bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key comparison on pH of an unknown phosphate buffer
Authors: Bastkowski F , Spitzer P , Sander B , Máriássy M , Dimitrova L , Reyes A , Rodríguez A , Manzano V Lara , Vospelova A , Jakobsen P T , Pawlina M , Korol M , Kozlowski W , Delgado M , Ticona Canaza G , Dias J C , Gonzaga F B , Nagyné Szilágyi Z , Jakusovszky B , Nongluck T , Waters J , Pratt K W , Asakai T , Maksimov I , Hankova Z , Uysal E , Gavrilkin V , Prokunin S V , Ferreira E , Fajardo S
Published: January 2016

Results of CCQM-K99 key comparison on unknown phosphate buffer pH ∼ 7.5 at 5 °C, 15 °C, 25 °C, 37 °C and 50 °C are reported. Good agreement is found between the majority of participants.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Hypercholesterolemia Impairs Nonstenotic Kidney Outcomes After Reversal of Experimental Renovascular Hypertension
Authors: Sun Dong , Chen Zhi , Eirin Alfonso , Zhu Xiang-Yang , Lerman Amir , Textor Stephen C. , Lerman Lilach O.
Published: January 2016

BACKGROUND

Revascularization of a stenotic renal artery improves kidney function only in select patients with renovascular hypertension (HT) secondary to atherosclerosis. However, the effects of reversal of renovascular HT (RRHT) on the nonstenotic kidney are unclear. We hypothesized that concurrent hypercholesterolemia (HC) attenuates nonstenotic kidney recovery.

METHODS

Female domestic pigs were randomized as Normal, renovascular HT, HT+RRHT, HTC (renovascular HT and HC), and HTC+RHT ( n = 7 each). RRHT or sham was performed after 6 weeks of HT. Nonstenotic renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, and injurious pathways were studied 4 weeks later.

RESULTS

Mean arterial pressure increased similarly in HT and HTC and decreased after RRHT. Oxidative stress increased in HT and HTC kidneys, and decreased in HT+RRHT, but remained elevated in HTC+RRHT. Renal interstitial fibrosis, glomerulosclerosis, and tubular injury were all attenuated in HT+RRHT, but not HTC+RRHT. Endothelin-1 signaling and PGF2α isoprostane levels were elevated in both HTC and HTC+RRHT pigs.

CONCLUSIONS

RRHT reverses nonstenotic kidney injury in experimental renovascular HT, but concurrent HC blunts regression of kidney injury, possibly due to predominant vasoconstrictors and oxidative stress. These findings reinforce the contribution of the nonstenotic kidney and of prevailing cardiovascular risk factors to irreversibility of kidney dysfunction after revascularization.
Linezolid Induced Reversible Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Vishnu Venugopalan Y. , Modi Manish , Goyal Manoj K. , Lal Vivek
Published: January 2016

Linezolid has been increasingly used for several severe infections including multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Peripheral neuropathy is a rare side effect of linezolid and is conventionally considered as irreversible. Here, we report a case of reversible neuropathy induced by linezolid.
Deviation from niche optima affects the nature of plant–plant interactions along a soil acidity gradient
Authors: He Lei , Cheng Lulu , Hu Liangliang , Tang Jianjun , Chen Xin
Published: January 2016

There is increasing recognition of the importance of niche optima in the shift of plant–plant interactions along environmental stress gradients. Here, we investigate whether deviation from niche optima would affect the outcome of plant–plant interactions along a soil acidity gradient (pH = 3.1, 4.1, 5.5 and 6.1) in a pot experiment. We used the acid-tolerant species
Lespedeza formosa
Koehne as the neighbouring plant and the acid-tolerant species
Indigofera pseudotinctoria
Mats. or acid-sensitive species
Medicago sativa
L. as the target plants. Biomass was used to determine the optimal pH and to calculate the relative interaction index (RII). We found that the relationships between RII and the deviation of soil pH from the target's optimal pH were linear for both target species. Both targets were increasingly promoted by the neighbour as pH values deviated from their optima; neighbours benefitted target plants by promoting soil symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, increasing soil organic matter or reducing soil exchangeable aluminium. Our results suggest that the shape of the curve describing the relationship between soil pH and facilitation/competition depends on the soil pH optima of the particular species.
Beam finite-element model of a molecular motor for the simulation of active fibre networks
Authors: Müller Kei W. , Birzle Anna M. , Wall Wolfgang A.
Published: January 2016

Molecular motors are proteins that excessively increase the efficiency of subcellular transport processes. They allow for cell division, nutrient transport and even macroscopic muscle movement. In order to understand the effect of motors in large biopolymer networks, e.g. the cytoskeleton, we require a suitable model of a molecular motor. In this contribution, we present such a model based on a geometrically exact beam finite-element formulation. We discuss the numerical model of a non-processive motor such as myosin II, which interacts with actin filaments. Based on experimental data and inspired by the theoretical understanding offered by the power-stroke model and the swinging-cross-bridge model, we parametrize our numerical model in order to achieve the effect that a physiological motor has on its cargo. To this end, we introduce the mechanical and mathematical foundations of the model, then discuss its calibration, prove its usefulness by conducting finite-element simulations of actin–myosin motility assays and assess the influence of motors on the rheology of semi-flexible biopolymer networks.
Time in tortoiseshell: a bomb radiocarbon-validated chronology in sea turtle scutes
Authors: Van Houtan Kyle S. , Andrews Allen H. , Jones T. Todd , Murakawa Shawn K. K. , Hagemann Molly E.
Published: January 2016

Some of the most basic questions of sea turtle life history are also the most elusive. Many uncertainties surround lifespan, growth rates, maturity and spatial structure, yet these are critical factors in assessing population status. Here we examine the keratinized hard tissues of the hawksbill (
Eretmochelys imbricata
) carapace and use bomb radiocarbon dating to estimate growth and maturity. Scutes have an established dietary record, yet the large keratin deposits of hawksbills evoke a reliable chronology. We sectioned, polished and imaged posterior marginal scutes from 36 individual hawksbills representing all life stages, several Pacific populations and spanning eight decades. We counted the apparent growth lines, microsampled along growth contours and calibrated Δ
14
C values to reference coral series. We fit von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) models to the results, producing a range of age estimates for each turtle. We find Hawaii hawksbills deposit eight growth lines annually (range 5–14), with model ensembles producing a somatic growth parameter (
k
) of 0.13 (range 0.1–0.2) and first breeding at 29 years (range 23–36). Recent bomb radiocarbon values also suggest declining trophic status. Together, our results may reflect long-term changes in the benthic community structure of Hawaii reefs, and possibly shed light on the critical population status for Hawaii hawksbills.
RTFBSDB: an integrated framework for transcription factor binding site analysis
Authors: Wang Zhong , Martins Andre L. , Danko Charles G.
Published: January 2016

Transcription factors (TFs) regulate complex programs of gene transcription by binding to short DNA sequence motifs. Here we introducertfbsdb, a unified framework that integrates a database of more than 65,000 TF binding motifs with tools to easily and efficiently scan target genome sequences.Rtfbsdbclusters motifs with similar DNA sequence specificities and optionally integrates RNA-seq or PRO-seq data to restrict analyses to motifs recognized by TFs expressed in the cell type of interest. Our package allows common analyses to be performed rapidly in an integrated environment.

Availability:rtfbsdbis available via github (https://github.com/Danko-Lab/rtfbsdb).
Earthquake disasters, marriage, and divorce: evidence from China 2000-2011
Authors: Xu Xian , Feng Jingbing
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the effects earthquakes may have on rates of marriage and divorce in China, a country strongly affected by losses due to earthquakes.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper studies the effect of earthquakes on marriage and divorce rates in China between 2000 and 2011, using panel data from 31 provinces as well as from Sichuan at the prefecture level, a province that has a high frequency of earthquakes.

Findings

– The results show that when controlling for demographic, economic, and social factors, losses due to earthquakes are found to be associated with increases in both marriage and divorce rates. While the estimated elasticities are low, amounting to 1.92×10−2 and 6.102×10−2, respectively, they are highly significant, suggesting that a doubling of losses due to earthquakes increases marriages by 1.92 percent and divorces by 6.102 percent with a lag of one year. Since the first elasticity is smaller than the second, losses due to earthquakes may influence familial instability. Moreover, these effects increase in the second year but cannot be traced beyond three years after the disaster.

Originality/value

– In view of the cost imposed on society by instable family relationships, these findings point to a need to provide relief to families after earthquake disasters.
Synergies between adaptation and mitigation in climate change finance
Authors: Locatelli Bruno , Fedele Giacomo , Fayolle Virginie , Baglee Alastair
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– As adaptation and mitigation are separated in international and national policies, there is also a division in the financial resources mobilized by the international community to help developing countries deal with climate change. Given that mitigation activities can benefit or hinder adaptation, and vice versa, promoting activities that contribute to both objectives can increase the efficiency of fund allocation and minimize trade-offs, particularly in land-related activities such as agriculture and forestry. The purpose of this study is to analyze how climate funding organizations consider the integration of adaptation and mitigation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors interviewed representatives of climate funds directed toward forestry and agriculture to gain a better understanding of how they perceive the benefits, risks and barriers of an integrated approach; whether they have concrete activities for promoting this approach; and how they foresee the future of adaptation–mitigation integration.

Findings

– Interviews revealed a diverse range of perceived benefits, risks and barriers at local, national and global scales. Most interviewees focused on the local benefits of this integration (e.g. increasing the resilience of forest carbon projects), whereas others emphasized global risks (e.g. decreasing global funding efficiency because of project complexity). Despite the general interest in projects and policies integrating adaptation and mitigation, few relevant actions have been implemented by organizations engaged in climate change finance.

Originality/value

– This paper provides new insight into how the representatives of climate funds perceive and act on the integration of adaptation and mitigation in forestry and agriculture. The findings by the authors can inform the development of procedures for climate change finance, such as the Green Climate Fund. While managers of climate funds face barriers in promoting an integrated approach to adaptation and mitigation, they also have the capacity and the ambition to overcome them.
Using PLS path modeling in new technology research: updated guidelines
Authors: Henseler Jörg , Hubona Geoffrey , Ray Pauline Ash
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling is a variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) technique that is widely applied in business and social sciences. Its ability to model composites and factors makes it a formidable statistical tool for new technology research. Recent reviews, discussions, and developments have led to substantial changes in the understanding and use of PLS. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper aggregates new insights and offers a fresh look at PLS path modeling. It presents new developments, such as consistent PLS, confirmatory composite analysis, and the heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlations.

Findings

– PLS path modeling is the method of choice if a SEM contains both factors and composites. Novel tests of exact fit make a confirmatory use of PLS path modeling possible.

Originality/value

– This paper provides updated guidelines of how to use PLS and how to report and interpret its results.
Perception of cloud computing in developing countries
Authors: Yuvaraj Mayank
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of librarians engaged in Indian academic libraries towards cloud computing.

Design/methodology/approach

– A structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from the library professionals engaged in Indian academic libraries. Overall, 339 respondents participated in the survey. Descriptive survey method was used in the study.

Findings

– The findings of the study reveal that library professionals are using cloud-computing tools in their daily works. They want to adopt cloud computing in the libraries to improve library services and avoid redundancy of works. Ubiquitous availability, economy and the various service layers are the core drivers of its adoption in the libraries. The respondents showed their concern over security and data privacy in cloud.

Practical implications

– The study establishes the fact that the benefits of cloud computing are inadequate to convince the libraries to migrate from the traditional computing paradigm to the cloud. Technological advancement may not transform the cloud into a mainstream technology. To motivate the expansion of cloud computing adoption, emphasis has to be laid upon collaboration between the cloud service providers supplemented by solid cloud legislations which need to be worked out.

Originality/value

– The paper provides the perceptions of library professionals in response to the adoption of cloud computing.
Knowledge sharing behaviors among non academic staff of higher learning institutions
Authors: Rahman Muhammad Sabbir , Osmangani Aahad M , Daud Nuraihan Mat , AbdelFattah Fadi Abdel Muniem
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to develop and combined an understanding of the antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior among the non-academic staff of different higher learning institutions in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

– The researchers tested the hypotheses from the survey data from the non-academic staff of different private and public higher learning institutions in Malaysia. This research also applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to examine the proposed hypothesis of this inquiry.

Findings

– The results indicate that attitude and subjective norms both influence the staff knowledge sharing behavior significantly and positively. Additionally, this research also revealed that intention of knowledge sharing variable plays a substantial role as a mediating variable in those relationships.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is a cross-sectional survey. As a result, the limited sample size in this study may affect the power of generalizability. Further research may prove the model across different times to respect the nature of the knowledge sharing behavior among the non-academic staff of higher learning institutions.

Practical implications

– The results of this research clearly explain how academic institutions may proceed for knowledge sharing culture in their respective department by considering the variables used in this inquiry. If the office of any academic institution feels that the knowledge sharing among the non-academic staff is still low, they can utilize the factors as a tool to facilitate the advancement of the knowledge sharing environment in their respective sections.

Originality/value

– Previous research primarily focuses on the knowledge sharing behavior of students and lectures ' perspective. This research minimizes the gap by including the non-academic staff of higher learning institutions. In summation, this research also examined the mediating role of knowledge sharing intention in the relationship between attitude, subjective norms and knowledge sharing behavior.
Prefrontal glutamate correlates of methamphetamine sensitization and preference
Authors: Lominac Kevin D. , Quadir Sema G. , Barrett Hannah M. , McKenna Courtney L. , Schwartz Lisa M. , Ruiz Paige N. , Wroten Melissa G. , Campbell Rianne R. , Miller Bailey W. , Holloway John J. , Travis Katherine O. , Rajasekar Ganesh , Maliniak Dan , Thompson Andrew B. , Urman Lawrence E. , Kippin Tod E. , Phillips Tamara J. , Szumlinski Karen K.
Published: January 2016

Methamphetamine (MA) is a widely misused, highly addictive psychostimulant that elicits pronounced deficits in neurocognitive function related to hypo‐functioning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Our understanding of how repeated MA impacts excitatory glutamatergic transmission within the PFC is limited, as is information about the relationship between PFC glutamate and addiction vulnerability/resiliency. In vivo microdialysis and immunoblotting studies characterized the effects of MA (ten injections of 2 mg/kg, i.p.) upon extracellular glutamate in C57BL/6J mice and upon glutamate receptor and transporter expression, within the medial PFC. Glutamatergic correlates of both genetic and idiopathic variance in MA preference/intake were determined through studies of high vs. low MA‐drinking selectively bred mouse lines (MAHDR vs. MALDR, respectively) and inbred C57BL/6J mice exhibiting spontaneously divergent place‐conditioning phenotypes. Repeated MA sensitized drug‐induced glutamate release and lowered indices of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor expression in C57BL/6J mice, but did not alter basal extracellular glutamate content or total protein expression of Homer proteins, or metabotropic or α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid glutamate receptors. Elevated basal glutamate, blunted MA‐induced glutamate release and ERK activation, as well as reduced protein expression of mGlu2/3 and Homer2a/b were all correlated biochemical traits of selection for high vs. low MA drinking, and Homer2a/b levels were inversely correlated with the motivational valence of MA in C57BL/6J mice. These data provide novel evidence that repeated, low‐dose MA is sufficient to perturb pre‐ and post‐synaptic aspects of glutamate transmission within the medial PFC and that glutamate anomalies within this region may contribute to both genetic and idiopathic variance in MA addiction vulnerability/resiliency.
Identification of two rare and novel large deletions in ITGB4 gene causing epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia
Authors: Mencía Ángeles , García Marta , García Eva , Llames Sara , Charlesworth Alexandra , de Lucas Raúl , Vicente Asunción , Trujillo‐Tiebas María José , Coto Pablo , Costa Marta , Vera Ángel , López‐Pestaña Arantxa , Murillas Rodolfo , Meneguzzi Guerrino , Jorcano José Luis , Conti Claudio J , Escámez Toledano María José , del Río Nechaevsky Marcela
Published: January 2016

Epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia (EB‐PA) is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease with a variable prognosis from lethal to very mild. EB‐PA is classified into Simplex form (EBS‐PA: OMIM #612138) and Junctional form (JEB‐PA: OMIM #226730), and it is caused by mutations in ITGA6, ITGB4 and PLEC genes. We report the analysis of six patients with EB‐PA, including two dizygotic twins. Skin immunofluorescence epitope mapping was performed followed by PCR and direct sequencing of the ITGB4 gene. Two of the patients presented with non‐lethal EB‐PA associated with missense ITGB4 gene mutations. For the other four, early postnatal demise was associated with complete lack of β4 integrin due to a variety of ITGB4 novel mutations (2 large deletions, 1 splice‐site mutation and 3 missense mutations). One of the deletions spanned 278 bp, being one of the largest reported to date for this gene. Remarkably, we also found for the first time a founder effect for one novel mutation in the ITGB4 gene. We have identified 6 novel mutations in the ITGB4 gene to be added to the mutation database. Our results reveal genotype–phenotype correlations that contribute to the molecular understanding of this heterogeneous disease, a pivotal issue for prognosis and for the development of novel evidence‐based therapeutic options for EB management.
Utility of ATRX immunohistochemistry in diagnosis of adult diffuse gliomas
Authors: Ikemura Masako , Shibahara Junji , Mukasa Akitake , Takayanagi Shunsaku , Aihara Koki , Saito Nobuhito , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Fukayama Masashi
Published: January 2016

Aims

We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of alpha‐thalassaemia/mental retardation syndrome X‐linked (ATRX) expression in adult diffuse gliomas, with reference to clinicopathological and genetic features, to determine the utility of this analysis in diagnostic practice.

Methods and results

A total of 193 adult diffuse gliomas underwent immunohistochemical analysis. In areas in which internal controls, neurones, glia and blood vessels were properly stained, the ATRX immunoreactivity of tumour cells was either almost totally absent or completely retained in all cases. There was perfect concordance between the immunohistochemical results and ATRX mutation status, which was known in 19 cases. ATRX loss was observed in 54.5, 30.8 and 0.0% of grades II/III astrocytomas, oligoastrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, respectively, and 12.7% of glioblastomas. In grades II/III gliomas, most ATRX‐loss cases (92.3%) had IDH1/2 mutations. ATRX loss was associated significantly with TP53 mutation and p53 overexpression (P < 0.001), but was never accompanied by 1p/19q co‐deletion. IDH1/2 mutation in ATRX‐loss tumours was less frequent in glioblastomas than in grades II/III gliomas (P < 0.001). Further, there was no significant association between ATRX loss and p53 overexpression in glioblastomas. ATRX‐loss glioblastomas affected younger patients (P < 0.001) and occurred more frequently in locations other than the cerebral hemispheres (P = 0.006). Most grades II/III gliomas (93.3%) were categorized into three molecular subtypes based on the status of IDH1/2 mutation, ATRX immunohistochemistry and 1p/19q co‐deletion.

Conclusions

Distinct histological and molecular characteristics of adult diffuse gliomas with and without ATRX immunoreactivity indicate the utility of ATRX immunohistochemistry in diagnostic practice.
Deletion of collapsin response mediator protein 4 results in abnormal layer thickness and elongation of mitral cell apical dendrites in the neonatal olfactory bulb
Authors: Tsutiya Atsuhiro , Watanabe Hikaru , Nakano Yui , Nishihara Masugi , Goshima Yoshio , Ohtani‐Kaneko Ritsuko
Published: January 2016

Collapsin response mediator protein 4 (CRMP4), a member of the CRMP family, is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. Here, we first compared layer thickness of the olfactory bulb between wild‐type (WT) and CRMP4‐knockout (KO) mice. The mitral cell layer (MCL) was significantly thinner, whereas the external plexiform layer (EPL) was significantly thicker in CRMP4‐KO mice at postnatal day 0 (PD0) compared with WTs. However, differences in layer thickness disappeared by PD14. No apoptotic cells were found in the MCL, and the number of mitral cells (MCs) identified with a specific marker (i.e. Tbx21 antibody) did not change in CRMP4‐KO neonates. However, DiI‐tracing showed that the length of mitral cell apical dendrites was greater in CRMP4‐KO neonates than in WTs. In addition, expression of CRMP4 mRNA in WT mice was most abundant in the MCL at PD0 and decreased afterward. These results suggest that CRMP4 contributes to dendritic elongation. Our in vitro studies showed that deletion or knockdown of CRMP4 resulted in enhanced growth of MAP2‐positive neurites, whereas overexpression of CRMP4 reduced their growth, suggesting a new role for CRMP4 as a suppressor of dendritic elongation. Overall, our data suggest that disruption of CRMP4 produces a temporary alteration in EPL thickness, which is constituted mainly of mitral cell apical dendrites, through the enhanced growth of these dendrites.
Longitudinal relationship of severe periodontitis with cognitive decline in older Japanese
Authors: Iwasaki M. , Yoshihara A. , Kimura Y. , Sato M. , Wada T. , Sakamoto R. , Ishimoto Y. , Fukutomi E. , Chen W. , Imai H. , Fujisawa M. , Okumiya K. , Taylor G. W. , Ansai T. , Miyazaki H. , Matsubayashi K.
Published: January 2016

Background and Objective

Epidemiologic data examining the longitudinal relationship between periodontitis and cognitive status are very limited, especially in Asian populations. The present study examined the longitudinal relationship of periodontitis with cognitive decline in 85 Japanese community‐dwelling individuals (average age: 79.3 years) for whom data were available from comprehensive health examinations conducted in 2010 and 2013.

Material and Methods

Based on a baseline full‐mouth periodontal examination, severe periodontitis was defined using a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology definition. Cognitive decline during the 3‐year study period was defined using the results of the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE). Information on age, gender, education, depression, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, exercise, hypertension, diabetes, history of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and baseline MMSE scores were obtained and tested as potential confounders in the statistical models.

Results

Among 85 study participants, 21 (24.7%) were defined as having severe periodontitis. Multivariable Poisson regression analyses revealed that severe periodontitis was significantly associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline [adjusted relative risk = 2.2; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.1–4.5]. Furthermore, multivariable linear regression analyses revealed that participants with severe periodontitis had a 1.8‐point greater decrease (95% CI: −3.3 to −0.2) in MMSE score than those without severe periodontitis.

Conclusion

Within the limitations related to its small sample size, the findings of the present study suggest that severe periodontitis is significantly associated with future decline in cognitive function among community‐dwelling older Japanese subjects.
On the Marriageability of Men
Authors: Bridges Tristan , Boyd Melody L.
Published: January 2016

The “marriageability of men” is an argument used in sociological research to understand demographic changes in marriage and to analyze social dynamics associated with gender, race, class, family, the workplace, incarceration, and more. While some are marrying later and others are foregoing marriage altogether, a lack of marriageable men is often part of the argument concerning new patterns of family formation in the United States. Research mobilizing the marriageability of men hypothesis spans a great deal of subfields of sociological research, not all in conversation with one another – and not all explicitly making use of the term. This article collects these diverse strands of thought and presents an argument for how and why men are less marriageable, what this means, and why it means different things for different groups of men and women. Racialized and classed conceptions of masculinity create different kinds of struggles for different groups of men and work against their marriageability for different reasons. We discuss the impact of incarceration, new struggles in a service economy, and shifts in women's perceptions and expectations of what qualifies men as “marriageable.”
Getting is Giving: Time Banking as Formalized Generalized Exchange
Authors: Whitham Monica M. , Clarke Hannah
Published: January 2016

This article applies principles of the social exchange framework of social psychology to the social phenomenon of time banking. A “time bank” is an organization that facilitates the giving and receiving of services among its members by allowing them to provide a service, such as an hour of tutoring, in exchange for a “time credit,” which can then be redeemed for receipt of a service, such as an hour of yard work. Empirical research on time banking has focused on its ability to build community and its place within the sharing economy as a form of “connected consumption.” We build on these lines of thought by examining the practice of time banking as a formalized version of generalized exchange. Generalized exchange is a prosocial type of social exchange in which benefits are repaid indirectly, sometimes referred to as “paying it forward.” We discuss how two of time banking's most commonly cited benefits, building social capital and empowering members, can be better understood through this lens of generalized exchange. We then identify two specific motivational issues that time banks face and use a social exchange perspective to propose a possible solution under a framework we refer to as getting is giving.
Notes on Swedish Forest Biogeochemistry – Investigations During 50 Years
Authors: Andersson Folke O.
Published: January 2016

This paper gives an overview of biogeochemical investigations performed in forests by the author during more than 50 years - from the start of the academic carrier up to the present day. An interesting feature is that old investigations have been published again with addition of new data. Some results are presented in a short way illustrating tools for integration and synthesis, such as carbon budgets of single trees as well as whole forest ecosystem. The value of long-term observations is discussed as well as the emergence of a new science, ecosystem ecology.
The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene
Authors: Waters Colin N. , Zalasiewicz Jan , Summerhayes Colin , Barnosky Anthony D. , Poirier Clément , Gałuszka Agnieszka , Cearreta Alejandro , Edgeworth Matt , Ellis Erle C. , Ellis Michael , Jeandel Catherine , Leinfelder Reinhold , McNeill J. R. , Richter Daniel deB. , Steffen Will , Syvitski James , Vidas Davor , Wagreich Michael , Williams Mark , Zhisheng An , Grinevald Jacques , Odada Eric , Oreskes Naomi , Wolfe Alexander P.
Published: January 2016

Evidence of an Anthropocene epoch

Humans are undoubtedly altering many geological processes on Earth—and have been for some time. But what is the stratigraphic evidence for officially distinguishing this new human-dominated time period, termed the “Anthropocene,” from the preceding Holocene epoch? Waters
et al.
review climatic, biological, and geochemical signatures of human activity in sediments and ice cores. Combined with deposits of new materials and radionuclides, as well as human-caused modification of sedimentary processes, the Anthropocene stands alone stratigraphically as a new epoch beginning sometime in the mid–20th century.

Science
, this issue p.
10.1126/science.aad2622
Finding merit in dividing neighbors
Authors: Behnia Kamran
Published: January 2016

The favorable thermoelectric properties of SnSe are related to its crystal symmetry

[Also see Report by

Zhao
et al.

]
Disrupted nuclear import-export in neurodegeneration
Authors: Cruz Sandrine Da , Cleveland Don W.
Published: January 2016

Toxicity arises from amyloid-like protein accumulation in the cytoplasm, not the nucleus

[Also see Report by

Woerner
et al.

]
Vitamin Supplementation at the Time of Immunization with a Cold-Adapted Influenza Virus Vaccine Corrects Poor Mucosal Antibody Responses in Mice Deficient for Vitamins A and D
Authors: Surman S. L. , Penkert R. R. , Jones B. G. , Sealy R. E. , Hurwitz J. L.
Published: January 2016

Vitamin A and D deficiencies and insufficiencies are prevalent worldwide in developed and developing countries. Vitamin metabolites are functionally intertwined in that they are high-affinity ligands for related receptors of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The effects of vitamin A deficiencies (VAD) on antibody responses to respiratory virus vaccines have already been demonstrated. Of particular concern was the reduction in IgA, a first line of defense against pathogens in the respiratory tract. Here, we describe the individual and combined effects of vitamin A and D deficiencies in mice immunized with an attenuated influenza virus vaccine. Relative to VAD, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) had a limited effect, but double deficiencies for vitamins A and D (VAD+VDD) further reduced antibody responses in the respiratory tract. The administration of supplemental vitamins A and D to VAD+VDD mice at the time of vaccination restored responses in a dose-dependent manner. Results suggest that vitamin supplementation programs may be beneficial in a clinical setting to promote healthy immune responses to respiratory virus vaccines in vitamin-deficient individuals.
Evaluation of the FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel: Results of a Multicenter Controlled Trial
Authors: Salimnia Hossein , Fairfax Marilynn R. , Lephart Paul R. , Schreckenberger Paul , DesJarlais Sharon M. , Johnson J. Kristie , Robinson Gwen , Carroll Karen C. , Greer Amy , Morgan Margie , Chan Raymond , Loeffelholz Michael , Valencia-Shelton Frances , Jenkins Stephen , Schuetz Audrey N. , Daly Judy A. , Barney Trenda , Hemmert Andrew , Kanack Kristen J.
Published: January 2016

Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and increased medical expense. Rapid diagnosis improves outcomes and reduces costs. The FilmArray blood culture identification panel (BioFire Diagnostics LLC, Salt Lake City, UT), a highly multiplexed PCR assay, can identify 24 etiologic agents of sepsis (8 Gram-positive, 11 Gram-negative, and 5 yeast species) and three antimicrobial resistance genes (
mecA
,
vanA
/
B
, and
bla
KPC
) from positive blood culture bottles. It provides results in about 1 h with 2 min for assay setup. We present the results of an eight-center trial comparing the sensitivity and specificity of the panel with those of the laboratories' standard phenotypic identification techniques, as well as with molecular methods used to distinguish
Acinetobacter baumannii
from other members of the
A. calcoaceticus
-
A. baumannii
complex and to detect antimicrobial resistance genes. Testing included 2,207 positive aerobic blood culture samples, 1,568 clinical and 639 seeded. Samples were tested fresh or were frozen for later testing within 8 h after the bottles were flagged as positive by an automated blood culture system. At least one organism was detected by the panel in 1,382 (88.1%) of the positive clinical specimens. The others contained primarily off-panel organisms. The panel reported multiple organisms in 81 (5.86%) positive clinical specimens. The unresolved blood culture identification sensitivity for all target detections exceeded 96%, except for
Klebsiella oxytoca
(92.2%), which achieved 98.3% sensitivity after resolution of an unavoidable phenotypic error. The sensitivity and specificity for
vanA
/
B
and
bla
KPC
were 100%; those for
mecA
were 98.4 and 98.3%, respectively.
Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis of Respiratory and Household Water Biofilm Isolates of “Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis” with Establishment of a PCR Database
Authors: Iakhiaeva Elena , Howard Susan T. , Brown Elliott Barbara A. , McNulty Steven , Newman Kristopher L. , Falkinham Joseph O. , Williams Myra , Kwait Rebecca , Lande Leah , Vasireddy Ravikiran , Turenne Christine , Wallace Richard J.
Published: January 2016

“
Mycobacterium avium
subsp.
hominissuis
” is an important cause of pulmonary disease. It is acquired from environmental sources, but there is no methodology for large population studies. We evaluated the potential of variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis. Clinical and household biofilm
M. avium
isolates underwent molecular identification. Testing for IS
901
was done to separate
M. avium
subsp.
avium
from
M. avium
subsp.
hominissuis
. VNTR types were defined using VNTR loci, and subtyping was performed using 3′
hsp65
and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Forty-nine VNTR types and eight subtypes of
M. avium
subsp.
hominissuis
(IS
901
negative) were identified among 416 isolates of
M. avium
from 121 patients and 80 biofilm sites. Of those types, 67% were found only among patient isolates, 11% only among household water isolates, and 23% among both. Of 13 VNTR types that included ≥4 patients, the majority (61.5%) represented geographic clustering (same city). Most VNTR types with multiple patients belonged to the same 3′
hsp65
sequence code (sequevar). A total of 44 isolates belonging to four
M. avium
subsp.
hominissuis
VNTR types (8%), including three with the rare Mav-F ITS sequence and 0/8 subspecies, produced amplicons with IS
901
PCR primers. By sequencing, all 44 amplicons were not IS
901
but IS
Mav
6, which was recently observed in Japan but had not been previously described among U.S. isolates. VNTR analysis of
M. avium
subsp.
hominissuis
isolates is easier and faster than pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Seven VNTR loci separated 417 isolates into 49 types. No isolates of
M. avium
subsp.
avium
were identified. The distributions of the VNTR copy numbers, the allelic diversity, and the low prevalence of IS
Mav
6 differed from the findings for respiratory isolates reported from Japan.
Species-Level Identification of Actinomyces Isolates Causing Invasive Infections: Multiyear Comparison of Vitek MS (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry) to Partial Sequencing of the 16S rRNA Gene
Authors: Lynch T. , Gregson D. , Church D. L.
Published: January 2016

Actinomyces
species are uncommon but important causes of invasive infections. The ability of our regional clinical microbiology laboratory to report species-level identification of
Actinomyces
relied on molecular identification by partial sequencing of the 16S ribosomal gene prior to the implementation of the Vitek MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry [MALDI-TOF MS]) system. We compared the use of the Vitek MS to that of 16S rRNA gene sequencing for reliable species-level identification of invasive infections caused by
Actinomyces
spp. because limited data had been published for this important genera. A total of 115 cases of
Actinomyces
spp., either alone or as part of a polymicrobial infection, were diagnosed between 2011 and 2014.
Actinomyces
spp. were considered the principal pathogen in bloodstream infections (
n
= 17, 15%), in skin and soft tissue abscesses (
n
= 25, 22%), and in pulmonary (
n
= 26, 23%), bone (
n
= 27, 23%), intraabdominal (
n
= 16, 14%), and central nervous system (
n
= 4, 3%) infections. Compared to sequencing and identification from the SmartGene Integrated Database Network System (IDNS), Vitek MS identified 47/115 (41%) isolates to the correct species and 10 (9%) isolates to the correct genus. However, the Vitek MS was unable to provide identification for 43 (37%) isolates while 15 (13%) had discordant results. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA sequences demonstrate high diversity in recovered
Actinomyces
spp. and provide additional information to compare/confirm discordant identifications between MALDI-TOF and 16S rRNA gene sequences. This study highlights the diversity of clinically relevant
Actinomyces
spp. and provides an important typing comparison. Based on our analysis, 16S rRNA gene sequencing should be used to rapidly identify
Actinomyces
spp. until MALDI-TOF databases are optimized.
PCR-Based Rapid Identification System Using Bridged Nucleic Acids for Detection of Clarithromycin-Resistant Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare Complex Isolates
Authors: Hirama Takashi , Shiono Ayako , Egashira Hiroshi , Kishi Etsuko , Hagiwara Koichi , Nakamura Hidetoshi , Kanazawa Minoru , Nagata Makoto
Published: January 2016

The nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) cause miscellaneous disorders in humans, especially in the lungs, which present with a variety of radiological features. To date, knowledge of the pathogenic role of the
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare
complex (MAC) in the human lung and the definitive criteria for initiating multidrug therapy are still lacking. However, there is little doubt that clarithromycin is the most efficacious drug among the various treatment regimens for lung NTM. In this study, with the use of a bridged nucleic acid (BNA) probe a detection system based on a real-time PCR (BNA-PCR) for the identification of the point mutations at position 2058 or 2059 in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene responsible for clarithromycin resistance was developed and has been assessed using MAC isolates from clinical samples. Out of 199 respiratory specimens, the drug susceptibility test demonstrated 12 strains resistant to clarithromycin, while the BNA-PCR showed 8 strains carrying the point mutation at position 2058 or 2059 of the 23S rRNA gene. This system revealed that there were mycobacterial strains resistant to clarithromycin which do not carry previously identified resistance genes. This paper documents a novel system for detecting clarithromycin-resistant strains and demonstrates that although these mutations are tacitly assumed to account for >90% of the reported resistant mutants, there is a significant fraction of resistant mutants that do not harbor these mutations. Therefore, unknown mechanisms affecting clarithromycin resistance remain to be elucidated.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Multiplex PCR with Magnetic Resonance Detection versus Empiric or Blood Culture-Directed Therapy for Management of Suspected Candidemia
Authors: Walker Brandon , Powers-Fletcher Margaret V. , Schmidt Robert L. , Hanson Kimberly E.
Published: January 2016

Candidabloodstream infections (BSI) are associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and increased health care costs. Early treatment is essential, because delayed therapy detrimentally impacts clinical outcomes. The FDA recently approved the first culture-independent direct molecular detection method forCandidaBSIs (T2Candida). The speed and sensitivity of this assay give it the potential to improve patient care, but the reagents and instrumentation are expensive. We used an analytic decision tree model to compare the cost-effectiveness of T2Candida-directed antifungal therapy (T2DT) to that of either empirical therapy (ET) or blood culture-directed therapy (BCDT). The costs included those of T2Candida testing, antifungal treatment, and hospital length of stay. The effectiveness measure was survival status at hospital discharge. T2DT was less costly and more effective than BCDT but was less costly and less effective than ET with an echinocandin (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, $111,084 per additional survivor). One-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the cost-effectiveness of T2DT was highly dependent onCandidaBSI prevalence and the cost of antifungal therapy and T2Candida test reagents. The use of T2DT reduced the number of unnecessarily treated patients by 98% relative to that with ET. Reduced drug exposure might lessen the possibility of drug-related adverse events and may also prevent the development of antifungal resistance or emergence of drug-resistantCandidaspecies. The greatest benefit of T2Candida appears to be the ability to confidently withhold or stop empirical antifungal therapy in low-to-moderate-risk patients who are unlikely to benefit from treatment.
Characterization of Antibody Bipolar Bridging Mediated by the Human Cytomegalovirus Fc Receptor gp68
Authors: Ndjamen Blaise , Joshi Devashish S. , Fraser Scott E. , Bjorkman Pamela J.
Published: January 2016

The human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein gp68 functions as an Fc receptor for host IgGs and can form antibody bipolar bridging (ABB) complexes in which gp68 binds the Fc region of an antigen-bound IgG. Here we show that gp68-mediated endocytosis transports ABB complexes into endosomes, after which the complex is routed to lysosomes, presumably for degradation. These results suggest gp68 contributes to evasion of IgG-mediated immune responses by mediating destruction of host IgG and viral antigens.
Cellular Transcriptional Coactivator RanBP10 and Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ICP0 Interact and Synergistically Promote Viral Gene Expression and Replication
Authors: Sato Yuka , Kato Akihisa , Maruzuru Yuhei , Oyama Masaaki , Kozuka-Hata Hiroko , Arii Jun , Kawaguchi Yasushi
Published: January 2016

To investigate the molecular mechanism(s) by which herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) regulatory protein ICP0 promotes viral gene expression and replication, we screened cells overexpressing ICP0 for ICP0-binding host cell proteins. Tandem affinity purification of transiently expressed ICP0 coupled with mass spectrometry-based proteomics technology and subsequent analyses showed that ICP0 interacted with cell protein RanBP10, a known transcriptional coactivator, in HSV-1-infected cells. Knockdown of RanBP10 in infected HEp-2 cells resulted in a phenotype similar to that observed with the ICP0-null mutation, including reduction in viral replication and in the accumulation of viral immediate early (ICP27), early (ICP8), and late (VP16) mRNAs and proteins. In addition, RanBP10 knockdown or the ICP0-null mutation increased the level of histone H3 association with the promoters of these viral genes, which is known to repress transcription. These effects observed in wild-type HSV-1-infected HEp-2 RanBP10 knockdown cells or those observed in ICP0-null mutant virus-infected control HEp-2 cells were remarkably increased in ICP0-null mutant virus-infected HEp-2 RanBP10 knockdown cells. Our results suggested that ICP0 and RanBP10 redundantly and synergistically promoted viral gene expression by regulating chromatin remodeling of the HSV-1 genome for efficient viral replication.

IMPORTANCE
Upon entry of herpesviruses into a cell, viral gene expression is restricted by heterochromatinization of the viral genome. Therefore, HSV-1 has evolved multiple mechanisms to counteract this epigenetic silencing for efficient viral gene expression and replication. HSV-1 ICP0 is one of the viral proteins involved in counteracting epigenetic silencing. Here, we identified RanBP10 as a novel cellular ICP0-binding protein and showed that RanBP10 and ICP0 appeared to act synergistically to promote viral gene expression and replication by modulating viral chromatin remodeling. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms by which HSV-1 regulates viral chromatin remodeling for efficient viral gene expression and replication.