bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dairy cows in the future
Authors: Simm G. , Oldham J.D. , Coffey M.P.
Published: May 2019

In this paper we discuss the likely future milk production scenarios and breeding and management strategies in the EU in general, and in Britain and Ireland in particular. EU markets for most dairy products are stagnant in volume terms. There is, however, scope for value growth which would emphasise quality and added value, not price. The background scenario is therefore one of sharp commercial focus heavily influenced by consumer demands for quality, not only in physical terms but also in ethical, welfare and aesthetic ones. Future systems of production will need to be in tune with future markets. Perhaps three main sectors can be identified: intensive high output, pasture based systems and niche systems (e.g. organic systems). In each of these options the same questions arise: (i) What kind of cow/breeding strategy is suitable for the sector?, and (ii) What are the management guidelines which will secure efficient, sustainable productivity? In the past, the majority of dairy cattle improvement programmes have focused primarily on improving returns by increasing milk or milk solids yields. Future breeding programmes are likely to pay much greater attention to reducing costs than they have in the past. In pasture-based systems, or niche markets, this may lead to renewed interest in cross breeding to reduce health, re-breeding and replacement costs. In all systems there is likely to be much greater emphasis on traits other than production in selection indexes. Customised indexes will help producers to tailor their selection decisions to their particular markets and production systems. If the differences between future production systems are extreme, it may be cost effective to produce bull evaluations for each of the main systems. New molecular techniques are beginning to assist conventional selection programmes. In the longer term the transfer of genes between strains, breeds or species may be used for agricultural applications. However, it is questionable whether or not this would be acceptable to consumers in the EU. Management issues which will be important in future are exactly the same as they have ever been, dealing with feeding, fertility, health, housing, milking practice, hygiene and pasture management. Nearly all of these interrelate with each other and with breeding strategy. Particular issues in future may include management of robotic milking, loose housing, deliberately extended lactations, organic production systems and extended grazing. Future ‘feeding’ challenges will include optimizing concentrate use for cows of different genetic merit, and finding alternatives to conserved grass. Direct genetic modification of grass and other forages to improve their qualities both as grazed and as conserved material would also be useful. There is also likely to be increased emphasis on feeding cows to improve control of nutrient partition, and on improved feeding of animals in the transition between lactations. Tailoring feeding and management policies to the genetic merit of cows will be a continuing challenge.
A multidisciplinary approach to dairy herd health and productivity management
Authors: Kelly J. M. , Whitaker D. A.
Published: May 2019

There is concern that the substantial increases in production in dairy herds that can be achieved will bring greater health and fertility problems. Despite considerable advancements in the understanding of the biology of reproduction and its control, fertility apparently continues to decline. As many factors, including health and nutrition, influence reproductive performance it is generally agreed that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary if improvement in fertility is to be achieved Herd health schemes have evolved to improve health, fertility, productivity and profitability but the uptake of such schemes in the UK has been low. The veterinary input to many farms is at best routine fertility visits, confined to examination of the reproductive tract, and at worst occasional emergency calls. The Dairy Herd Health and Productivity Service (DHHPS) provides the opportunity for veterinary surgeons to lead a multidisciplinary team which can monitor health, fertility and production and can plan, when necessary, remedial action. Over a period of twenty years it has continued to identify infertility, mastitis and lameness as the main reasons for the involuntary disposal of dairy cows, although on some farms BSE has been a major factor. The trend in the last few years has been for an increase in culling for reasons of disease rather than for age or yield. The average disease rates have remained high with over 100 treatments per 100 cows each year for conditions which may directly or indirectly influence reproduction. Blood profiling and condition scoring demonstrated that at least a third of the cows sampled were mobilising excessive fat during transition from the dry period to early lactation. Improving both health and nutrition, before and after calving, would greatly improve reproductive performance in many herds. A team approach, with farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other advisors working together with well defined goals and objectives, is necessary if progress is to be made in improving reproductive performance. High yield can not always be the excuse for poor fertility.
The incorporation of fertility indices in genetic improvement programmes
Authors: Pryce J.E. , Veerkamp R.F.
Published: May 2019

In recent years there has been considerable genetic progress in milk production. Yet, increases in yield have been accompanied by an apparent lengthening of calving intervals, days open, days to first heat and a decline in conception rates, which appears to be both at the genetic and phenotypic level. Fertility has a high relative economic value compared to production traits such as protein, making it attractive to include in a breeding programme. To do this there needs to be genetic variance in fertility. Measures of fertility calculated from service dates have a small genetic compared to phenotypic variance, hence heritability estimates are small, typically less than 5%, although coefficients of genetic variance are comparable to those of production traits. Heritabilities of commencement of luteal activity determined using progesterone profiles are generally higher, and have been reported as being from 0.16 to 0.28, which could be because of a more precise quantification of genetic variance, as management influences such as delaying insemination and heat detection rates are excluded. However, it might not be the use of progesterone profiles alone, as days to first heat observed by farm staff has a heritability of 0.15. The most efficient way to breed for improved fertility is to construct a selection index using the genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates of all traits of interest in addition to their respective economic values. Index traits for fertility could include measures such as calving interval, days open, days to first service, or days to first heat but there may also be alternative measures. Examples include traits related to energy balance, such as live weight and condition score (change), both of which have higher heritabilities than fertility measures and have genetic correlations of sufficient magnitude to make genetic progress by using them feasible. To redress the balance between fertility and production, some countries already publish genetic evaluations of fertility including: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Natural Law, Consent, and Political Obligation
Authors: Murphy Mark C.
Published: May 2019

There is a story about the connection between the rise of consent theories of political obligation and the fall of natural law theories of political obligation that is popular among political philosophers but nevertheless false. The story is, to put it crudely, that the rise of consent theory in the modern period coincided with, and came as a result of, the fall of the natural law theory that dominated during the medieval period. Neat though it is, the story errs doubly, for it supposes both that consent did not play a key role in natural law theories of political authority offered in the medieval period (a supposition falsified by close inspection of the view of Aquinas, perhaps the paradigmatic natural law theorist) and that natural law theory did not play a key role in the consent theories of political authority offered in the modern period (a supposition falsified by close inspection of the views of Hobbes and Locke, perhaps the paradigmatic consent theorists).
Law as Justice
Authors: Moore Michael S.
Published: May 2019

A perennial question of jurisprudence has been whether there is a relationship between law and morality. Those who believe that there is no such relationship are known as “legal positivists,” while those who hold that some such relationship exists are usually tagged with the label “natural lawyers.” Unfortunately, the latter phrase has been used in quite divergent senses. Sometimes it is used to designate any objectivist position about morality; as often, it labels the view that human nature determines what is objectively good or right; and perhaps as often, it labels the view that some natural facts other than facts about human nature determine what is objectively good or right; and sometimes the label presupposes some divine origins to both morality and human law.
Natural Law as Professional Ethics: A Reading of Fuller
Authors: Luban David
Published: May 2019

In Plato'sLaws, the Athenian Stranger claims that the gods will smile only on a city where the law “is despot over the rulers and the rulers are slaves of the law.” This passage is the origin of the slogan “the rule of law not of men,” an abbreviation of which forms our phrase “the rule of law.” From Plato and Aristotle, through John Adams and John Marshall, down to us, no idea has proven more central to Western political and legal culture. Yet the slogan turns on a very dubious metaphor. Laws do not rule, and the “rule of law not of men” is actually a specific form of rule by men (including, nowadays, a few women). These rulers are not slaves to anything. Furthermore, the construction of the slogan—rule of law andnotof men—has unfortunate connotations. It suggests that the personal qualities of the human rulers required to secure the rule of law are nothing more than forbearance and disinterestedness—a resolution to stay out of law's way.
Fairness in Holdings: A Natural Law Account of Property and Welfare Rights
Authors: Boyle Joseph
Published: May 2019

In this essay I will try to develop a natural law justification of welfare rights. The justification I will undertake is from the perspective of Catholic natural law, that is, the strand of natural law that has been developed theoretically by Roman Catholic canonists, theologians, and philosophers since Aquinas, and affirmed by Catholic teachers as the basis for most moral obligations. Catholic natural law is, therefore, natural law as developed and understood by Catholics or others respecting Catholic traditions of inquiry. It is not, however, primarily or exclusively natural lawforCatholics, since the very idea of natural law includes the conviction that it is accessible in principle to anyone.
Incorporating Household Spillovers in Cost Utility Analysis: A Case Study Using Behavior Change in COPD
Authors: Bhadhuri Arjun , Al-Janabi Hareth , Jowett Sue , Jolly Kate
Published: May 2019

Objectives

It is important to capture all health effects of interventions in cost-utility analyses conducted under a societal or healthcare perspective. However, this is rarely done. Household spillovers (health effects on patients’ other household members) may be particularly likely in the context of technologies and interventions to change behaviors that are interdependent in the household. Our objective was to prospectively collect outcome data from household members and illustrate how these can be included in a cost-utility analysis of a behavior change intervention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

Data were collected from patients’ household members (n= 153) alongside a randomized controlled trial of a COPD self-management intervention. The impact of the intervention on household members’ EQ-5D-5L scores (primary outcome), was evaluated. Analyses were then carried out to estimate household members’ quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and assess the impact of including these QALYs on cost-effectiveness.

Results

The intervention had a negligible spillover on household members’ EQ-5D-5L scores (−0.007;p= .75). There were also no statistically significant spillovers at the 5 percent level in household member secondary outcomes. In the base-case model, the inclusion of household member QALYs in the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) denominator marginally increased the ICER from GBP 10,271 (EUR 13,146) to GBP 10,991 (EUR 14,068) per QALY gained.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates it is feasible to prospectively collect and include household members’ outcome data in cost utility analysis, although the study highlighted several methodological issues. In this case, the intervention did not impact significantly on household members’ health or health behaviors, but inclusion of household spillovers may make a difference in other contexts.
Slowly oscillating solutions of Cauchy problems with countable spectrum
Authors: Arendt W. , Batty C. J. K.
Published: May 2019

Let u be a bounded slowly oscillating mild solution of an inhomogeneous Cauchy problem, u̇ (t) = Au (t) + f (t), on R or R+, where A is a closed operator such that σap (A) ∩iR is countable, and the Carleman or Laplace transform of f has a continuous extension to an open subset of the imaginary axis with countable complement. It is shown that u is (asymptotically) almost periodic if u is totally ergodic (or if X does not contain c0 in the case of a problem on R). Similar results hold for second-order Cauchy problems and Volterra equations.
Hydroxyl Radical Production in the Cortex and Striatum in a Rat Model of Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Ste-Marie Line , Vachon Pascal , Vachon Luc , Bémeur Chantal , Guertin Marie-Claude , Montgomery Jane
Published: May 2019

Background:

Increases in hydroxyl radical production have been used as evidence of oxidative stress in cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion. Ischemia can also induce increased dopamine release from the striatum that may contribute to hydroxyl radical formation. We have compared hydroxyl radical production in the cortex and striatum as an index of oxidative stress in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia with cortical infarction.

Methods:

Using a three vessel occlusion model of focal cerebral ischemia combined with bilateral microdialysis, hydroxylation of 4-hydroxybenzoate (4HB) was continuously monitored in both hemispheres in either the lateral striatum or frontoparietal cortex. The ischemia protocol consisted of one hour equilibration, 30 min of three vessel occlusion, then release of the contralateral common carotid artery (CCA) for 2.5 h.

Results:

Induction of ischemia resulted in a 30-fold increase in dopamine release in the lateral striatum. Compared to the nonischemic striatum, the ratio of the hydroxylation product 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (34DHB) to 4HB (trapping agent) in the ipsilateral striatum increased significantly 30 min after ischemia induction. In contrast, during the 30 min of three vessel occlusion there was no increase in the ratio in the cortex. Following the release of the contralateral CCA, the ratio from the ischemic cortex increased significantly compared to sham-operated animals. However, under all circumstances, the 34DHB/4HB ratio was greater in the striatum than in the cortex.

Conclusion:

The increase in the 34DHB/4HB ratio in the lateral striatum coincides with the increased dopamine release suggesting a role for dopamine oxidation in the increased production of hydroxyl radicals. The significant increase in the ratio from the ischemic cortex compared to that from the sham-operated animals is consistent with increased oxidative stress induced by ischemia. However, the lower 34DHB/4HB ratio in the cortex whichdoes not receive dopaminergic innervation compared to the striatum suggests a different mechanism for hydroxyl radical production. Such an alternate mechanism may represent a more toxic oxidative insult that contributes to infarction.
Intergenerational transmission of emotion dysregulation: Part I. Psychopathology, self-injury, and parasympathetic responsivity among pregnant women
Authors: Lin Betty , Kaliush Parisa R. , Conradt Elisabeth , Terrell Sarah , Neff Dylan , Allen Ashley K. , Smid Marcela C. , Monk Catherine , Crowell Sheila E.
Published: May 2019

The World Health Organization recently reported that maternal mental health is a major public health concern. As many as one in four women suffer from psychiatric disorders at some point during pregnancy or the first postpartum year. Furthermore, self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) represent one of the leading causes of death among women during this time. Thus, efforts to identify women at risk for serious forms of psychopathology and especially for SITBs are of utmost importance. Despite this urgency, current single-diagnostic approaches fail to recognize a significant subset of women who are vulnerable to perinatal stress and distress. The current study was among the first to investigate emotion dysregulation—a multilevel, transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology—and its associations with stress, distress, and SITBs in a sample of pregnant women (26–40 weeks gestation) recruited to reflect a range of emotion dysregulation. Both self-reported emotion dysregulation and respiratory sinus arrhythmia, a biomarker of emotion dysregulation, demonstrated expected associations with measures of mental health, including depression, anxiety, borderline personality pathology, and SITBs. In addition, self-reported emotion dysregulation was associated with blunted respiratory sinus arrhythmia responsivity to an ecologically valid infant cry task. Findings add to the literature considering transdiagnostic risk during pregnancy using a multiple-levels-of-analysis approach.
The Role of a Graphic Representational Technique on the Mathematical Problem Solving Performance of Fourth Graders: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Jitendra Asha , DiPipi Caroline M. , Grasso Ed
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this within‐subject comparisons exploratory study was to examine the influence of a graphic representational strategy on the problem solving performance of fourth graders, including special education students with learning problems. We employed a preliminary design experiment, prior to conducting a formal experimental or quasi‐experimental study, to gain insights into factors that may inhibit or enhance implementation of the intervention, especially in the context of real world of classroom (Gersten, Baker, & Lloyd, 2000). Students received teacher‐led strategy instruction in problem solving using a whole group (8 to 9 students) format followed by guided practice in applying the strategy during cooperative groups. Results indicate that students’ word problem solving performance increased from the pretest to posttest on multiplication and division problems. In addition, some students were able to generalise the skill to untaught problems. Implications of the representational strategy for solving word problems by elementary students and special education students with learning problems are discussed.
Effects of growth pathway on beef quality in 18-month-old Angus and South Devon ✕ Angus pasture-fed steers
Authors: Muir P.D. , Smith N.B. , Dobbie P.M. , Smith D.R. , Bown M.D.
Published: May 2019

There is evidence that, in cattle, rapid compensatory growth after a period of growth restriction may increase the variability of beef quality and that variability is greater in breeds which reach larger body size at maturity. This experiment investigated the effect of compensatory growth following a period of winter growth restriction on carcass quality in steers of small and large mature size grazed on pasture. Angus (no. = 120) and South Devon ✕ Angus (SD✕ A; no. = 110) steers were allocated to non-restricted or restricted growth treatment groups and for 126 days over winter their grazing was managed to achieve mean live-weight gains of approximately 0·7 kg/day or to maintain live weight for each group respectively. Steers were slaughtered at the start (no. = 10 per breed) and end (no. = 20 per nutrition group (10 from each breed)) of the winter period for carcass evaluation. Thereafter, remaining steers were grazed together at a high pasture allowance to maximize growth and were slaughtered for carcass evaluation as they reached target live weights (Angus, 590 kg; SD✕ A, 620 kg). SD✕ A steers grew faster (P< 0·05) during both the winter and finishing periods and reached target slaughter live weights approximately 20 days earlier than Angus steers. SD✕ A steers also had leaner carcasses than Angus steers at each slaughter although there was no significant difference in meat quality between breeds. However, there was a significant effect of restriction treatment on carcass weight and meat quality. The non-restricted steers grew faster, had heavier carcasses and more tender steaks than restricted steers, although there was no significant difference in carcass fatness (adjusted for hot carcass weight). Muscle calpain activities were positively correlated with live-weight gain during the finishing period suggesting increased potential for post-mortem myofibrillar proteolysis and therefore increased meat tenderness. However, in the present experiment this was confounded by an increase in shear force with age-at-slaughter, especially in the non-restricted steers. Nevertheless, steers which were heaviest at the start of the experiment reached slaughter live weight earliest, were leaner than average and had higher calpain system activities at slaughter regardless of breed or restriction treatment. Furthermore, in the non-restricted group, high initial live weight and early slaughter was associated with lower pH and more tender meat. In conclusion, although restriction affected meat quality attributes, it appears that live weight prior to food restriction also had a considerable effect on carcass characteristics at slaughter. Therefore, the characteristics of the early growth phase prior to the finishing period may have important consequences for meat quality.
Application of SV markers developed from Dongxiang common wild rice in analysis of cultivated rice
Authors: Zhang Fantao , Luo Yuan , Ai Bin , Chen Yong , Qi Weidong , Xie Jiankun
Published: May 2019

Dongxiang common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff., DXWR) is an important genetic resource for the improvement of cultivated rice. For the past three decades, great achievements have been made in the field of molecular marker development. Although structural variations (SVs) had been studied between DXWR and Nipponbare (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica), the development and application of SV markers in DXWR has not been reported. In this study, based on the genome-wide SV loci, we developed and synthesized a total of 195 SV markers that were evenly distributed across the 12 rice chromosomes. Then, these markers were tested for their stabilities and polymorphisms. Of these 195 markers, 147 (75.4%) were successfully amplified and displayed abundant polymorphisms between DXWR and Nipponbare. Meanwhile, through the genotyping of 20 rice varieties from 13 countries and areas, we concluded that these SV markers have a wide application prospect in the analysis of cultivated rice. Therefore, these molecular markers greatly enrich the number of markers available for DXWR, which will facilitate genomic research and molecular breeding for this important and endangered germplasm resource.
Co-Creation and Impacts of a Suicide Prevention Video
Authors: Cheng Qijin , Shum Angie Kwan Yu , Ip Flora Wai Lam , Wong Ho Kit , Yip Wilson Kam Kai , Kam Aron Hin Lun , Yip Paul S. F.
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Background: Youth suicide has become an emerging public health challenge globally. In this study we leveraged the power of social media to better engage the youth population. Aims: We aimed to investigate the impacts of promoting suicide prevention through social media and evaluate the co-creation process of the project with a popular YouTuber in Hong Kong. Method: A YouTube suicide prevention short film was co-produced by the YouTuber and the research team. We examined the co-creation process using thematic analysis, and analyzed the YouTube video statistics and the data collected from the online survey and public comments. Results: The short film brought positive perceived changes in the audience's suicide prevention knowledge, attitude, and behaviors. Three facilitating factors and one challenge of the co-creation process were identified. The short film statistics and demographics of the audience were also extracted and analyzed. Limitations: There was a small sample size and a lack of a control group in this study. Conclusion: Suicide prevention promotion by the YouTuber was promising. This study demonstrates the effectiveness in promoting suicide prevention via social media and provides a framework for future studies to evaluate similar forms of collaborations.
The Impact of Suicide Prevention Act (2006) on Suicides in Japan
Authors: Nakanishi Miharu , Endo Kaori , Ando Shuntaro , Nishida Atsushi
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Background: The Suicide Prevention Act was implemented in 2006 in Japan to promote various suicide prevention strategies. Aims: The present study examined the impact of the Suicide Prevention Act on recent suicide mortality rates in Japan. Method: Using an interrupted time-series design, we analyzed monthly mortality rates between January 1996 and December 2016. Death certificate data from vital statistics were obtained. Results: A total of 597,007 suicides (99.3% of all suicides) were analyzed. At the onset of the economic recession in 1998, a significant increase was observed in overall age-standardized mortality rates and sex-/age-specific populations, except for those aged 60 or older. The difference in trend between before and after implementation of the Suicide Prevention Act was not significant for overall or for any stratified populations. After the onset of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011, mortality rates declined for overall and for sex-/age-specific populations. Limitations: No information was available on what could have led to each suicide. Conclusion: The decline in mortality rates may be due to a significant and recent natural disaster. Further studies are needed to clarify plausible mechanisms for the decline in suicide rates following the Tōhoku disaster.
Strong Intensification of the Arabian Sea Oxygen Minimum Zone in Response to Arabian Gulf Warming
Authors: Lachkar Z. , Lévy M. , Smith K. S.
Published: May 2019

The highly saline, oxygen‐saturated waters of the Arabian Gulf (hereafter the Gulf) sink to intermediate depths (200–300 m) when they enter the Arabian Sea, ventilating the World's thickest oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Here, we investigate the impacts of a warming of the Gulf consistent with climate change projections on the intensity of this OMZ. Using a series of eddy‐resolving model simulations, we show that the warming of the Gulf waters increases their buoyancy and hence limits their contribution to the ventilation of intermediate depths. This leads to an intensification of the OMZ and an increase in denitrification that depletes subsurface nitrate and limits deoxygenation at depth. The projected future concomitant increase of Gulf salinity only partially reduces the OMZ intensification. Our findings highlight the importance of the Arabian marginal seas for the biogeochemistry of the North Indian Ocean and stress the need for improving their representation in global climate models.
Exploring the Effect of the Pore Size Distribution on the Streaming Potential Generation in Saturated Porous Media, Insight From Pore Network Simulations
Authors: Jougnot Damien , Mendieta Aida , Leroy Philippe , Maineult Alexis
Published: May 2019

Understanding streaming potential generation in porous media is of high interest for hydrological and reservoir studies as it allows to relate water fluxes to measurable electrical potential distributions. This streaming potential generation results from an electrokinetic coupling due to the presence of an electrical double layer developing at the interface between minerals and pore water. Therefore, the pore sizes of the porous medium are expected to play an important role in the streaming potential generation. In this work we use 2‐D pore network simulations to study the effect of the pore size distribution upon this electrokinetic mechanism. Our simulations allow a detailed study of the influence of a large range of permeabilities (from 10−16 to 10−10 m2) for different ionic concentrations (from 10−4 to 1 mol/L). We then use and compare two different approaches that have been used over the last decades to model and interpret the streaming potential generation: the classical coupling coefficient or the effective excess charge density, which has been defined recently. Our results show that the four pore size distributions tested in the present work have a restricted influence on the coupling coefficient for ionic concentration smaller than 10−3 mol/L while it completely drives the behavior of the effective excess charge density over orders of magnitude. Then, we use these simulation results to test an analytical model based on a fractal pore size distributions. This model predicts well the effective excess charge density for all pore size distributions under the thin double layer assumption.
Deglacial Thinning of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA, Revealed by 36Cl Exposure Dating
Authors: Barth Aaron M. , Marcott Shaun A. , Licciardi Joseph M. , Shakun Jeremy D.
Published: May 2019

Future changes in sea level will largely be dictated by changes in the world's ice sheets. Yet the magnitude and rate at which these ice sheets will respond to climate change remain uncertain, necessitating a deeper investigation into past ice sheet‐climate interactions. Numerous studies have documented the timing and pattern of Laurentide Ice Sheet margin retreat since the Last Glacial Maximum, but few studies have provided vertical constraints necessary for accurate sea level contribution estimates. Here we present 21 36Cl ages from boulder and bedrock samples along vertical transects spanning ~1,000 m of relief from multiple peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of northeastern New York, USA. Our exposure ages span the Last Glacial Maximum through the last deglaciation, with the highest‐elevation sites (~1,500 m) ranging between 25 and 19 ka, and the lower elevation sites (≤1,300 m) between 16 and 13 ka. These data suggest gradual ice sheet thinning of 200 m initiated at ~20 ka followed by more rapid surface lowering of 1,000 m approximately coincident with Bølling‐Allerød warming.
Variability in Io's Volcanism on Timescales of Periodic Orbital Changes
Authors: de Kleer Katherine , Nimmo Francis , Kite Edwin
Published: May 2019

The widespread volcanism on the Jovian moon Io is powered by tidal heating, yet we lack a deep understanding of how this distinctive heating process affects the locations, timing, or intensities of Io's eruptions. We show that the quasiperiodic behavior of the volcano Loki Patera in 1987–2018 matches the timescales for the evolution of Io's eccentricity and semimajor axis (~480 and ~460 days). If this orbital forcing is driving Loki Patera's variability, a low‐pass geophysical filter such as poroelastic flow, or a resonant amplification of Io's wobble, could account for the importance of these long‐period orbital variations despite their small amplitudes. The peak volcanic response is predicted to roughly coincide with Io's maximum eccentricity, consistent with the observations. High‐cadence observations over the next several years have the potential to conclusively discriminate between orbital versus geophysical control of Loki Patera's variability.
Is the Noble Gas‐Based Rate of Ocean Warming During the Younger Dryas Overestimated?
Authors: Shackleton S. , Bereiter B. , Baggenstos D. , Bauska T. K. , Brook E. J. , Marcott S. A. , Severinghaus J. P.
Published: May 2019

Noble gases in ice cores enable reconstructions of past mean ocean temperature. A recent result from the clathrate‐containing WAIS Divide Ice Core showed tight covariation between ocean and Antarctic temperatures throughout the last deglaciation, except for the Younger Dryas interval. In the beginning of this interval, oceans warmed at 2.5 °C/kyr—three times greater than estimates of modern warming. If valid, this challenges our understanding of the mechanisms controlling ocean heat uptake. Here we reconstruct mean ocean temperature with clathrate‐free ice samples from Taylor Glacier to test these findings. The two records agree in net temperature change over the Younger Dryas, but the Taylor Glacier record suggests sustained warming at the more modest rate of 1.1 ± 0.2°C/kyr. We explore mechanisms to explain differences between records and suggest that the noble gas content for the Younger Dryas interval of WAIS Divide may have been altered by a decimeter‐scale fractionation during bubble‐clathrate transformation.
Geographical and Seasonal Variability of Mesospheric Bores Observed from the International Space Station
Authors: Hozumi Yuta , Saito Akinori , Sakanoi Takeshi , Yamazaki Atsushi , Hosokawa Keisuke , Nakamura Takuji
Published: May 2019

Geographical and seasonal variations of mesospheric bores were derived from mesospheric airglow observations by the Visible and near Infrared Spectral Imager (VISI) of Ionosphere, Mesosphere, upper Atmosphere and Plasmasphere (IMAP) mission onboard the International Space Station. In the three‐year data set spanning September 2012 to August 2015, 306 mesospheric bore events were found between 55ºS and 55ºN in the O2(0‐0) airglow whose peak height is around 95 km. The distribution of the bore events showed a high occurrence at equatorial latitudes especially during the equinox seasons and at winter midlatitudes. These latitudes and seasons are also known for being the place and time where the migrating diurnal and semidiurnal tides have a large temperature amplitude at the upper mesosphere altitude. This coincidence suggests that the majority of mesospheric bores occurred in a temperature inversion layer, which is related to the tides. The local time variation of the bore occurrences at midlatitudes showed a minimum around midnight. The local time variation at equatorial latitudes is more widely distributed compared to those at midlatitudes. The dominant propagation direction of mesospheric bores is from the winter hemisphere to the summer hemisphere.
Caspase-1 initiates apoptosis in the absence of gasdermin D
Authors: Tsuchiya Kohsuke , Nakajima Shinsuke , Hosojima Shoko , Thi Nguyen Dinh , Hattori Tsuyoshi , Manh Le Thuong , Hori Osamu , Mahib Mamunur Rashid , Yamaguchi Yoshifumi , Miura Masayuki , Kinoshita Takeshi , Kushiyama Hiroko , Sakurai Mayumi , Shiroishi Toshihiko , Suda Takashi
Published: May 2019

Caspase-1 activated in inflammasomes triggers a programmed necrosis called pyroptosis, which is mediated by gasdermin D (GSDMD). However, GSDMD-deficient cells are still susceptible to caspase-1-mediated cell death. Therefore, here, we investigate the mechanism of caspase-1-initiated cell death in GSDMD-deficient cells. Inflammasome stimuli induce apoptosis accompanied by caspase-3 activation in GSDMD-deficient macrophages, which largely relies on caspase-1. Chemical dimerization of caspase-1 induces pyroptosis in GSDMD-sufficient cells, but apoptosis in GSDMD-deficient cells. Caspase-1-induced apoptosis involves the Bid-caspase-9-caspase-3 axis, which can be followed by GSDME-dependent secondary necrosis/pyroptosis. However, Bid ablation does not completely abolish the cell death, suggesting the existence of an additional mechanism. Furthermore, cortical neurons and mast cells exhibit little or low GSDMD expression and undergo apoptosis after oxygen glucose deprivation and nigericin stimulation, respectively, in a caspase-1- and Bid-dependent manner. This study clarifies the molecular mechanism and biological roles of caspase-1-induced apoptosis in GSDMD-low/null cell types.
Tuning the charge flow between Marcus regimes in an organic thin-film device
Authors: Atxabal A. , Arnold T. , Parui S. , Hutsch S. , Zuccatti E. , Llopis R. , Cinchetti M. , Casanova F. , Ortmann F. , Hueso L. E.
Published: May 2019

Marcus’s theory of electron transfer, initially formulated six decades ago for redox reactions in solution, is now of great importance for very diverse scientific communities. The molecular scale tunability of electronic properties renders organic semiconductor materials in principle an ideal platform to test this theory. However, the demonstration of charge transfer in different Marcus regions requires a precise control over the driving force acting on the charge carriers. Here, we make use of a three-terminal hot-electron molecular transistor, which lets us access unconventional transport regimes. Thanks to the control of the injection energy of hot carriers in the molecular thin film we induce an effective negative differential resistance state that is a direct consequence of the Marcus Inverted Region.
TFIIE orchestrates the recruitment of the TFIIH kinase module at promoter before release during transcription
Authors: Compe Emmanuel , Genes Carlos M. , Braun Cathy , Coin Frederic , Egly Jean-Marc
Published: May 2019

In eukaryotes, the general transcription factors TFIIE and TFIIH assemble at the transcription start site with RNA Polymerase II. However, the mechanism by which these transcription factors incorporate the preinitiation complex and coordinate their action during RNA polymerase II transcription remains elusive. Here we show that the TFIIEα and TFIIEβ subunits anchor the TFIIH kinase module (CAK) within the preinitiation complex. In addition, we show that while RNA polymerase II phosphorylation and DNA opening occur, CAK and TFIIEα are released from the promoter. This dissociation is impeded by either ATP-γS or CDK7 inhibitor THZ1, but still occurs when XPB activity is abrogated. Finally, we show that the Core-TFIIH and TFIIEβ are subsequently removed, while elongation factors such as DSIF are recruited. Remarkably, these early transcriptional events are affected by TFIIE and TFIIH mutations associated with the developmental disorder, trichothiodystrophy.
Towards a global DNA barcode reference library for quarantine identifications of lepidopteran stemborers, with an emphasis on sugarcane pests
Authors: Lee Timothy R. C. , Anderson Stacey J. , Tran-Nguyen Lucy T. T. , Sallam Nader , Le Ru Bruno P. , Conlong Desmond , Powell Kevin , Ward Andrew , Mitchell Andrew
Published: May 2019

Lepidopteran stemborers are among the most damaging agricultural pests worldwide, able to reduce crop yields by up to 40%. Sugarcane is the world’s most prolific crop, and several stemborer species from the families Noctuidae, Tortricidae, Crambidae and Pyralidae attack sugarcane. Australia is currently free of the most damaging stemborers, but biosecurity efforts are hampered by the difficulty in morphologically distinguishing stemborer species. Here we assess the utility of DNA barcoding in identifying stemborer pest species. We review the current state of the COI barcode sequence library for sugarcane stemborers, assembling a dataset of 1297 sequences from 64 species. Sequences were from specimens collected and identified in this study, downloaded from BOLD or requested from other authors. We performed species delimitation analyses to assess species diversity and the effectiveness of barcoding in this group. Seven species exhibited <0.03 K2P interspecific diversity, indicating that diagnostic barcoding will work well in most of the studied taxa. We identified 24 instances of identification errors in the online database, which has hampered unambiguous stemborer identification using barcodes. Instances of very high within-species diversity indicate that nuclear markers (e.g. 18S, 28S) and additional morphological data (genitalia dissection of all lineages) are needed to confirm species boundaries.
Genome-wide characterization of ALDH Superfamily in Brassica rapa and enhancement of stress tolerance in heterologous hosts by BrALDH7B2 expression
Authors: Gautam Ranjana , Ahmed Israr , Shukla Pawan , Meena Rajesh Kumar , Kirti P. B.
Published: May 2019

Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) carries out oxidation of toxic aldehydes using NAD+/NADP+ as cofactors. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide identification and expression analysis of genes in the ALDH gene family in Brassica rapa. A total of 23 ALDH genes in the superfamily have been identified according to the classification of ALDH Gene Nomenclature Committee (AGNC). They were distributed unevenly across all 10 chromosomes. All the 23 Brassica rapa ALDH (BrALDH) genes exhibited varied expression patterns during treatments with abiotic stress inducers and hormonal treatments. The relative expression profiles of ALDH genes in B. rapa showed that they are predominantly expressed in leaves and stem suggesting their function in the vegetative tissues. BrALDH7B2 showed a strong response to abiotic stress and hormonal treatments as compared to other ALDH genes; therefore, it was overexpressed in heterologous hosts, E. coli and yeast to study its possible function under abiotic stress conditions. Over-expression of BrALDH7B2 in heterologous systems, E. coli and yeast cells conferred significant tolerance to abiotic stress treatments. Results from this work demonstrate that BrALDH genes are a promising and untapped genetic resource for crop improvement and could be deployed further in the development of drought and salinity tolerance in B. rapa and other economically important crops.
Hemopoietic Cell Kinase amplification with Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor T depletion leads to polycythemia, aberrant marrow erythoid maturation, and splenomegaly
Authors: Ku Matthew , MacKinnon Ruth N. , Wall Meaghan , Narayan Nisha , Walkley Carl , Cheng Heung-Chin , Campbell Lynda J. , Purton Louise E. , Nandurkar Harshal
Published: May 2019

Deletion of long arm of chromosome 20 [del(20q)] is the second most frequent recurrent chromosomal abnormality in hematological malignancies. It is detected in 10% of myeloproliferative neoplasms, 4–5% of myelodysplastic syndromes, and 1–2% of acute myeloid leukaemia. Recurrent, non-random occurrence of del(20q) indicates that it is a pathogenic driver in myeloid malignancies. Genetic mapping of patient samples has identified two regions of interest on 20q – the “Common Deleted Region” (CDR) and “Common Retained Region” (CRR), which was often amplified. We proposed that the CDR contained tumor suppressor gene(s) (TSG) and the CRR harbored oncogene(s); loss of a TSG together with over-expression of an oncogene favored development of myeloid malignancies. Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor T (PTPRT) and Hemopoietic cell kinase (HCK) were identified to be the likely candidate TSG and oncogene respectively. Retroviral transduction of HCK into PTPRT-null murine LKS+ stem and progenitor cells resulted in hyperproliferation in colony forming assays and hyperphosphorylation of intracellular STAT3. Furthermore, over half of the murine recipients of these transduced cells developed erythroid hyperplasia, polycythemia and splenomegaly at 12 months, although no leukemic phenotype was observed. The findings suggested that HCK amplification coupled with PTPRT loss in del(20q) leads to development of a myeloproliferative phenotype.
A Biobehavioral Validation of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in Female Adolescents
Authors: Rinnewitz Lena , Parzer Peter , Koenig Julian , Bertsch Katja , Brunner Romuald , Resch Franz , Kaess Michael
Published: May 2019

This research assessed the behavioral, emotional, endocrinological and autonomic reactivity to the laboratory Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) in a sample of healthy female adolescents. Twenty participants were induced with the TAP to behave aggressively (aggression group) and 20 age-matched participants were not induced to behave aggressively (control group). Regression analysis revealed that the aggression group displayed significant higher levels of aggressive behavior compared to the control group (χ2 (2) = 255.50, p < 0.0001). Aggressive behavior was not related to self-reported measures of trait aggression, impulsiveness or psychopathy features. Regarding the biological responses, regression analysis on cortisol, missed the set level of significance (χ2 (1) = 3.73, p = 0.054), but showed significant effects on heart rate as a function of aggression induction (χ2 (1) = 5.81, p = 0.016). While aggression induction was associated with increased autonomic arousal (heart rate), the interpretation of the effects on cortisol warrant caution, given existing differences between groups at baseline and overly elevated cortisol attributable to the general experimental procedures and not the TAP per se. No differences were found with respect to testosterone. In summary, the present study lends preliminary support for the validity of the TAP and its use in female adolescents on a behavioral and autonomic level.
Utilizing a Simple Method for Stoichiometric Protein Labeling to Quantify Antibody Blockade
Authors: Friedman Ohana Rachel , Hurst Robin , Rosenblatt Mike , Levin Sergiy , Machleidt Thomas , Kirkland Thomas A. , Encell Lance P. , Robers Matthew B. , Wood Keith V.
Published: May 2019

Ligand binding assays routinely employ fluorescently-labeled protein ligands to quantify the extent of binding. These ligands are commonly generated through chemical modification of accessible lysine residues, which often results in heterogeneous populations exhibiting variable binding properties. This could be remedied by quantitative, site-specific labeling. Recently, we reported on a single-step method integrating recombinant protein purification with 2-cyanobenzothiazole (CBT) condensation for labeling a proteolytically exposed N-terminal cysteine. Here, using three growth factors, we show that unlike random lysine labeling, this site-specific approach yielded homogeneous populations of growth factors that were quantitatively labeled at their N-termini and retained their binding characteristics. We demonstrate the utility of this labeling method through the development of a novel assay that quantifies the capacity of antibodies to block receptor-ligand interactions (i.e. antibody blockade). The assay uses bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) to detect binding of CBT-labeled growth factors to their cognate receptors genetically fused to NanoLuc luciferase. The ability of antibodies to block these interactions is quantified through decrease in BRET. Using several antibodies, we show that the assay provides reliable quantification of antibody blockade in a cellular context. As demonstrated here, this simple method for generating uniformly-labeled proteins has potential to promote more accurate and robust ligand binding assays.