bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of Vegetation to the Microbial Composition of Nearby Outdoor Air
Authors: Lymperopoulou Despoina S. , Adams Rachel I. , Lindow Steven E.
Published: April 2016

Given that epiphytic microbes are often found in large population sizes on plants, we tested the hypothesis that plants are quantitatively important local sources of airborne microorganisms. The abundance of microbial communities, determined by quantifying bacterial 16S RNA genes and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, in air collected directly above vegetation was 2- to 10-fold higher than that in air collected simultaneously in an adjacent nonvegetated area 50 m upwind. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling revealed that the composition of airborne bacteria in upwind air samples grouped separately from that of downwind air samples, while communities on plants and downwind air could not be distinguished. In contrast, fungal taxa in air samples were more similar to each other than to the fungal epiphytes. A source-tracking algorithm revealed that up to 50% of airborne bacteria in downwind air samples were presumably of local plant origin. The difference in the proportional abundances of a given operational taxonomic unit (OTU) between downwind and upwind air when regressed against the proportional representation of this OTU on the plant yielded a positive slope for both bacteria and fungi, indicating that those taxa that were most abundant on plants proportionally contributed more to downwind air. Epiphytic fungi were less of a determinant of the microbiological distinctiveness of downwind air and upwind air than epiphytic bacteria. Emigration of epiphytic bacteria and, to a lesser extent, fungi, from plants can thus influence the microbial composition of nearby air, a finding that has important implications for surrounding ecosystems, including the built environment into which outdoor air can penetrate.

IMPORTANCE
This paper addresses the poorly understood role of bacterial and fungal epiphytes, the inhabitants of the aboveground plant parts, in the composition of airborne microbes in outdoor air. It is widely held that epiphytes contribute to atmospheric microbial assemblages, but much of what we know is limited to qualitative assessments. Elucidating the sources of microbes in outdoor air can inform basic biological processes seen in airborne communities (e.g., dispersal and biogeographical patterns). Furthermore, given the considerable contribution of outdoor air to microbial communities found within indoor environments, the understanding of plants as sources of airborne microbes in outdoor air might contribute to our understanding of indoor air quality. With an experimental design developed to minimize the likelihood of other-than-local plant sources contributing to the composition of airborne microbes, we provide direct evidence that plants are quantitatively important local sources of airborne microorganisms, with implications for the surrounding ecosystems.
Microbiota of an Italian Grana-Like Cheese during Manufacture and Ripening, Unraveled by 16S rRNA-Based Approaches
Authors: Alessandria Valentina , Ferrocino Ilario , De Filippis Francesca , Fontana Mauro , Rantsiou Kalliopi , Ercolini Danilo , Cocolin Luca
Published: April 2016

The microbial ecology of cheese involves a rich and complex interaction between starter lactic acid bacteria and nonstarter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB), mainly originating from raw milk and/or from the environment, that can contribute to the final characteristics of cheese. The aim of the present research was the exploration of the active microbiota by RNA-based approaches during the manufacturing and ripening of a Grana-like cheese. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and RNA-based high-throughput sequencing were applied to profile microbial populations, while the enumeration of active bacteria was carried out by using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Three different cheese productions (named D, E, and F) collected in the same month from the same dairy plant were analyzed. The application of the qPCR protocol revealed the presence of 7 log CFU/ml of bacterial load in raw milk, while, during ripening, active bacterial populations ranged from <4 to 8 log CFU/ml. The natural whey starters used in the three productions showed the same microbiota composition, characterized by the presence of
Lactobacillus helveticus
and
Lactobacillus delbrueckii
. Nevertheless, beta-diversity analysis of the 16S rRNA sequencing data and RT-PCR-DGGE showed a clear clustering of the samples according to the three productions, probably driven by the different milks used. Milk samples were found to be characterized by the presence of several contaminants, such as
Propionibacterium acnes
,
Acidovorax
,
Acinetobacter
,
Pseudomonas
, and NSLAB. The core genera of the starter tended to limit the development of the spoilage bacteria only in two of the three batches. This study underlines the influence of different factors that can affect the final microbiota composition of the artisanal cheese.

IMPORTANCE
This study highlights the importance of the quality of the raw milk in the production of a hard cheese. Independent from the use of a starter culture, raw milk with low microbiological quality can negatively affect the populations of lactic acid bacteria and, as a consequence, impact the quality of the final product due to metabolic processes associated with spoilage bacteria.
Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus in Sami and Norwegian populations. The SAMINOR—a cross-sectional study
Authors: Broderstad Ann Ragnhild , Melhus Marita
Published: April 2016

Objectives

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is recognised as a reliable long-term predictor of adverse health outcomes. Elevated prevalence rates of MetS and chronic lifestyle diseases have been documented in different indigenous groups. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of MetS and diabetes mellitus in relation to ethnicity in Northern Norway. In addition, we discussed different cut-off values for waist circumference (WC) and what impact this has on the prevalence of MetS.

Materials and methods

SAMINOR is a population-based study of health and living conditions in areas home to Sami and non-Sami populations. The survey was carried out in 2003–2004. All eligible residents in specific age groups were invited. In total, 16 538 males and females aged 36–79 years participated and gave informed consent for medical research.

Results

This study involved a total of 7822 female and 7290 male participants. Sami affiliation was reported by 5141 participants (34%). The prevalence of MetS was high in both ethnic groups independent of which WC cut-off value was used. No ethnic differences in prevalence of diabetes mellitus were demonstrated. However, ethnicity appeared to affect diabetes treatment, which was more prevalent among Sami than non-Sami women.

Conclusions

In this study, there was no ethnic difference in diabetes prevalence, but ethnicity appeared to affect diabetes treatment. Tablet treatment was more commonly in use among Sami women than among non-Sami women. We demonstrated a high share of negative metabolic components. These metabolic components have important health implications. Therefore, determining preventive initiatives is important in the primary and specialist healthcare system. These initiatives must be made culture and linguistic specific, in order to reduce differences and improve health status in the whole population.
Feasibility study to examine discrepancy rates in prespecified and reported outcomes in articles submitted toThe BMJ
Authors: Weston Jennifer , Dwan Kerry , Altman Douglas , Clarke Mike , Gamble Carrol , Schroter Sara , Williamson Paula , Kirkham Jamie
Published: April 2016

Objectives

Adding, omitting or changing prespecified outcomes can result in bias because it increases the potential for unacknowledged or post hoc revisions of the planned analyses. Journals have adopted initiatives such as requiring the prospective registration of trials and the submission of study protocols to promote the transparency of reporting in clinical trials. The main objective of this feasibility study was to document the frequency and types of outcome discrepancy between prespecified outcomes in the protocol and reported outcomes in trials submitted toThe BMJ.

Methods

A review of all 3156 articles submitted toThe BMJbetween 1 September 2013 and 30 June 2014. Trial registry entries, protocols and trial reports of randomised controlled trials published byThe BMJand a random sample of those rejected were reviewed. Editorial, peer reviewer comments and author responses were also examined to ascertain any reasons for discrepancies.

Results

In the study period,The BMJreceived 311 trial manuscripts, 21 of which were subsequently published by the journal. In trials published byThe BMJ, 27% (89/333) of the prespecified outcomes in the protocol were not reported in the submitted paper and 11% (31/275) of reported outcomes were not prespecified. In the sample of 21 trials rejected byThe BMJ, 19% (63/335) of prespecified outcomes went unreported and 14% (45/317) of reported outcomes were not prespecified. None of the reasons provided by published authors were suggestive of outcome reporting bias as the reasons were unrelated to the results.

Conclusions

Mandating the prospective registration of a trial and requesting that a protocol be uploaded when submitting a trial article to a journal has the potential to promote transparency and safeguard the evidence base against outcome reporting biases as a result of outcome discrepancies. Further guidance is needed with regard to documenting reasons for outcome discrepancies.
Protocol for studying cough frequency in people with pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Proaño Alvaro , Bravard Marjory A , Tracey Brian H , López José W , Comina German , Zimic Mirko , Coronel Jorge , O'Neill Lee Gwenyth , Caviedes Luz , Luis Cabrera Jose , Salas Antonio , Ticona Eduardo , Kirwan Daniela E , Friedland Jon S , Evans Carlton A , Moore David A , Gilman Robert H ,   Tuberculosis Working Group in Peru
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Cough is a key symptom of tuberculosis (TB) as well as the main cause of transmission. However, a recent literature review found that cough frequency (number of coughs per hour) in patients with TB has only been studied once, in 1969. The main aim of this study is to describe cough frequency patterns before and after the start of TB treatment and to determine baseline factors that affect cough frequency in these patients. Secondarily, we will evaluate the correlation between cough frequency and TB microbiological resolution.

Methods

This study will select participants with culture confirmed TB from 2 tertiary hospitals in Lima, Peru. We estimated that a sample size of 107 patients was sufficient to detect clinically significant changes in cough frequency. Participants will initially be evaluated through questionnaires, radiology, microscopic observation drug susceptibility broth TB-culture, auramine smear microscopy and cough recordings. This cohort will be followed for the initial 60 days of anti-TB treatment, and throughout the study several microbiological samples as well as 24 h recordings will be collected. We will describe the variability of cough episodes and determine its association with baseline laboratory parameters of pulmonary TB. In addition, we will analyse the reduction of cough frequency in predicting TB cure, adjusted for potential confounders.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the ethics committees at each participating hospital in Lima, Peru, Asociación Benéfica PRISMA in Lima, Peru, the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. We aim to publish and disseminate our findings in peer-reviewed journals. We also expect to create and maintain an online repository for TB cough sounds as well as the statistical analysis employed.
The Moment Study: protocol for a mixed method observational cohort study of the Alternative Nicotine Delivery Systems (ANDS) initiation process among adult cigarette smokers
Authors: Pearson Jennifer L , Smiley Sabrina L , Rubin Leslie F , Anesetti-Rothermel Andrew , Elmasry Hoda , Davis Megan , DeAtley Teresa , Harvey Emily , Kirchner Thomas , Abrams David B
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Alternative Nicotine Delivery Systems (ANDS) such as e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that aerosolize nicotine and other substances to simulate smoking without using tobacco. Little is known about the ANDS initiation process among adult smokers. The aims of this research are threefold to: (1) examine how ANDS use affects cigarette use; (2) examine how the immediate environmental and psychosocial contexts of cigarette and ANDS use vary within—and between—participants in general and by menthol preference and race; and, (3) examine participants' ‘lived experience’ of the subjective perceptions, meaning, influences and utility of cigarette and ANDS use.

Methods and analyses

This study's mixed method, 6-week longitudinal design will produce a detailed description of the ANDS initiation process among adult smokers (N=100). Qualitative and quantitative data collection will include 3 weeks of: (1) ecological momentary assessment of patterns of cigarette/ANDS use, satisfaction, mood and craving; (2) geospatial assessment of participants' environment, including indoor and outdoor cigarette/ANDS norms and rules; (3) in-depth interviews about the meaning and utility of cigarette smoking and ANDS use; and, (4) saliva cotinine and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) biomarkers. A diverse sample will be recruited with an equal number of menthol and non-menthol cigarette smokers. As the primary independent variable, we will investigate how ANDS use affects cigarette consumption. We will also examine how smoking-related and ANDS-related rules and norms surrounding product use influence cigarette and ANDS product use, and how the subjective effects of ANDS use affect ANDS perceptions, beliefs and use.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the US National Institutes of Health (1R21DA036472), registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02261363), and approved by the Chesapeake IRB (Pro00008526). Findings will be disseminated to the scientific and lay community through presentations, reports and scientific publications.

Trial registration number

NCT02261363; Pre-results.
Serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) as a prognostic marker in stage IV colon cancer patients receiving cetuximab based targeted therapy
Authors: Chen Yi-Ting , Tsao Shu-Chuan , Tsai Hung-Pei , Wang Jaw-Yuan , Chai Chee-Yin
Published: April 2016

Background

Serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type-1 (SPINK1), a trypsin kinase inhibitor, has well established associations with inflammation, cancer cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. However, the role of SPINK1 has not been investigated in stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) patients receiving cetuximab based targeted therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of SPINK1 as a biomarker for predicting how patients with end stage CRC respond to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapies.

Methods

Immunohistochemical staining was used for semiquantitative analysis of SPINK1 protein expression in 51 CRC cases. Expression of SPINK1 protein was then analysed to identify correlations with clinicopathological variables.

Results

High SPINK1 expression was significantly associated with males (p=0.018). Kaplan–Meier analyses also showed that patients with high SPINK1 expression had significantly longer overall survival compared with controls (p=0.004). Multivariable analyses showed that SPINK1 expression and tumour size were significantly associated with prognosis (HR 0.416 and 0.437; 95% CI 0.217 to 0.797 and 0.236 to 0.810; p=0.008 and p=0.009, respectively) in these stage IV CRC cases.

Conclusions

High SPINK1 expression is associated with a good prognosis in stage IV CRC cases receiving cetuximab based targeted therapy. As SPINK1 expression is also an independent prognostic marker in these patients, it has potential use as a biomarker for clinical decision making and for designing personalised targeted therapies.
Why medical professionals have no moral claim to conscientious objection accommodation in liberal democracies
Authors: Schuklenk Udo , Smalling Ricardo
Published: April 2016

We describe a number of conscientious objection cases in a liberal Western democracy. These cases strongly suggest that the typical conscientious objector does not object to unreasonable, controversial professional services—involving torture, for instance—but to the provision of professional services that are both uncontroversially legal and that patients are entitled to receive. We analyse the conflict between these patients' access rights and the conscientious objection accommodation demanded by monopoly providers of such healthcare services. It is implausible that professionals who voluntarily join a profession should be endowed with a legal claim not to provide services that are within the scope of the profession's practice and that society expects them to provide. We discuss common counterarguments to this view and reject all of them.
Global gene expression and secondary metabolite changes inArabidopsis thaliana ABI4over-expression lines
Authors: Yu Bianyun , Gruber Margaret Y. , Wei Shu , Zhou Rong , Hegedus Dwayne , Khachatourians George G. , Hannoufa Abdelali
Published: April 2016

Despite numerous studies on ABI4, its role in plant secondary metabolism has not been fully investigated. Here, we used metabolite profiling together with transcriptome analysis to demonstrate that ABI4 transcript levels regulate a host of secondary metabolite pathways and growth modalities in ABI4 over-expression (ABI4_OE) lines of Arabidopsis thaliana. This strategy provided a unique and comprehensive overview of the regulation of metabolic shifts in response to ABI4 transcription. We show that enhancement of ABI4 transcript levels changed seed proanthocyanidin (PA), flavonoid, and carotenoid levels in ABI4_OE seeds and 30-day-old shoots, as well as the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in the production of these and other secondary metabolites in ABI4_OE shoots. In seeds, PA accumulated in very large uneven patches, which was dramatically different from the even distribution of PA in wild-type seeds. Shoots of ABI4_OE lines also exhibited altered expression of a range of genes involved in several aspects of plant development, including hormone and cell-wall synthesis. Alteration of such disparate secondary metabolite pathways, along with hormone and developmental pathways, suggests that ABI4 is a master regulator integrating these compounds with plant development.
Construction of a genetic linkage map and QTL analysis in bambara groundnut
Authors: Ahmad Nariman Salih , Redjeki Endah Sri , Ho Wai Kuan , Aliyu Siise , Mayes Katie , Massawe Festo , Kilian Andrzej , Mayes Sean
Published: April 2016

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is an indigenous underutilized legume that has the potential to improve food security in semi-arid Africa. So far, there are a lack of reports of controlled breeding populations that could be used for variety development and genetic studies. We report here the construction of the first genetic linkage map of bambara groundnut using a F3population derived from a “narrow” cross between two domesticated landraces (Tiga Nicuru and DipC) with marked divergence in phenotypic traits. The map consists of 238 DArT array and SSR based markers in 21 linkage groups with a total genetic distance of 608.3 cM. In addition, phenotypic traits were evaluated for a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis over two generations. A total of 36 significant QTLs were detected for 19 traits. The phenotypic effect explained by a single QTL ranged from 11.6% to 49.9%. Two stable QTLs were mapped for internode length and growth habit. The identified QTLs could be useful for marker-assisted selection in bambara groundnut breeding programmes.
Spintronic PUFs for Security, Trust, and Authentication
Authors: Iyengar Anirudh , Ghosh Swaroop , Ramclam Kenneth , Jang Jae-Won , Lin Cheng-Wei
Published: April 2016

We propose spintronic physically unclonable functions (PUFs) to exploit security-specific properties of domain wall memory (DWM) for security, trust, and authentication. We note that the nonlinear dynamics of domain walls (DWs) in the physical magnetic system is an untapped source of entropy that can be leveraged for hardware security. The spatial and temporal randomness in the physical system is employed in conjunction with microscopic and macroscopic properties such as stochastic DW motion, stochastic pinning/depinning, and serial access to realize novel relay-PUF and memory-PUF designs. The proposed PUFs show promising results (∼50% interdie Hamming distance (HD) and 10% to 20% intradie HD) in terms of randomness, stability, and resistance to attacks. We have investigated noninvasive attacks, such as machine learning and magnetic field attack, and have assessed the PUFs resilience.
A Faster Algorithm for Computing Straight Skeletons
Authors: Cheng Siu-Wing , Mencel Liam , Vigneron Antoine
Published: April 2016

We present a new algorithm for computing the straight skeleton of a polygon. For a polygon with
n
vertices, among which
r
are reflex vertices, we give a deterministic algorithm that reduces the straight skeleton computation to a motorcycle graph computation in
O
(
n
(log
n
)log
r
) time. It improves on the previously best known algorithm for this reduction, which is randomized, and runs in expected
O
(
n
sqrt
h
+ 1 log
2
n
) time for a polygon with
h
holes. Using known motorcycle graph algorithms, our result yields improved time bounds for computing straight skeletons. In particular, we can compute the straight skeleton of a nondegenerate polygon in
O
(
n
(log
n
)log
r
+
r
4/3 + ε
) time for any ε > 0. On degenerate input, our time bound increases to
O
(
n
(log
n
)log
r
+
r
17/11 + ε
).
Visual event-related potential studies supporting the validity of VARK learning styles' visual and read/write learners
Authors: Thepsatitporn Sarawin , Pichitpornchai Chailerd
Published: April 2016

The validity of learning styles needs supports of additional objective evidence. The identification of learning styles using subjective evidence from VARK questionnaires (where V is visual, A is auditory, R is read/write, and K is kinesthetic) combined with objective evidence from visual event-related potential (vERP) studies has never been investigated. It is questionable whether picture superiority effects exist in V learners and R learners. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate whether vERP could show the relationship between vERP components and VARK learning styles and to identify the existence of picture superiority effects in V learners and R learners. Thirty medical students (15 V learners and 15 R learners) performed recognition tasks with vERP and an intermediate-term memory (ITM) test. The results of within-group comparisons showed that pictures elicited larger P200 amplitudes than words at the occipital 2 site ( P < 0.05) in V learners and at the occipital 1 and 2 sites ( P < 0.05) in R learners. The between-groups comparison showed that P200 amplitudes elicited by pictures in V learners were larger than those of R learners at the parietal 4 site ( P < 0.05). The ITM test result showed that a picture set showed distinctively more correct responses than that of a word set for both V learners ( P < 0.001) and R learners ( P < 0.01). In conclusion, the result indicated that the P200 amplitude at the parietal 4 site could be used to objectively distinguish V learners from R learners. A lateralization existed to the right brain (occipital 2 site) in V learners. The ITM test demonstrated the existence of picture superiority effects in both learners. The results revealed the first objective electrophysiological evidence partially supporting the validity of the subjective psychological VARK questionnaire study.
Src as a Therapeutic Target in Biliary Tract Cancer
Authors: Nam Ah-Rong , Kim Ji-Won , Park Ji Eun , Bang Ju-Hee , Jin Mei Hua , Lee Kyung-Hun , Kim Tae-Yong , Han Sae-Won , Im Seock-Ah , Kim Tae-You , Oh Do-Youn , Bang Yung-Jue
Published: April 2016

Src, a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, is involved in a number of cancer-related signaling pathways and aberrantly activated in biliary tract cancer (BTC). This study aimed to elucidate the potential role of Src as a therapeutic target in BTC. We tested bosutinib, an orally active c-Src/Abl kinase inhibitor, alone or in combination with cytotoxic agents using 9 human BTC cell lines: SNU-245, SNU-308, SNU-478, SNU-869, SNU-1079, SNU-1196, HuCCT1, TFK-1, and EGI-1. Of these, SNU-308 and SNU-478 were relatively sensitive to bosutinib. Bosutinib abrogated phosphorylation of Src and its downstream molecules, and significantly increased G1 cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Bosutinib significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion and decreased epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers. Bosutinib combined with gemcitabine or cisplatin showed synergistic antiproliferative and antimigratory effects. In addition, this combination further inhibited phosphorylation of Src and its downstream molecules and decreased epithelial–mesenchymal transition marker expression compared with bosutinib alone. We established a SNU-478 xenograft model for in vivo experiments, because SNU-478 was more tumorigenic than SNU-308. Bosutinib combined with gemcitabine or cisplatin showed significantly more potent antitumor effects than bosutinib alone. Bosutinib combined with gemcitabine further decreased Ki-67 expression and Src phosphorylation, and further increased TUNEL expression. Our data suggest that Src might be a potential therapeutic target in BTC. Bosutinib demonstrated promising antitumor activity alone or in combination with gemcitabine or cisplatin in BTC cells, which supports further clinical development in patients with advanced BTC. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(7); 1515–24. ©2016 AACR.
Oxidative Stress–Induced Protein Damage Inhibits DNA Repair and Determines Mutation Risk and Therapeutic Efficacy
Authors: McAdam Elizabeth , Brem Reto , Karran Peter
Published: April 2016

The relationship between sun exposure and nonmelanoma skin cancer risk is well established. Solar UV (wavelength 280–400 nm) is firmly implicated in skin cancer development. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) protects against cancer by removing potentially mutagenic DNA lesions induced by UVB (280–320 nm). How the 20-fold more abundant UVA (320–400 nm) component of solar UV radiation increases skin cancer risk is not understood. Here it is demonstrated that the contribution of UVA to the effect of UV radiation on cultured human cells is largely independent of its ability to damage DNA. Instead, the effects of UVA reflect the induction of oxidative stress that causes extensive protein oxidation. Because NER proteins are among those damaged, UVA irradiation inhibits NER and increases the susceptibility of the cells to mutation by UVB. NER inhibition is a common consequence of oxidative stress. Exposure to chemical oxidants, treatment with drugs that deplete cellular antioxidants, and interventions that interfere with glucose metabolism to disrupt the supply of cellular reducing power all inhibit NER. Tumor cells are often in a condition of oxidative stress and one effect of the NER inhibition that results from stress-induced protein oxidation is an increased sensitivity to the anticancer drug cisplatin.

Implications: As NER is both a defense against cancer and a significant determinant of cell survival after treatment with anticancer drugs, its attenuation by protein damage under conditions of oxidative stress has implications for both cancer risk and for the effectiveness of anticancer therapy. Mol Cancer Res; 14(7); 612–22. ©2016 AACR.
Inhibition of Aromatase Induces Partial Sex Change in a Cichlid Fish: Distinct Functions for Sex Steroids in Brains and Gonads
Authors: Göppert Carolin , Harris Rayna M. , Theis Anya , Boila Anna , Hohl Simon , Rüegg Attila , Hofmann Hans A. , Salzburger Walter , Böhne Astrid
Published: April 2016

Sex steroids are major drivers of sexual development and also responsible for the maintenance of the established gender. Especially fishes exhibit great plasticity and less conservation in sex determination and sexual development compared to other vertebrate groups. In addition, fishes have a constant sex steroid production throughout their entire lifespan, which makes them particularly susceptible to interferences with the endogenous sex steroid system. This susceptibility has recently been used to show that inhibition of the key enzyme of estrogen synthesis, aromatase Cyp19a1, can induce functional sex reversal even in adult fish. Here, we investigated the impact of the aromatase inhibitor (AI) fadrozole in adult females of the East African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni. Using gene expression, phenotypic measurements, behavioral experiments, and hormone measurements, we assessed if females treated with fadrozole develop a male-like phenotype. We found that AI treatment has a different effect on gene expression in the gonad compared to the brain, the 2 tissues mostly implicated in sexual development. In contrast to observations in other gonochoristic species, A. burtoni ovaries cannot be transformed into functional testis by AI. However, rapid changes towards a male-like phenotype can be induced with AI in coloration, hormone levels, and behavior.
Proximidade e Distância: o onde de Guimarães Rosa e Thomas Mann
Authors: Soethe Paulo Astor
Published: April 2016

O presente artigo apresenta um estudo comparativo entre os romances A Montanha Mágica, de Thomas Mann, e Grande Sertão: Veredas, de Guimarães Rosa. Investiga a relação que os respectivos protagonistas mantêm com os espaços naturais representados nas duas obras e a relevância de tal relação para a reflexão ética desenvolvida nos textos.
Palavras em falso e literatura engajada nos anos 30: Mário de Andrade e "A raposa e o tostão"
Authors: Salla Thiago Mio
Published: April 2016

Com o presente trabalho objetiva-se analisar os conceitos divergentes de escritor e de obra literária no final dos anos 30, por meio da discussão levantada pela crônica “A raposa e o tostão” de Mario de Andrade. Este texto faz parte de uma polêmica ocorrida em 1939 que também envolveu Jorge Amado, Joel Silveira e Graciliano Ramos.
Resveratrol Ameliorates Cardiac Hypertrophy by Down‐regulation of miR‐155 Through Activation of Breast Cancer Type 1 Susceptibility Protein
Authors: Fan Yuhua , Liu Li , Fang Kun , Huang Tao , Wan Lin , Liu Youbin , Zhang Sen , Yan Dongxia , Li Guangnan , Gao Yanhui , Lv Yanjie , Chen Yanjun , Tu Yingfeng
Published: April 2016

Background

The polyphenol resveratrol (Rev) has been reported to exhibit cardioprotective effects, such as inhibition of
TAC
(transverse aortic constriction) or isoprenaline (ISO)‐induced hypertrophy. Micro
RNA
‐155 (miR‐155) was found to be decreased in hypertrophic myocardium, which could be further reduced by pretreatment of Rev. The study was designed to investigate the molecular effects of miR‐155 on cardiac hypertrophy, focusing on the role of breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (
BRCA
1).

Methods and Results

We demonstrated that Rev alleviated severity of hypertrophic myocardium in a mice model of cardiac hypertrophy by
TAC
treatment. Down‐regulation of miR‐155 was observed in pressure overload– or
ISO
‐induced hypertrophic cardiomyoctyes. Interestingly, administration of Rev substantially attenuated miR‐155 level in cardiomyocytes. In agreement with its miR‐155 reducing effect, Rev relieved cardiac hypertrophy and restored cardiac function by activation of
BRCA
1 in cardiomyoctyes. Our results further revealed that forkhead box O3a (FoxO3a) was a miR‐155 target in the heart. And miR‐155 directly repressed FoxO3a, whose expression was mitigated in miR‐155 agomir and mimic treatment in vivo and in vitro.

Conclusions

We conclude that
BRCA
1 inactivation can increase expression of miR‐155, contributing to cardiac hypertrophy. And Rev produces their beneficial effects partially by down‐regulating miR‐155 expression, which might be a novel strategy for treatment of cardiac hypertrophy.
Heart Rate Reduction With Ivabradine Protects Against Left Ventricular Remodeling by Attenuating Infarct Expansion and Preserving Remote‐Zone Contractile Function and Synchrony in a Mouse Model of Reperfused Myocardial Infarction
Authors: O'Connor Daniel M. , Smith Robert S. , Piras Bryan A. , Beyers Ronald J. , Lin Dan , Hossack John A. , French Brent A.
Published: April 2016

Background

Ivabradine selectively inhibits the pacemaker current of the sinoatrial node, slowing heart rate. Few studies have examined the effects of ivabradine on the mechanical properties of the heart after reperfused myocardial infarction (MI). Advances in ultrasound speckle‐tracking allow strain analyses to be performed in small‐animal models, enabling the assessment of regional mechanical function.

Methods and Results

After 1 hour of coronary occlusion followed by reperfusion, mice received 10 mg/kg per day of ivabradine dissolved in drinking water (n=10), or were treated as infarcted controls (n=9). Three‐dimensional high‐frequency echocardiography was performed at baseline and at days 2, 7, 14, and 28 post‐MI. Speckle‐tracking software was used to calculate intramural longitudinal myocardial strain (E
ll
) and strain rate. Standard deviation time to peak radial strain (
SD
T
peak
E
rr
) and temporal uniformity of strain were calculated from short‐axis cines acquired in the left ventricular remote zone. Ivabradine reduced heart rate by 8% to 16% over the course of 28 days compared to controls (
P
<0.001). On day 28 post–MI, the ivabradine group was found to have significantly smaller end‐systolic volumes, greater ejection fraction, reduced wall thinning, and greater peak E
ll
and E
ll
rate in the remote zone, as well as globally. Temporal uniformity of strain and
SD
T
peak
E
rr
were significantly smaller in the ivabradine‐treated group by day 28 (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions

High‐frequency ultrasound speckle‐tracking demonstrated decreased left ventricular remodeling and dyssynchrony, as well as improved mechanical performance in remote myocardium after heart rate reduction with ivabradine.
Effects of Air Pollution and Blood Mitochondrial DNA Methylation on Markers of Heart Rate Variability
Authors: Byun Hyang‐Min , Colicino Elena , Trevisi Letizia , Fan Tianteng , Christiani David C. , Baccarelli Andrea A.
Published: April 2016

Background

The mitochondrion is the primary target of oxidative stress in response to exogenous environments. Mitochondrial
DNA
(mt
DNA
) is independent from nuclear
DNA
and uses separate epigenetic machinery to regulate mt
DNA
methylation. The mt
DNA
damage induced by oxidative stress can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and is implicated in human diseases; however, mt
DNA
methylation has been largely overlooked in environmental studies relating to human disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between exposure to fine metal‐rich particulates (particulate matter <2.5 µm in diameter [
PM
2.5
]) from welding in a boilermaker union and blood mt
DNA
methylation in relation to heart rate variability.

Methods and Results

Forty‐eight healthy men were recruited on multiple sampling cycles at the Boilermaker Union Local 29, located in Quincy, Massachusetts. We measured personal
PM
2.5
in the background ambient environment. We measured blood mt
DNA
methylation in the mt
DNA
promoter (D‐loop) and genes essential for
ATP
synthesis (

MT
‐
TF

and

MT
‐
RNR
1

) by bisulfite pyrosequencing. All analyses were adjusted for demographics, type of job, season, welding‐work day, and mt
DNA
methylation experimental batch effect. The participants’
PM
2.5
exposure was significantly higher after a welding‐work day (mean 0.38 mg/m
3
) than the background personal level (mean 0.15 mg/m
3
,
P
<0.001). Blood mt
DNA
methylation in the D‐loop promoter was associated with
PM
2.5
levels (β=−0.99%,
SE
=0.41,
P
=0.02).

MT
‐
TF

and

MT
‐
RNR
1

methylation was not associated with
PM
2.5
exposure (β=0.10%,
SE
=0.45,
P
=0.82). Interaction of
PM
2.5
exposure levels and D‐loop promoter methylation was significantly associated with markers of heart rate variability.

Conclusions

Blood mt
DNA
methylation levels were negatively associated with
PM
2.5
exposure and modified the adverse relationships between
PM
2.5
exposure and heart rate variability outcomes.
Serum Uric Acid and Risk for Acute Kidney Injury Following Contrast
Authors: Kanbay Mehmet , Solak Yalcin , Afsar Baris , Nistor Ionut , Aslan Gamze , Çağlayan Ozlem Hilal , Aykanat Asli , Donciu Mihaela-Dora , Lanaspa Miguel A. , Ejaz Ahsan A. , Johnson Richard J. , Covic Adrian
Published: April 2016

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a common cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI). We evaluated the evidence that uric acid (UA) plays a pathogenic role in CI-AKI. Ten studies were eligible for inclusion for meta-analysis. Hyperuricemia predicted risk for cases with AKI in prospective cohort studies. Higher levels of serum UA (SUA), as defined by the authors, were associated with a 2-fold increased risk to develop AKI (pooled odds ratio 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-2.78). Significant heterogeneity was found in cohort studies ( P = .001, I2 = 85.7%). In 2 clinical trials, lowering of SUA with saline hydration was significantly associated with reduced risk for AKI compared with saline hydration alone or saline hydration with N-acetyl cysteine. An analysis of 2 randomized controlled trials found that allopurinol with saline hydration had a significant protective effect on renal function (assessed by serum creatinine values) compared with hydration alone (mean difference: −0.52 mg/dL; 95% CI: −0.81 to −0.22). Hyperuricemia independently predicts CI-AKI. Two clinical trials suggest lowering SUA may prevent CI-AKI. The mechanism by which UA induces CI-AKI is likely related to acute uricosuria.
A Nonprofit Perspective on Business–Nonprofit Partnerships: Extending the Symbiotic Sustainability Model
Authors: Shumate Michelle , Hsieh Yuli Patrick , O’Connor Amy
Published: April 2016

Using the symbiotic sustainability model as a framework, this research investigates how many and with which businesses top nonprofit organizations report partnerships. We examined the websites of the 122 largest, most recognizable U.S. nonprofits. These websites included information about 2,418 business–nonprofit (B2N) partnerships with 1,707 unique businesses. The results suggest key differences with previous research on how U.S. Fortune 500 companies report B2N partnerships. Leading nonprofits report more B2N partnerships than U.S. Fortune 500 companies do. Furthermore, nonprofits do not maintain industry exclusivity in reporting B2N partnerships, like their business counterparts do. Finally, social issue industries do not exert the same isomorphic pressures on B2N partnerships that economic industries do. New propositions that extend the symbiotic sustainability model are presented to account for nonprofits’ unique goals for capital accumulation in B2N partnering and the industry characteristics.
The politics of accommodation: Canada, the Middle East, and the Suez Crisis, 1950–1956
Authors: Donaghy Greg
Published: April 2016

This paper re-examines Canada’s response to the Suez Crisis within the context of its overall approach to the Middle East in the early 1950s. It reminds contemporary readers that most Canadian policymakers, including Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and his Secretary of State for External Affairs, Lester B. Pearson, viewed the distant and unfamiliar region with reserve, as one better left to the Great Powers to sort out. That view only changed in 1956, when the Suez Crisis, Anglo-American discord, and the possibility of nuclear war threatened Canadian strategic interests, transforming Canada into a small regional stakeholder.
Perceived fairness of the division of household labor: A comparative study in 29 countries
Authors: Jansen Lisanne , Weber Tijmen , Kraaykamp Gerbert , Verbakel Ellen
Published: April 2016

This study investigates the relationship between the division of household labor and individuals’ perceived fairness concerning this division. We applied multilevel multinomial logistic regression to analyze data on both men and women across 29 countries using the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) from 2012 ( N = 16,633). It was found that people who perform a larger share of household tasks are more likely to indicate that they do more than a fair share. Furthermore, we uncovered that in more gender egalitarian countries and in countries where women spend more time in the labor market, women and men are more likely to consider doing a larger share of housework to be unfair. Interestingly, when both country characteristics were included in the same model, we found that for women the effect of country’s female labor force participation lost statistical significance, while for men the country-level gender ideology resulted in a non-significant effect. Implications for future research are discussed.
Spelling Errors of Dyslexic Children in Bosnian Language With Transparent Orthography
Authors: Duranović Mirela
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of spelling errors made by children with dyslexia in Bosnian language with transparent orthography. Three main error categories were distinguished: phonological, orthographic, and grammatical errors. An analysis of error type showed 86% of phonological errors,10% of orthographic errors, and 4% of grammatical errors. Furthermore, the majority errors were the omissions and substitutions, followed by the insertions, omission of rules of assimilation by voicing, and errors with utilization of suffix. We can conclude that phonological errors were dominant in children with dyslexia at all grade levels.
Empiric intravenous fluid and electrolyte therapy in patients with Ebola virus disease
Authors: Hunt Luke , Lee James S
Published: April 2016

The role of intravenous fluid and electrolyte replacement is increasingly recognised in the clinical management of Ebola virus disease. However, outbreaks typically occur in resource-limited settings where electrolyte measurement may be initially unavailable. Here we highlight potential strategies for empiric fluid and electrolyte therapy based on experience from Sierra Leone.
Impact of Performance Appraisal Justice on the Effectiveness of Pay-for-Performance Systems After Civil Service Reform
Authors: Kim Jungin
Published: April 2016

The present study comprehensively examined how human resources (HR) directors in six U.S. state governments with drastic levels of civil service reform assess their states’ pay-for-performance effectiveness in terms of the performance appraisal justice. It was found that the effectiveness of pay-for-performance is influenced by perceived fairness of performance appraisal. More specifically, this study found that perceived politicization of performance appraisal was negatively and significantly associated with pay-for-performance effectiveness. This study also found that perceived fairness of appraisal criteria was positively and significantly associated with pay-for-performance effectiveness. In addition, this study shows that the effectiveness of pay-for-performance may be affected by some demographic characteristics (e.g., age and gender) and state differences. In particular, drastic levels of civil service reform significantly and positively influenced the effectiveness of pay-for-performance, but insignificantly affected performance appraisal fairness. These results provide scholars and practitioners in the public sector with meaningful strategies for civil service reform.
“Targeted Partnership” and Beyond
Authors: Michael Kobi
Published: April 2016

Jihadist terror is a multidimensional challenge that compels unique difficulties on compatibility between the military campaign and the political goal. Compatibility between military campaigns and political goal requires a deeper understanding about the Jihadi terrorism phenomenon that could be achieved by a strategic and diagnostic learning process. Such learning requires certain characteristics, which enable the creation of open discourse. This article introduced definitions of closed and open discourse, characterized the required conditions for creating open discourse, and explained the linkage between strategic learning and open discourse. This article aims to add another theoretical layer to Rebecca Schiff’s “targeted partnership” concept by elaborating on the essence of the encounter and discourse between the political and the military echelons in the context of terrorism in the Middle East, using examples from the American and Israeli experience. The concepts of “Discourse Space” and “Diagnostic Learning” are corresponding with Schiff’s concept and accomplish it.
(Extended) Family Car, Filial Consumer-Citizens
Authors: Zhang Jun
Published: April 2016

This article offers a glimpse into the mutually constructive process of the making of class, family, and state in a new material world. Relying on a decade of field research, I illustrate that a middle-class lifestyle in China, increasingly associated with a car, is deeply embedded in, and in turn reproduces, the multigenerational familial relationship contoured by state reproductive policies and the new political economy. Built upon the notions and practices of care and emotions, family values are at the core of the ethical conduct of being properly middle class. Yet, familial practices, unintentionally, resonate with the state agenda that seeks to reassert traditional values as a way to deal with an aging population and to establish its soft power on the global stage. The refocus on the family is not to deny the phenomenon of individualization, but rather to emphasize that it is merely part of the complex processes and assemblages in China’s own trajectory toward modernity.
Fault diagnosis of a wind turbine rolling bearing using adaptive local iterative filtering and singular value decomposition
Authors: An Xueli , Zeng Hongtao , Yang Weiwei , An Xuemin
Published: April 2016

Adaptive local iterative filtering (ALIF) is a new signal decomposition method that uses the iterative filters strategy together with an adaptive and data-driven filter length selection to achieve the decomposition. The complexity of wind power generation systems means that the randomness and kinetic mutation behaviour of their vibration signals are demonstrated at different scales. Thus it is necessary to analyse the vibration signal across multiple scales. A method based on ALIF and singular value decomposition (SVD) was used for the fault diagnosis of a wind turbine roller bearing. The ALIF method is used to decompose the bearing vibration signal into several stable components. The components, which contain major fault information, are selected to build an initial feature vector matrix. The singular value of the matrix is computed as the feature vectors of each bearing fault. The feature vectors embody the characteristics of the vibration signal. The nearest neighbour algorithm is used as a classifier to identify faults in a roller bearing. Experimental data show that the proposed method can be used to identify roller bearing faults of a wind turbine.