2016

In their keynote article, Goldrick, Putnam and Schwarz (2016) present a computational account of code-mixing. Although they review literature on the co-activation of lexical representations and cognate facilitation effects in bilingual language processing, their model remains silent on how it interfaces with lexical factors, and how lexical factors impact code-switching. One such lexical factor is cognate status, which has been found to affect code-switching, as demonstrated in corpus analyses (e.g., Broersma & De Bot, 2006) and psycholinguistic experiments (Kootstra, Van Hell & Dijkstra, 2012). For example, using the structural priming technique to examine the role of lexical factors in code-switching, Kootstra et al. asked Dutch–English bilinguals to repeat a code-switched prime sentence (starting in Dutch and ending in English) and then describe a target picture by means of a code-switched sentence (also from Dutch into English). They observed that bilinguals' tendency to switch at the same position as in the prime sentence was increased when the prime sentence and target picture contained cognates.
From education to research: a journey of utilising virtual training
Authors: Stewart-Lord Adéle
Published: February 2016

Background

London South Bank University (LSBU) has successfully implemented Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training (VERT) across the therapeutic radiography training curricula and are now supporting the use of VERT for patient education in clinical departments. A number of publications have reported on the use of VERT in education and training; more recent literature has focused on the use of VERT for patient education.

Materials and methods

The successful introduction of VERT before students’ first clinical placements resulted in the development of a ‘Pre-Clinical week’ where students practice and improve their technical skills, using the hand controls without a patient present, leading to increased confidence in clinical practice. Other examples of VERT curriculum integration at LSBU focused on the use of VERT for anatomy teaching. The more recent innovation at LSBU relevant to VERT integration has been the design, development and implementation of collaborative research projects where the aims of the studies were to explore patients’ perceptions of VERT as an information giving resource before radiotherapy delivery.

The introduction of VERT as education tool has enabled academic staff to develop a range of teaching methods to embed virtual training into the traditional classroom setting, demonstrating innovation and collaboration.
Aspect Meets Modality: A Semantic Analysis of the GermanAm-Progressive
Authors: Anthonissen Lynn , De Wit Astrid , Mortelmans Tanja
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a corpus-based analysis of the semantics of the GermanamV-infseinconstruction, oram-progressive. Like its English counterpart and many other progressive constructions in the world's languages, theam-progressive is shown to convey not only a variety of aspecto-temporal meanings, but also a range of (inter)subjective qualifications, such as intensification, irritation, and evasiveness. These (inter)subjective connotations are argued to reflect theam-progressive's core meaning of epistemic contingency, which we believe is instantiated in all of its uses.*
Ecosystem services and tradeoffs in the home food gardens of African American, Chinese-origin and Mexican-origin households in Chicago, IL
Authors: Taylor John R. , Lovell Sarah Taylor , Wortman Sam E. , Chan Michelle
Published: February 2016

With increasing urbanization and environmental degradation, urban landscapes are increasingly expected to provide a wide range of ecosystem services typically associated with rural areas, including biodiversity conservation and food production. Because residential landscapes constitute the largest single urban land use, domestic gardens have emerged as a topic of research interest and planning concern. The ecosystem services (or disservices) these landscapes provide, however, have not been rigorously measured, nor have tradeoffs between the services they provide been assessed. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 African American, Chinese-origin or Mexican-origin households with on-lot or vacant lot food gardens in Chicago. Crop plants and cultivated ornamental plants on the lot were inventoried and mapped at the species level. A total of 123 edible plant taxa from 25 families and 288 ornamental plant species from 85 families were identified, for a combined total of 387 species from 90 families. Cumulatively, the gardens of African American households were relatively rich in ornamental plant species and families, while those of Chinese-origin households had a depauperate flora. Crop plant richness was more even across sample types. Shade trees and a developed shrub layer were absent from most gardens, possibly representing a tradeoff in ecosystem services in favor of food production. The richness of the aggregate 2.1 ha of residential property inventoried in this study was comparable with or exceeded that of a 34 ha prairie remnant west of Chicago. However, only 35 (9.6%) of the inventoried species were native to the Chicago area.
Are conservation agriculture (CA) systems productive and profitable options for smallholder farmers in different agro-ecoregions of Zimbabwe?
Authors: Mupangwa W. , Mutenje M. , Thierfelder C. , Nyagumbo I.
Published: February 2016

Continuous conventional tillage coupled with unsystematic cereal/legume rotations has promoted low crop productivity on smallholder farms. A multi-locational study was established in three agro-ecoregions (AEs) of Zimbabwe. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of four tillage systems (conventional plowing, planting basins, rip-line and animal traction direct seeding systems) on maize (Zea mays L.), cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] yields, and evaluate the economic performance of the conservation agriculture (CA) systems relative to conventional plowing. Each farmer was a replicate of the trial over the three cropping seasons. In the high (750–1000 mm per annum) and low (450–650 mm) rainfall AEs, conventional practice and CA systems gave similar maize grain yield. Under medium rainfall conditions (500–800 mm) planting basins, rip-line and direct seeding systems gave 547, 548 and 1690 kg ha−1 more maize yield than the conventional practice. In the high and low rainfall AEs, conventional practice and planting basins had the lowest maize production risk. Cowpea yield was 35 and 45% higher in the rip-line and direct seeding than conventional practice. Soybean yield was higher in rip-line (36%) and direct seeding (51%) systems than conventional practice. Direct seeding system gave the highest net benefits in all AEs. A combination of long-term biophysical and socio-economic assessments of the different cropping systems tested in our study is critical in order to fully understand their performance under different AEs of Zimbabwe.
Bildungsübergänge durch Tutorien erfolgreich gestalten
Authors: Huber Josef M. , Eckstein Claudia , Riedel Annette , Kimmerle Birte , Ruhland Eva , Bonse-Rohmann Mathias
Published: February 2016

Zusammenfassung. Der Beitrag legt exemplarisch dar, wie tutoriale Lernformen bestehende Lernangebote ergänzen können. Der Beitrag nimmt Bezug auf ergänzende Lernangebote, die im Rahmen des BMBF-Projekts FUgE entwickelt wurden, um Lernende im Übergang zwischen beruflicher und hochschulischer Bildung zu begleiten, ihre Bedürfnisse zu erkennen und den Erfolg des Übergangs zu befördern. Insbesondere der Austausch von Anwendungserfahrung und der Rückbezug zur Lehrveranstaltung sind ­dabei zentrale Themen.
Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren generalisierter Ängstlichkeit im Kindes- und Jugendalter
Authors: Otto Christiane , Petermann Franz , Barkmann Claus , Schipper Marc , Kriston Levente , Hölling Heike , Ravens-Sieberer Ulrike , Klasen Fionna
Published: February 2016

Zusammenfassung. Die generalisierte Angststörung bei Kindern und Jugendlichen weist eine Prävalenz von 2 % und ein Erstmanifestationsalter von 8.5 Jahren auf. Anhand der Daten der BELLA-Kohortenstudie wurden Einflüsse ausgewählter Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren auf das Auftreten und die Entwicklung von Symptomen generalisierter Angststörung (generalisierte Ängstlichkeit) untersucht. Mit latenten Wachstumsmodellen und linearen Regressionen wurden die Angaben von n = 1 469 Teilnehmern (11 bis 17 Jahre) zu drei Messzeitpunkten analysiert. Zu Studienbeginn wirkte die elterliche Ängstlichkeit als Risikofaktor und das Selbstwertgefühl der Kinder und Jugendlichen als Schutzfaktor auf die generalisierte Ängstlichkeit. Initiale elterliche Ängstlichkeit wirkte auch nachhaltig auf die Veränderung generalisierter Ängstlichkeit über den Studienverlauf. Weiterhin ging eine Verbesserung des Selbstwertgefühls über den Studienverlauf mit einem Abfall generalisierter Ängstlichkeit einher. Einflüsse der potentiellen Schutzfaktoren elterliche Fürsorge und soziale Unterstützung lagen nicht vor. Obwohl nur geringe Effekte gefunden wurden, ist das Selbstwertgefühl für die klinische Arbeit mit Kindern und Jugendlichen mit generalisierter Angststörung interessant.
A short G1 phase imposes constitutive replication stress and fork remodelling in mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Ahuja Akshay K. , Jodkowska Karolina , Teloni Federico , Bizard Anna H. , Zellweger Ralph , Herrador Raquel , Ortega Sagrario , Hickson Ian D. , Altmeyer Matthias , Mendez Juan , Lopes Massimo
Published: February 2016

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent a transient biological state, where pluripotency is coupled with fast proliferation. ESCs display a constitutively active DNA damage response (DDR), but its molecular determinants have remained elusive. Here we show in cultured ESCs and mouse embryos that H2AX phosphorylation is dependent on Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR) and is associated with chromatin loading of the ssDNA-binding proteins RPA and RAD51. Single-molecule analysis of replication intermediates reveals massive ssDNA gap accumulation, reduced fork speed and frequent fork reversal. All these marks of replication stress do not impair the mitotic process and are rapidly lost at differentiation onset. Delaying the G1/S transition in ESCs allows formation of 53BP1 nuclear bodies and suppresses ssDNA accumulation, fork slowing and reversal in the following S-phase. Genetic inactivation of fork slowing and reversal leads to chromosomal breakage in unperturbed ESCs. We propose that rapid cell cycle progression makes ESCs dependent on effective replication-coupled mechanisms to protect genome integrity.
The effects of potatoes and other carbohydrate side dishes consumed with meat on food intake, glycemia and satiety response in children
Authors: Akilen R , Deljoomanesh N , Hunschede S , Smith C E , Arshad M U , Kubant R , Anderson G H
Published: February 2016

Background:

The effect of carbohydrate (CHO) foods on blood glucose (BG) is ranked by their glycemic index (GI). Boiled and mashed potatoes (BMPs) are ranked as high GI foods, whereas pasta and rice have moderate GI rankings. The objective of this study was to compare ad libitum consumption of common CHO dishes consumed with meat on meal-time food intake and post-meal satiety, BG, insulin and gut hormones in 11- to 13-year-old normal weight children.

Methods:

Two randomized crossover studies were conducted. At weekly intervals, children (experiment 1: 12 males (M), 8 females (F); experiment 2: 6M, 6 F) received in random order 1 of 5 CHO side dishes of rice, pasta, BMP, fried French fries (FFF) or baked French fries (BFF) eaten freely together with a fixed amount of lean beef (100 g). In experiment-1, food intake over 30 min and subjective appetite were measured for 120 min. In experiment-2, the same outcomes were measured along with BG, plasma insulin and gut hormones.

Results:

The results for boys and girls were pooled as sex was not a factor. In both experiments, children consumed 30–40% less calories at meals with BMP (P<0.0001) compared with all other treatments, which were similar. BMP increased satiety, expressed as a change in appetite per kilocalorie, more than all other treatments (P<0.0001). FFF resulted in the lowest (P<0.0001) glucose and insulin at meal end and post-meal and peptide YY (PYY) post-meal. Blood measures were similar among all other treatments.

Conclusions:

The physiological functions of CHO foods consumed ad libitum at meal time on food intake, appetite, BG, insulin and gut hormone responses in children is not predicted by the GI.
Identification of differentially expressed miRNAs in individual breast cancer patient and application in personalized medicine
Authors: Peng F , Zhang Y , Wang R , Zhou W , Zhao Z , Liang H , Qi L , Zhao W , Wang H , Wang C , Guo Z , Gu Y
Published: February 2016

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have key roles in breast cancer progression, and their expression levels are heterogeneous across individual breast cancer patients. Traditional methods aim to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in populations rather than in individuals and are affected by the expression intensities of miRNAs in different experimental batches or platforms. Thus it is urgent to conduct miRNA differential expression analysis at an individual level for further personalized medicine research. We proposed a straightforward method to determine the differential expression of each miRNA in an individual patient by utilizing the reversal expression order of miRNA pairs between two conditions (cancer and normal tissue). We applied our method to breast cancer miRNA expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas and two other independent data sets. In total, 292 miRNAs were differentially expressed in individual breast cancer patients. Using the differential expression profile of miRNAs in individual patients, we found that the deregulations of miRNA tend to occur in specific breast cancer subtypes. We investigated the coordination effect between the miRNA and its target, based on the hypothesis that one gene function can be changed by copy number alterations of the corresponding gene or deregulation of the miRNA. We revealed that patients exhibiting an upregulation of hsa-miR-92b and patients with deletions ofPTENdid not tend to overlap, and hsa-miR-92b andPTENcoordinately regulated the pathway of ‘cell cycle’ and so on. Moreover, we discovered a new prognostic signature, hsa-miR-29c, whose downregulation was associated with poor survival of breast cancer patients.
Green fluorescent protein as a scaffold for high efficiency production of functional bacteriotoxic proteins in Escherichia coli
Authors: Soundrarajan Nagasundarapandian , Cho Hye-sun , Ahn Byeongyong , Choi Minkyung , Thong Le Minh , Choi Hojun , Cha Se-Yeoun , Kim Jin-Hoi , Park Choi-Kyu , Seo Kunho , Park Chankyu
Published: February 2016

The availability of simple, robust, and cost-effective methods for the large-scale production of bacteriotoxic peptides such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is essential for basic and pharmaceutical research. However, the production of bacteriotoxic proteins has been difficult due to a high degree of toxicity in bacteria and proteolytic degradation. In this study, we inserted AMPs into the Green fluorescent protein (GFP) in a loop region and expressed them as insoluble proteins in high yield, circumventing the inherent toxicity of AMP production in Escherichia coli. The AMPs inserted were released by cyanogen bromide and purified by chromatography. We showed that highly potent AMPs such as Protegrin-1, PMAP-36, Buforin-2, and Bactridin-1 are produced in high yields and produced AMPs showed similar activities compared to chemically synthesized AMPs. We increased the yield more than two-fold by inserting three copies of Protegrin-1 in the GFP scaffold. The immunogold electron micrographs showed that the expressed Protegrin-1 in the GFP scaffold forms large and small size aggregates in the core region of the inclusion body and become entirely nonfunctional, therefore not influencing the proliferation of E. coli. Our novel method will be applicable for diverse bacteriotoxic peptides which can be exploited in biomedical and pharmaceutical researches.
Atlas Toolkit: Fast registration of 3D morphological datasets in the absence of landmarks
Authors: Grocott Timothy , Thomas Paul , Münsterberg Andrea E.
Published: February 2016

Image registration is a gateway technology for Developmental Systems Biology, enabling computational analysis of related datasets within a shared coordinate system. Many registration tools rely on landmarks to ensure that datasets are correctly aligned; yet suitable landmarks are not present in many datasets. Atlas Toolkit is a Fiji/ImageJ plugin collection offering elastic group-wise registration of 3D morphological datasets, guided by segmentation of the interesting morphology. We demonstrate the method by combinatorial mapping of cell signalling events in the developing eyes of chick embryos and use the integrated datasets to predictively enumerate Gene Regulatory Network states.
hCLE/C14orf166, a cellular protein required for viral replication, is incorporated into influenza virus particles
Authors: Rodriguez-Frandsen Ariel , de Lucas Susana , Pérez-González Alicia , Pérez-Cidoncha Maite , Roldan-Gomendio Alejandro , Pazo Alejandra , Marcos-Villar Laura , Landeras-Bueno Sara , Ortín Juan , Nieto Amelia
Published: February 2016

The influenza A virus polymerase associates with a number of cellular transcription-related factors, including the RNA polymerase II (RNAP II). We previously described that the cellular protein hCLE/C14orf166 interacts with and stimulates influenza virus polymerase as well as RNAP II activities. Here we show that, despite the considerable cellular shut-off observed in infected cells, which includes RNAP II degradation, hCLE protein levels increase throughout infection in a virus replication-dependent manner. Human and avian influenza viruses of various subtypes increase hCLE levels, but other RNA or DNA viruses do not. hCLE colocalises and interacts with viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNP) in the nucleus, as well as in the cytoplasm late in infection. Furthermore, biochemical analysis of purified virus particles and immunoelectron microscopy of infected cells show hCLE in virions, in close association with viral vRNP. These findings indicate that hCLE, a cellular protein important for viral replication, is one of the very few examples of transcription factors that are incorporated into particles of an RNA-containing virus.
Optical Dark Rogue Wave
Authors: Frisquet Benoit , Kibler Bertrand , Morin Philippe , Baronio Fabio , Conforti Matteo , Millot Guy , Wabnitz Stefan
Published: February 2016

Photonics enables to develop simple lab experiments that mimic water rogue wave generation phenomena, as well as relativistic gravitational effects such as event horizons, gravitational lensing and Hawking radiation. The basis for analog gravity experiments is light propagation through an effective moving medium obtained via the nonlinear response of the material. So far, analogue gravity kinematics was reproduced in scalar optical wave propagation test models. Multimode and spatiotemporal nonlinear interactions exhibit a rich spectrum of excitations, which may substantially expand the range of rogue wave phenomena and lead to novel space-time analogies, for example with multi-particle interactions. By injecting two colliding and modulated pumps with orthogonal states of polarization in a randomly birefringent telecommunication optical fiber, we provide the first experimental demonstration of an optical dark rogue wave. We also introduce the concept of multi-component analog gravity, whereby localized spatiotemporal horizons are associated with the dark rogue wave solution of the two-component nonlinear Schrödinger system.
Use of whole-genome sequencing to trace, control and characterize the regional expansion of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing ST15 Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Zhou Kai , Lokate Mariette , Deurenberg Ruud H. , Tepper Marga , Arends Jan P. , Raangs Erwin G. C. , Lo-Ten-Foe Jerome , Grundmann Hajo , Rossen John W. A. , Friedrich Alexander W.
Published: February 2016

The study describes the transmission of a CTX-M-15-producing ST15 Klebsiella pneumoniae between patients treated in a single center and the subsequent inter-institutional spread by patient referral occurring between May 2012 and September 2013. A suspected epidemiological link between clinical K. pneumoniae isolates was supported by patient contact tracing and genomic phylogenetic analysis from May to November 2012. By May 2013, a patient treated in three institutions in two cities was involved in an expanding cluster caused by this high-risk clone (HiRiC) (local expansion, CTX-M-15 producing, and containing hypervirulence factors). A clone-specific multiplex PCR was developed for patient screening by which another patient was identified in September 2013. Genomic phylogenetic analysis including published ST15 genomes revealed a close homology with isolates previously found in the USA. Environmental contamination and lack of consistent patient screening were identified as being responsible for the clone dissemination. The investigation addresses the advantages of whole-genome sequencing in the early detection of HiRiC with a high propensity of nosocomial transmission and prolonged circulation in the regional patient population. Our study suggests the necessity for inter-institutional/regional collaboration for infection/outbreak management of K. pneumoniae HiRiCs.
Randomized, Multicenter, Double–Blind Study of the Safety and Efficacy of 1%D-3-Hydroxybutyrate eye drops for Dry Eye Disease
Authors: Kawakita Tetsuya , Uchino Miki , Fukagawa Kazumi , Yoshino Kenichi , Shimazaki Seika , Toda Ikuko , Tanaka Mari , Arai Hiroyuki , Sakatani Keiko , Hata Seiichiro , Okano Takashi , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: February 2016

In a previous study, we demonstrated that topical D-beta-hydroxybutyrate ameliorates corneal epithelial erosion and superficial punctate keratopathy in a rat model of dry eye disease. In the current investigation, we performed a prospective, randomized, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate eye drops in patients with dry eye disease. A total of 65 patients were randomly assigned to either the placebo group or the 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate group and the treatments were administered 6 times a day for 4 weeks. We then evaluated corneal fluorescein staining, corneal and conjunctival rose Bengal staining, tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer score and subjective symptoms. At both 2 and 4 weeks, the corneal rose Bengal score was significantly better in the 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate group than in the placebo group. Among patients with an initial Schirmer score of ≤5 mm, the corneal fluorescein staining score was significantly better in the 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate group than in the placebo group at two weeks. Mild ocular symptoms occurred in both groups and these spontaneously resolved. The present study suggested that 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate eye drops are safe and effective in treating ocular surface disorders in patients with tear-deficient dry eye disease.
Hippocampal subfield volumetry in patients with subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Li Xinwei , Li Deyu , Li Qiongling , Li Yuxia , Li Kuncheng , Li Shuyu , Han Ying
Published: February 2016

Memory impairment is a typical characteristic of patients with subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI) or with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). The hippocampus, which plays an important role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, is a heterogeneous structure that consists of several anatomically and functionally distinct subfields. However, whether distinct hippocampal subfields are differentially and selectively affected by svMCI pathology and whether these abnormal changes in hippocampal subfields are different between svMCI and aMCI patients are largely unknown. A total of 26 svMCI patients, 26 aMCI patients and 26 healthy controls matched according to age, gender and years of education were enrolled in this study. We utilized an automated hippocampal subfield segmentation method provided by FreeSurfer to estimate the volume of several hippocampal subfields, including the cornu ammonis (CA) areas, the dentate gyrus (DG), the subiculum and the presubiculum. Compared with controls, the left subiculum and presubiculum and the right CA4/DG displayed significant atrophy in patients with svMCI. Interestingly, we also found significant differences in the volume of the right CA1 between the svMCI and aMCI groups. Taken together, our results reveal region-specific vulnerability of hippocampal subfields to svMCI pathology and identify distinct hippocampal subfield atrophy patterns between svMCI and aMCI patients.
Focal Adhesion Kinase Signaling Mediated the Enhancement of Osteogenesis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Extracorporeal Shockwave
Authors: Hu Jun , Liao Haojie , Ma Zebin , Chen Hongjiang , Huang Zhonglian , Zhang Yuantao , Yu Menglei , Chen Youbin , Xu Jiankun
Published: February 2016

Extracorporeal shockwave (ESW) has been shown of great potential in promoting the osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), but it is unknown whether this osteogenic promotion effect can also be achieved in other MSCs (i.e., tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)). In the current study, we aimed not only to compare the osteogenic effects of BMSCs induced by ESW to those of TDSCs and ADSCs; but also to investigate the underlying mechanisms. We show here that ESW (0.16 mj/mm2) significantly promoted the osteogenic differentiation in all the tested types of MSCs, accompanied with the downregulation of miR-138, but the activation of FAK, ERK1/2 and RUNX2. The enhancement of osteogenesis in these MSCs was consistently abolished when the cells were pretreated with one of the following conditions: overexpression of miR-138, FAK knockdown using specific siRNA and U0126, implying that all of these elements are indispensable for mediating the effect of ESW. Moreover, our study provides converging genetic and molecular evidence that the miR-138-FAK-ERK1/2-RUNX2 machinery can be generally activated in ESW-preconditioned MSCs, suggesting that ESW may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the enhancement of osteogenesis of MSCs, regardless of their origins.
W-box and G-box elements play important roles in early senescence of rice flag leaf
Authors: Liu Li , Xu Wei , Hu Xuesong , Liu Haoju , Lin Yongjun
Published: February 2016

Plant cis-elements play important roles in global regulation of gene expression. Based on microarray data from rice flag leaves during early senescence, we identified W-box and G-box cis-elements as positive regulators of senescence in the important rice variety Minghui 63. Both cis-elements were bound by leaf senescence-specific proteins in vitro and influenced senescence in vivo. Furthermore, combination of the two elements drove enhanced expression during leaf senescence and copy numbers of the cis-elements significantly affected the levels of expression. The W-box is the cognate cis-element for WRKY proteins, while the G-box is the cognate cis-element for bZIP, bHLH and NAC proteins. Consistent with this, WRKY, bZIP, bHLH and NAC family members were overrepresented among transcription factor genes up-regulated according during senescence. Crosstalk between ABA, CTK, BR, auxin, GA and JA during senescence was uncovered by comparing expression patterns of senescence up-regulated transcription factors. Together, our results indicate that hormone-mediated signaling could converge on leaf senescence at the transcriptional level through W-box and G-box elements. Considering that there are very few documented early senescence-related cis-elements, our results significantly contribute to understanding the regulation of flag leaf senescence and provide prioritized targets for stay-green trait improvement.
Allopatric divergence of Stuckenia filiformis (Potamogetonaceae) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its comparative phylogeography with S. pectinata in China
Authors: Du Zhi-Yuan , Wang Qing-Feng
Published: February 2016

In the aquatic genus Stuckenia, the wide geographic range of S. pectinata and S. filiformis make them suited for examination of topographic and climatic effects on plant evolution. Using nuclear ITS sequence and ten chloroplast sequences, we conducted comparative phylogeographical analyses to investigate their distribution regions and hybrid zones in China and compare their phylogeographical patterns and demographical histories. These two species were allopatric in China. S. filiformis occurred only on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), whereas S. pectinata occupied a wide range of habitats. These two species formed hybrid zones on the northeastern edge of QTP. Most of the genetic variance of S. filiformis was between the southern and eastern groups on the QTP, showing a significant phylogeographic structure. The geographical isolations caused by the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains and the Tanggula Mountains promoted intraspecific diversification of alpine plants on the QTP. This study revealed the lack of phylogeographic structure in S. pectinata, due to the continued gene flow among its distribution regions. The ecological niche modeling showed that the distribution ranges of these two herbaceous species did not contract too much during the glacial period.
Probing electron-phonon excitations in molecular junctions by quantum interference
Authors: Bessis C. , Della Rocca M. L. , Barraud C. , Martin P. , Lacroix J. C. , Markussen T. , Lafarge P.
Published: February 2016

Electron-phonon coupling is a fundamental inelastic interaction in condensed matter and in molecules. Here we probe phonon excitations using quantum interference in electron transport occurring in short chains of anthraquinone based molecular junctions. By studying the dependence of molecular junction’s conductance as a function of bias voltage and temperature, we show that inelastic scattering of electrons by phonons can be detected as features in conductance resulting from quenching of quantum interference. Our results are in agreement with density functional theory calculations and are well described by a generic two-site model in the framework of non-equilibrium Green’s functions formalism. The importance of the observed inelastic contribution to the current opens up new ways for exploring coherent electron transport through molecular devices.
Assessment of the latest NGS enrichment capture methods in clinical context
Authors: García-García Gema , Baux David , Faugère Valérie , Moclyn Mélody , Koenig Michel , Claustres Mireille , Roux Anne-Françoise
Published: February 2016

Enrichment capture methods for NGS are widely used, however, they evolve rapidly and it is necessary to periodically measure their strengths and weaknesses before transfer to diagnostic services. We assessed two recently released custom DNA solution-capture enrichment methods for NGS, namely Illumina NRCCE and Agilent SureSelectQXT, against a reference method NimbleGen SeqCap EZ Choice on a similar gene panel, sharing 678 kb and 110 genes. Two Illumina MiSeq runs of 12 samples each have been performed, for each of the three methods, using the same 24 patients (affected with sensorineural disorders). Technical outcomes have been computed and compared, including depth and evenness of coverage, enrichment in targeted regions, performance in GC-rich regions and ability to generate consistent variant datasets. While we show that the three methods resulted in suitable datasets for standard DNA variant discovery, we describe significant differences between the results for the above parameters. NimbleGen offered the best depth of coverage and evenness, while NRCCE showed the highest on target levels but high duplicate rates. SureSelectQXT showed an overall quality close to that of NimbleGen. The new methods exhibit reduced preparation time but behave differently. These findings will guide laboratories in their choice of library enrichment approach.
High-mobility capacitively-induced two-dimensional electrons in a lateral superlattice potential
Authors: Lu T. M. , Laroche D. , Huang S.-H. , Chuang Y. , Li J.-Y. , Liu C. W.
Published: February 2016

In the presence of a lateral periodic potential modulation, two-dimensional electrons may exhibit interesting phenomena, such as a graphene-like energy-momentum dispersion, Bloch oscillations, or the Hofstadter butterfly band structure. To create a sufficiently strong potential modulation using conventional semiconductor heterostructures, aggressive device processing is often required, unfortunately resulting in strong disorder that masks the sought-after effects. Here, we report a novel fabrication process flow for imposing a strong lateral potential modulation onto a capacitively induced two-dimensional electron system, while preserving the host material quality. Using this process flow, the electron density in a patterned Si/SiGe heterostructure can be tuned over a wide range, from 4.4 × 1010 cm−2 to 1.8 × 1011 cm−2, with a peak mobility of 6.4 × 105 cm2/V·s. The wide density tunability and high electron mobility allow us to observe sequential emergence of commensurability oscillations as the density, the mobility, and in turn the mean free path, increase. Magnetic-field-periodic quantum oscillations associated with various closed orbits also emerge sequentially with increasing density. We show that, from the density dependence of the quantum oscillations, one can directly extract the steepness of the imposed superlattice potential. This result is then compared to a conventional lateral superlattice model potential.
Role of C–N Configurations in the Photoluminescence of Graphene Quantum Dots Synthesized by a Hydrothermal Route
Authors: Permatasari Fitri Aulia , Aimon Akfiny Hasdi , Iskandar Ferry , Ogi Takashi , Okuyama Kikuo
Published: February 2016

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) containing N atoms were successfully synthesized using a facile, inexpensive and environmentally friendly hydrothermal reaction of urea and citric acid and the effect of the GQDs’ C–N configurations on their photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) images confirmed that the dots were spherical, with an average diameter of 2.17 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that the C–N configurations of the GQDs substantially affected their PL intensity. Increased PL intensity was obtained in areas with greater percentages of pyridinic-N and lower percentages of pyrrolic-N. This enhanced PL was attributed to delocalized π electrons from pyridinic-N contributing to the C system of the GQDs. On the basis of energy electron loss spectroscopy (EELS) and UV-Vis spectroscopy analyses, we propose a PL mechanism for hydrothermally synthesized GQDs.
Biomineral shell formation under ocean acidification: a shift from order to chaos
Authors: Fitzer Susan C. , Chung Peter , Maccherozzi Francesco , Dhesi Sarnjeet S. , Kamenos Nicholas A. , Phoenix Vernon R. , Cusack Maggie
Published: February 2016

Biomineral production in marine organisms employs transient phases of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) in the construction of crystalline shells. Increasing seawater pCO2 leads to ocean acidification (OA) with a reduction in oceanic carbonate concentration which could have a negative impact on shell formation and therefore survival. We demonstrate significant changes in the hydrated and dehydrated forms of ACC in the aragonite and calcite layers of Mytilus edulis shells cultured under acidification conditions (1000 μatm pCO2) compared to present day conditions (380 μatm pCO2). In OA conditions, Mytilus edulis has more ACC at crystalisation sites. Here, we use the high-spatial resolution of synchrotron X-ray Photo Emission Electron Microscopy (XPEEM) combined with X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate the influence of OA on the ACC formation in the shells of adult Mytilus edulis. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) confirms that OA reduces crystallographic control of shell formation. The results demonstrate that OA induces more ACC formation and less crystallographic control in mussels suggesting that ACC is used as a repair mechanism to combat shell damage under OA. However, the resultant reduced crystallographic control in mussels raises concerns for shell protective function under predation and changing environments.
Simulation shows that HLA-matched stem cell donors can remain unidentified in donor searches
Authors: Sauter Jürgen , Solloch Ute V. , Giani Anette S. , Hofmann Jan A. , Schmidt Alexander H.
Published: February 2016

The heterogeneous nature of HLA information in real-life stem cell donor registries may hamper unrelated donor searches. It is even possible that fully HLA-matched donors with incomplete HLA information are not identified. In our simulation study, we estimated the probability of these unnecessarily failed donor searches. For that purpose, we carried out donor searches in several virtual donor registries. The registries differed by size, composition with respect to HLA typing levels, and genetic diversity. When up to three virtual HLA typing requests were allowed within donor searches, the share of unnecessarily failed donor searches ranged from 1.19% to 4.13%, thus indicating that non-identification of completely HLA-matched stem cell donors is a problem of practical relevance. The following donor registry characteristics were positively correlated with the share of unnecessarily failed donor searches: large registry size, high genetic diversity, and, most strongly correlated, large fraction of registered donors with incomplete HLA typing. Increasing the number of virtual HLA typing requests within donor searches up to ten had a smaller effect. It follows that the problem of donor non-identification can be substantially reduced by complete high-resolution HLA typing of potential donors.