bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coherent Vibrational Dynamics and High-resolution Nonlinear Spectroscopy: A Comparison with the Air/DMSO Liquid Interface
Authors: Velarde Luis , Lu Zhou , Wang Hong-fei
Published: January 2014

We present a comparative study on the C—H stretching vibrations at air/DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) interface with both the free-induction decay (FID) coherent vibrational dynamics and the sub-wavenumber high resolution sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy measurements. In principle the frequency-domain and time-domain spectroscopic measurements should generate identical information for a given molecular system. However, when the molecular systems are with several coupled or overlapping vibrational modes, obtaining detailed spectroscopic and coherent dynamics information is not as straightforward and rather difficult from either the time-domain or the frequency domain measurements. For the case of air/DMSO interface that is with moderately complex vibrational spectra, we show that the frequency-domain measurement with sub-wavenumber high-resolution sum- frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy is probably more advantageous than the time- domain measurement in obtaining quantitative understanding of the structure and coherent dynamics of the molecular interface.
Sequential Observation of Alkali-halide Gas Phase Clusters in High Resolution TOF-MS and Prediction of Their Structures
Authors: Wen Hui , Liu Yi-rong , Xu Kang-ming , Huang Teng , Hu Chang-jin , Zhang Wei-jun , Huang Wei
Published: January 2014

Alkali halide clusters are interesting model systems that can provide information about how crystal properties evolve. To study these properties, a high-resolution atmospheric pressure inlet time-of-flight mass spectrometry (APi-TOF-MS) study of the sequential sodium halides series, Cl− (NaCl)n and Br− (NaBr)m, has been reported, and the viability of the APi-TOF-MS equipped with an electrospray ionization source in determining cluster compositions has been demonstrated. The isotopic patterns were well resolved, as n=4 and 7 were determined to be the magic numbers for Cl− (NaCl)n clusters, which were particularly abundant in the mass spectra. A global minimum search based on density functional theory enabled basin hopping yield the most stable structures for the mentioned series. The structures exhibit several distinct motifs which can be roughly categorized as linear chain, rock salt, and hexagonal ring. This work provides an effective way to discover and elucidate the nonstoichiometry sodium halide clusters. These clusters possess very high vertical detachment energies and are generally called as superhalogens, which play important roles in chemistry because they are widely used in the synthesis of new classes of charge-transfer salts.
Chemical Dynamics Simulations of the Hydroxyl Radical Reaction with Ethene
Authors: Zhang Jiaxu , Yang Li , Troya Diego
Published: January 2014

We present a theoretical study of the reaction of the hydroxyl radical with ethene using electronic structure calculations and direct-dynamics simulations. High-accuracy electronic structure calculations at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level have been carried out to characterize the representative regions of the potential energy surface of various reaction pathways, including OH-addition and H-abstraction. These ab initio calculations have been employed to derive an improved set of parameters for the MSINDO semiempirical Hamiltonian specific to the OH+C2H4reaction. The specific-reaction-parameter Hamiltonian captures the ab initio data accurately, and has been used to perform direct quasiclassical trajectory simulations of the OH+C2H4reaction at collision energies in the range of 2–10 kcal/mol. The calculated cross sections reveal that the OH-addition reaction dominates at all energies over H-abstraction. In addition, the excitation function of addition is reminiscent of a barrierless capture process, while that for abstraction corresponds to an activated one, and these trends can be connected to the transition-state energies of both reactions. We note that the development of an accurate semiempirical Hamiltonian for the OH+C2H4 reaction in this work required the inclusion of empirical dispersion corrections, which will be important in future applications for which long-range intermolecular attraction becomes significant.
Transforming Australia’s HIV prevention and treatment efforts to achieve an AIDS-free generation: the United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the Melbourne Declaration ‘Action on HIV’
Authors: Whittaker Bill
Published: January 2014

This paper discusses Australia’s response to the 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS in the context of recent ground-breaking advances in HIV prevention and treatment. Australia’s progress in responding to these developments is examined and compared with that of eight other countries in Asia and the Pacific. The implications of the 2012 Melbourne Declaration ‘Action on HIV’ is also discussed as a vehicle for generating advocacy to revolutionise Australia’s HIV response and to urge Australia’s leadership in achieving an ‘AIDS-free generation’.
Processing of microRNA primary transcripts requires heme in mammalian cells
Authors: Weitz Sara H. , Gong Ming , Barr Ian , Weiss Shimon , Guo Feng
Published: January 2014

Significance

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important functions in development and cell physiology. The vast majority of mature miRNAs are produced from primary transcripts of microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) by a multi-step pathway. The first step, cleavage of pri-miRNAs by the Microprocessor complex, is highly regulated but technically challenging to study. We have developed a robust method that faithfully measures pri-miRNA processing efficiency in live cells. Using this assay, we establish an essential function of heme in miRNA maturation, a provocative idea suggested by previous biochemical studies. Our study reveals a previously unknown cellular function of this central biological cofactor, linking metal ion biology with the regulation of noncoding RNAs. Our method should be widely useful for studying RNA processing in biology and diseases.
Tactile perception and working memory in rats and humans
Authors: Fassihi Arash , Akrami Athena , Esmaeili Vahid , Diamond Mathew E.
Published: January 2014

Significance

Many higher cognitive functions involve working memory (WM), the storage and manipulation of information across limited time intervals. Comparing the WM capacity of different species is a key step toward understanding the underlying brain mechanisms. This study uncovers previously unknown sensory WM abilities in rats. They received two vibratory stimuli on their whiskers, separated by a variable delay, and had to compare vibration features. In analogous experiments, human subjects compared two stimuli applied to the fingertip. The acuity shown by rats in judging stimulus differences and their WM proficiency (across delays of 8 s, the longest tested) overlapped those of humans. Sensory WM now joins other cognitive functions within the rodent repertoire, setting the stage for exploration of its neuronal coding.
In vitro analysis suggests that difference in cell movement during direct interaction can generate various pigment patterns in vivo
Authors: Yamanaka Hiroaki , Kondo Shigeru
Published: January 2014

Significance

The periodic pigment patterns of organisms, such as spots and stripes, have suggested the presence of a mathematical system generating the patterns. The most famous one is the reaction–diffusion system. Although the system explains the pattern formation well, the biological substances corresponding to the diffusive factors in the system have not been elucidated. Here, we observed the behavior of zebrafish pigment cells in vitro and found that WT cells showed run-and-chase movement in the direct interaction, whereas the pattern mutant cells showed different cell movement. These results suggested that gene mutations affect the reaction–diffusion system by changing the cell movement, which corresponds to the interaction of diffusive factors in the reaction–diffusion system.
Conformal piezoelectric energy harvesting and storage from motions of the heart, lung, and diaphragm
Authors: Dagdeviren Canan , Yang Byung Duk , Su Yewang , Tran Phat L. , Joe Pauline , Anderson Eric , Xia Jing , Doraiswamy Vijay , Dehdashti Behrooz , Feng Xue , Lu Bingwei , Poston Robert , Khalpey Zain , Ghaffari Roozbeh , Huang Yonggang , Slepian Marvin J. , Rogers John A.
Published: January 2014

Significance

Heart rate monitors, pacemakers, cardioverter-defibrillators, and neural stimulators constitute broad classes of electronic implants that rely on battery power for operation. Means for harvesting power directly from natural processes of the body represent attractive alternatives for these and future types of biomedical devices. Here we demonstrate a complete, flexible, and integrated system that is capable of harvesting and storing energy from the natural contractile and relaxation motions of the heart, lung, and diaphragm at levels that meet requirements for practical applications. Systematic experimental evaluations in large animal models and quantitatively accurate computational models reveal the fundamental modes of operation and establish routes for further improvements.
Empirical prediction of genomic susceptibilities for multiple cancer classes
Authors: Kim Minseung , Kim Sung-Hou
Published: January 2014

Significance

It is widely assumed that human genomic variations are associated with an individual’s susceptibility to complex diseases such as cancers and autoimmune diseases. However, extensive genome-wide association studies thus far had limited success because the results have low predictive value of practical utility to individuals. We present a prediction process where two machine-learning analysis methods are applied to two different descriptors of each individual’s common genomic variations to predict an individual’s susceptibility to eight major cancer traits. The accuracy of the prediction ranges from 33% to 57% depending on cancer type, which is significantly better than 11% for a random prediction, with probability estimates that may be useful for making practical health decisions for individuals or for a population.
Functional map of arrestin-1 at single amino acid resolution
Authors: Ostermaier Martin K. , Peterhans Christian , Jaussi Rolf , Deupi Xavier , Standfuss Jörg
Published: January 2014

Significance

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise 2–3% of human proteins and are key for cellular communication in higher organisms. Thus, these receptors are essential in cell physiology, and their malfunction is commonly translated into pathological outcomes. Our structural knowledge of GPCRs has improved dramatically in recent years. The next big leap is deciphering the structure and function of their complexes with signaling proteins, and, specifically, the mechanisms by which these complexes form and activate. Our unbiased and complete scanning mutagenesis provides compelling functional insights into how a phosphorylated GPCR is desensitized by binding of arrestin. Combination of the discovered mutations will allow engineering of arrestins with either increased or reduced binding affinity with a broad range of applications in research, diagnostics, and pharmacology.
Structural basis for nuclear import of splicing factors by human Transportin 3
Authors: Maertens Goedele N. , Cook Nicola J. , Wang Weifeng , Hare Stephen , Gupta Saumya Shree , Öztop Ilker , Lee KyeongEun , Pye Valerie E. , Cosnefroy Ophélie , Snijders Ambrosius P. , KewalRamani Vineet N. , Fassati Ariberto , Engelman Alan , Cherepanov Peter
Published: January 2014

Significance

Transportin 3 (Tnpo3) was shown to orchestrate nuclear import of splicing factors over a decade ago, but how it recognizes these cargoes remained unknown. Furthermore, the recently discovered role for Tnpo3 as a cofactor of HIV-1 replication requires mechanistic clarification. We show that Tnpo3 associates with a wide range of proteins involved in mRNA metabolism, the majority of which contain serine/arginine-rich domains. Using X-ray crystallography we determined the three-dimensional structures of Tnpo3 in its key functional states, explaining how this nuclear import factor binds and releases its cargoes. We also show that Tnpo3 mutants that are not able to interact with cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 6 do not facilitate HIV-1 infectivity, suggesting a potential route of pharmacological intervention in the treatment of AIDS.
Membrane adhesion dictates Golgi stacking and cisternal morphology
Authors: Lee Intaek , Tiwari Neeraj , Dunlop Myun Hwa , Graham Morven , Liu Xinran , Rothman James E.
Published: January 2014

Significance

Stacking of cisternae in the mammalian Golgi apparatus is known to be a highly complicated process that involves a large number of adhesive proteins, including Golgi reassembly and stacking proteins (GRASPs) and Golgin tethers, as well as coordinated disassembly/reassembly of Golgi stacks during mitotic cell division. Using extensive quantitative analysis of electron microscopic data, we show here that Golgi stacking with flattened cisternae is maintained in HeLa cells depleted of GRASP65/55 proteins when the GRASP-deficient cells are complemented by exogenous expression of either Golgi matrix protein of 130 kDa or Golgin45. These results strongly suggest that the Golgi stack assembly and cisternal morphology are governed by simple membrane adhesion at the core, explaining how Golgi stacking occurs in organisms, which do not express (or use) GRASP-type adhesion proteins such as plants and yeast.
Inhibition of endothelial FAK activity prevents tumor metastasis by enhancing barrier function
Authors: Jean Christine , Chen Xiao Lei , Nam Ju-Ock , Tancioni Isabelle , Uryu Sean , Lawson Christine , Ward Kristy K. , Walsh Colin T. , Miller Nichol L.G. , Ghassemian Majid , Turowski Patric , Dejana Elisabetta , Weis Sara , Cheresh David A. , Schlaepfer David D.
Published: January 2014

Pharmacological focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition prevents tumor growth and metastasis, via actions on both tumor and stromal cells. In this paper, we show that vascular endothelial cadherin (VEC) tyrosine (Y) 658 is a target of FAK in tumor-associated endothelial cells (ECs). Conditional kinase-dead FAK knockin within ECs inhibited recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) and tumor-induced VEC-Y658 phosphorylation in vivo. Adherence of VEGF-expressing tumor cells to ECs triggered FAK-dependent VEC-Y658 phosphorylation. Both FAK inhibition and VEC-Y658F mutation within ECs prevented VEGF-initiated paracellular permeability and tumor cell transmigration across EC barriers. In mice, EC FAK inhibition prevented VEGF-dependent tumor cell extravasation and melanoma dermal to lung metastasis without affecting primary tumor growth. As pharmacological c-Src or FAK inhibition prevents VEGF-stimulated c-Src and FAK translocation to EC adherens junctions, but FAK inhibition does not alter c-Src activation, our experiments identify EC FAK as a key intermediate between c-Src and the regulation of EC barrier function controlling tumor metastasis.
Amino Acid Sequence Motifs Essential for P0-Mediated Suppression of RNA Silencing in an Isolate of Potato leafroll virus from Inner Mongolia
Authors: Zhuo Tao , Li Yuan-Yuan , Xiang Hai-Ying , Wu Zhan-Yu , Wang Xian-Bin , Wang Ying , Zhang Yong-Liang , Li Da-Wei , Yu Jia-Lin , Han Cheng-Gui
Published: January 2014

Polerovirus P0 suppressors of host gene silencing contain a consensus F-box-like motif with Leu/Pro (L/P) requirements for suppressor activity. The Inner Mongolian Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) P0 protein (P0PL-IM) has an unusual F-box-like motif that contains a Trp/Gly (W/G) sequence and an additional GW/WG-like motif (G139/W140/G141) that is lacking in other P0 proteins. We used Agrobacterium infiltration-mediated RNA silencing assays to establish that P0PL-IM has a strong suppressor activity. Mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that the P0PL-IM F-box-like motif encompasses amino acids 76-LPRHLHYECLEWGLLCG THP-95, and that the suppressor activity is abolished by L76A, W87A, or G88A substitution. The suppressor activity is also weakened substantially by mutations within the G139/W140/G141 region and is eliminated by a mutation (F220R) in a C-terminal conserved sequence of P0PL-IM. As has been observed with other P0 proteins, P0PL-IM suppression is correlated with reduced accumulation of the host AGO1-silencing complex protein. However, P0PL-IM fails to bind SKP1, which functions in a proteasome pathway that may be involved in AGO1 degradation. These results suggest that P0PL-IM may suppress RNA silencing by using an alternative pathway to target AGO1 for degradation. Our results help improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in PLRV infection.
Salicylic Acid and Jasmonic Acid Are Essential for Systemic Resistance Against Tobacco mosaic virus in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Zhu Feng , Xi De-Hui , Yuan Shu , Xu Fei , Zhang Da-Wei , Lin Hong-Hui
Published: January 2014

Systemic resistance is induced by pathogens and confers protection against a broad range of pathogens. Recent studies have indicated that salicylic acid (SA) derivative methyl salicylate (MeSA) serves as a long-distance phloem-mobile systemic resistance signal in tobacco, Arabidopsis, and potato. However, other experiments indicate that jasmonic acid (JA) is a critical mobile signal. Here, we present evidence suggesting both MeSA and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) are essential for systemic resistance against Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), possibly acting as the initiating signals for systemic resistance. Foliar application of JA followed by SA triggered the strongest systemic resistance against TMV. Furthermore, we use a virus-induced gene-silencing–based genetics approach to investigate the function of JA and SA biosynthesis or signaling genes in systemic response against TMV infection. Silencing of SA or JA biosynthetic and signaling genes in Nicotiana benthamiana plants increased susceptibility to TMV. Genetic experiments also proved the irreplaceable roles of MeSA and MeJA in systemic resistance response. Systemic resistance was compromised when SA methyl transferase or JA carboxyl methyltransferase, which are required for MeSA and MeJA formation, respectively, were silenced. Moreover, high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis indicated that JA and MeJA accumulated in phloem exudates of leaves at early stages and SA and MeSA accumulated at later stages, after TMV infection. Our data also indicated that JA and MeJA could regulate MeSA and SA production. Taken together, our results demonstrate that (Me)JA and (Me)SA are required for systemic resistance response against TMV.
First Report of Pythium schmitthenneri Causing Maize Seedling Blight in Iowa
Authors: Matthiesen R. L. , Ahmad A. A. , Ellis M. L. , Robertson A. E.
Published: January 2014

In spring 2012, maize farmers in southeast and south central Iowa reported stand losses due to pre- and post-emergence damping-off, and many of the fields had to be replanted. Symptoms of the disease included rotted seed, or brown, rotted, water-soaked mesocotyls and root tips. Maize seedlings with severe root and mesocotyl symptoms were yellow and wilted, stunted, or dead. The disease occurred approximately 2 weeks after cool, wet conditions. Symptomatic mesocotyls and roots were washed for 30 min, rinsed with sterile distilled water, and blotted dry on sterile paper towels. Isolation of the pathogen was performed by aseptically cutting 2- to 3-mm sections of tissue from the edge of a lesion, placing the segments under corn meal agar (CMA) containing pimaricin, ampicillin, rifampicin, and pentachloronitrobenzene (PARP), and incubating at 22°C in the dark. Colonies that developed were putatively identified as Pythium species based on morphological characteristics and cultural features when compared to published descriptions (2,3). Characteristics of isolate IAC12F21-3 included spherical and smooth-walled oogonia 18 to 26 μm in diameter, monoclinous or usually diclinous antheridia 10 to 22 μm long and 5 to 10 μm wide with one or occasionally two per oogonium, and plerotic oospores 15 to 25 μm in diameter. Sporangia were globose to ellipsoidal, 22 to 41 μm in diameter, and zoospores were 7 to 10 μm long. Primers ITS1 and ITS4 were used to amplify the ITS region within clade E1 of 88 isolates. The resultant amplicons were sequenced and a BLAST search in GenBank confirmed isolate IAC12F21-3 as Pythium schmitthenneri based on 100% similarity with GenBank accession numbers JF836869 and JF836870. Pathogenicity testing was conducted using seed and seedling assays (1,4). Koch's postulates was performed by sampling pieces of symptomatic mesocotyl and root tissue from the inoculated pots, placing segments under CMA + PARP, and incubating at 22°C. Symptoms were similar to those observed in the field and P. schmitthenneri was re-isolated successfully. Non-inoculated control plants showed no symptoms. This is the first report of P. schmitthenneri causing seedling blight on maize in Iowa. Previously, P. schmitthenneri was reported as a pathogen on maize in Ohio (2).

References: (1) K. Broders et al. Plant Dis. 91:727, 2007. (2) M. Ellis et al. Mycologia, 104:477, 2012. (3) J. Middleton. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 20:171, 1943. (4) A. Rojas et al. Phytopathology, 102(Suppl):S5.8, 2012.
First Report of Stem and Root Rot of Stevia Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii in North Carolina
Authors: Koehler A. , Shew H.
Published: January 2014

Stevia (Stevia rebaundia) is an emerging crop in the United States. Once established, the crop is grown for 3 to 5 years and is typically harvested twice per growing season. Stevia leaves contain multiple glycosides that are used as a natural noncaloric sweetener that was approved by the USDA in 2008 as a sugar substitute. In commercial plantings of Stevia in North Carolina, wilting and death of plants in first- and second-year plantings were observed in 2012 and 2013. Diseased plants were observed in multiple counties in the state, with first symptoms observed in May of each year and continuing through the summer months. Prior to Stevia, these fields had been planted primarily in a corn-soybean rotation. Symptoms began as moderate to severe wilting of young shoots and chlorosis of leaves, rapidly followed by death of stems and rotting of roots. White mycelial growth was frequently observed at the base of stem tissue. Theses characteristic hyphae of Sclerotium rolfsii were often accompanied by the presence of abundant white to brown sclerotia. Isolations from infected root and stem tissue were made on potato dextrose agar amended with 50 μg/ml of streptomycin sulfate and penicillin G. Isolations from diseased tissue yielded characteristic white hyphae of S. rolfsii (1,3). Numerous sclerotia 0.5 to 2 mm in diameter developed following 4 to 7 days of mycelial growth. Sclerotia were initially white and melanized turning brown with age. To verify pathogenicity, 10-week-old Stevia seedlings were transplanted in 10-cm diameter pots containing sterile 1:1:1 sand, loam, media mix. Inoculum consisted of oat grains infested with one isolate obtained from the field plants. Oats were sterilized on three consecutive days and then inoculated with colonized agar plugs of S. rolfsii. Oats were incubated at room temperature to allow the fungus to thoroughly colonize the oats. Three infested oat grains were added to each test pot and plants were then observed over a 3-week period. Symptoms were observed within 5 days on most plants and included chlorotic leaves, bleached stems, wilting, and necrotic roots. White mycelium and abundant sclerotia were found at the base of plants. Uninoculated plants did not develop any symptoms. This is the first report of S. rolfsii on Stevia in the United States. Kamalakannan et al. (2) reported a root rot disease of Stevia in India and confirmed S. rolfsii as the causal agent.

References: (1) R. Aycock. N.C. Agr. Exp. St. Tech. Bull. No. 174, 1966. (2) A. Kamalakannan et al. Plant Pathol. 56:350, 2007. (3) J. E. M. Mordue. Corticium rolfsii. CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria No. 410. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 1974.
Vitamin B12 Status in Children With Cystic Fibrosis and Pancreatic Insufficiency
Authors: Maqbool Asim , Schall Joan I. , Mascarenhas Maria R. , Dougherty Kelly A. , Stallings Virginia A.
Published: January 2014

Objectives:

Unexpectedly high serum B12 concentrations were noted in most study subjects with cystic fibrosis (CF) and pancreatic insufficiency (PI) participating in a nutrition intervention at the baseline evaluation. The objectives of this study were to determine dietary, supplement‐based, and enzyme‐based B12 intake, serum B12 concentrations, and predictors of vitamin B12 status in children with CF and PI.

Study Design:

Serum B12 status was assessed in subjects (5–18 years) and categorized as elevated (serum B12 above reference range for age and sex [Hi‐B12]) or within reference range (serum B12 within reference range for age and sex) for age and sex. Serum homocysteine, plasma B6, red blood cell folate, height, weight, and body mass index z scores, pulmonary function, energy, and dietary and supplement‐based vitamin intake were assessed.

Results:

A total of 106 subjects, mean age 10.4 ± 3.0 years, participated in the study. Median serum B12 was 1083 pg/mL, with 56% in the Hi‐B12 group. Dietary and supplement‐based B12 intakes were both high representing 376% and 667% recommended dietary allowance (RDA), respectively. The Hi‐B12 group had significantly greater supplement‐based B12 intake than the serum B12 within reference range for age and sex group (1000% vs 583% RDA, P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that high supplement‐based B12 intake and age >12 years increased the risk of Hi‐B12, whereas higher forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1) decreased the risk (pseudo‐R2 = 0.18, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Serum B12 was elevated in the majority of children with CF and PI. Supplement‐based B12 intake was 6 to 10 times the RDA, and strongly predicted elevated serum B12 status. The health consequences of lifelong high supplement‐based B12 intake and high serum B12 are unknown and require further study, as does the inversed correlation between serum B12 and forced expiratory volume at 1 second.
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) learn to discriminate the smell of organic compounds from their respective deuterated isotopomers
Authors: Gronenberg Wulfila , Raikhelkar Ajay , Abshire Eric , Stevens Jennifer , Epstein Eric , Loyola Karin , Rauscher Michael , Buchmann Stephen
Published: January 2014

The understanding of physiological and molecular processes underlying the sense of smell has made considerable progress during the past three decades, revealing the cascade of molecular steps that lead to the activation of olfactory receptor (OR) neurons. However, the mode of primary interaction of odorant molecules with the OR proteins within the sensory cells is still enigmatic. Two different concepts try to explain these interactions: the ‘odotope hypothesis’ suggests that OR proteins recognize structural aspects of the odorant molecule, whereas the ‘vibration hypothesis’ proposes that intra-molecular vibrations are the basis for the recognition of the odorant by the receptor protein. The vibration hypothesis predicts that OR proteins should be able to discriminate compounds containing deuterium from their common counterparts which contain hydrogen instead of deuterium. This study tests this prediction in honeybees (Apis mellifera) using the proboscis extension reflex learning in a differential conditioning paradigm. Rewarding one odour (e.g. a deuterated compound) with sucrose and not rewarding the respective analogue (e.g. hydrogen-based odorant) shows that honeybees readily learn to discriminate hydrogen-based odorants from their deuterated counterparts and supports the idea that intra-molecular vibrations may contribute to odour discrimination.
Prospective and retrospective duration memory in the hippocampus: is time in the foreground or background?
Authors: MacDonald Christopher J.
Published: January 2014

Psychologists have long distinguished between prospective and retrospective timing to highlight the difference between our sense of duration during an experience in passing and our sense of duration in hindsight. Humans and other animals use prospective timing in the seconds-to-minutes range in order to learn durations, and can organize their behaviour based upon this knowledge when they know that duration information will be important ahead of time. By contrast, when durations are estimated after the fact, thus precluding the subject from consciously attending to temporal information, duration information must be extracted from other memory representations. The accumulated evidence from prospective timing research has generally led to the hippocampus (HPC) being casted in a supporting role with prefrontal–striatal, cortical or cerebellar circuits playing the lead. Here, I review findings from the animal and human literature that have led to this conclusion and consider that the contribution of the HPC to duration memory is understated because we have little understanding about how we remember duration.
Mumia flava gen. nov., sp. nov., an actinobacterium of the family Nocardioidaceae
Authors: Lee Learn-Han , Zainal Nurullhudda , Azman Adzzie-Shazleen , Mutalib Nurul-Syakima Ab , Hong Kui , Chan Kok-Gan
Published: January 2014

A novel actinobacterial strain, designated MUSC 201T, was isolated from a mangrove soil collected from Kuantan, the capital city of Pahang State in Malaysia. The taxonomic status of this strain was determined using a polyphasic approach. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain MUSC 201T represented a novel lineage within the class
Actinobacteria
. Strain MUSC 201T formed a distinct clade in the family

Nocardioidaceae

and was most closely related to the members of the genera

Nocardioides

(16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, 91.9–95.1 %),

Aeromicrobium

(92.7–94.6 %),

Marmoricola

(92.5–93.1 %) and

Kribbella

(91.5–92.4 %). The cells of this strain were irregular coccoid to short rod shaped. The peptidoglycan contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as diagnostic diamino acid and the peptidoglycan type was A3γ. The peptidoglycan cell wall contained ll-diaminopimelic acid, glycine, glutamic acid and alanine in a molar ratio of 1.5 : 0.9 : 1.0 : 1.5. The cell-wall sugars were galactose and rhamnose. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H4). The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphoglycolipid, glycolipid and four unknown phospholipids. The major cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1ω9c (30.8 %), C16 : 0 (24.1 %), and 10-methyl C18 : 0 (13.9 %). The DNA G+C content was 72.0±0.1 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic differences from members of the genera of the family

Nocardioidaceae

, a novel genus and species, Mumia flava gen. nov., sp. nov. are proposed. The type strain of Mumia flava is MUSC 201T ( = DSM 27763T = MCCC 1A00646T = NBRC 109973T).
Raoultella electrica sp. nov., isolated from anodic biofilms of a glucose-fed microbial fuel cell
Authors: Kimura Zen-ichiro , Chung Kyung Mi , Itoh Hiroaki , Hiraishi Akira , Okabe Satoshi
Published: January 2014

A Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain 1GBT, was isolated from anodic biofilms of a glucose-fed microbial fuel cell. Strain 1GBT was facultatively anaerobic and chemo-organotrophic, having both a respiratory and a fermentative type of metabolism, and utilized a wide variety of sugars as carbon and energy sources. Cells grown aerobically contained Q-8 as the major quinone, but excreted Q-9 and a small amount of Q-10 when cultured with an electrode serving as the sole electron acceptor. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of 1GBT was 54.5 mol%. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis showed that strain 1GBT represented a distinct lineage within the genus

Raoultella

(98.5–99.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 94.0–96.5 % sequence similarity based on the three concatenated housekeeping genes gyrA, rpoB and parC. Strain 1GBT exhibited DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness of 7–43 % with type strains of all established species of the genus

Raoultella

. On the basis of these phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic data, the name Raoultella electrica sp. nov. is proposed for strain 1GBT. The type strain is 1GBT ( = NBRC 109676T = KCTC 32430T).
2-[(1H-Benzimidazol-1-yl)methyl]phenol benzene hemisolvate
Authors: Rivera Augusto , Jiménez-Cruz Leonardo , Bolte Michael
Published: January 2014

In the title solvate, C14H12N2O·0.5C6H6, the complete benzene molecule is generated by a crystallographic inversion centre. The dihedral angle between the planes of the benzimidazole moiety and the phenol substituent is 75.28 (3)°. In the crystal, O—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into parallel chains propagating along [100]. The molecules are further connected by C—H...π interactions.
Improving “order handling” process by using QFD and FMEA methodologies: a case study
Authors: Tanık Murat
Published: January 2014

Purpose

Without doubt safety and satisfaction of the end user of food products are the most crucial aspect of food production. However, in order to achieve complete satisfaction, the effectiveness of all interconnected processes of the supply chain should be guaranteed. The purpose of this paper is to emphasise the advantages of using systematic quality improvement tools like QFD and FMEA in every part of the supply chain in food production.

Design/methodology/approach

Two quality improvement tools, QFD and FMEA, are described and an integrated application of these quality improvement methodologies on a package material supplier is presented and analysed.

Findings

The order‐receiving process requires a very deep and thorough understanding of customer needs and it is by nature an essential part of the quality deployment function itself. Any misunderstanding, mistake or omitted point can result in severe customer dissatisfaction through the order fulfilment process. QFD is a very helpful tool for transforming customer needs into the product design, but there are still many potential dangers in its second phase where the product specifications are determined. This fact is very obvious for the food‐packaging supplier and it is believed to be a threat in every supplier customer relationship. This gap or the potential risks can be eliminated with the help of a downstream control mechanism. Potential failures within the order‐receiving process or any inattention during this period have an important and direct effect on the performance of the order fulfilment. So it is suggested that this process can be improved by analysing the potential failures that can occur during the process of gathering data and transforming them into design issues by the use of a systematic methodology called FMEA.

Practical implications

The managers of any supply chain can improve their understanding of their customer needs by the combined use of the QFD and FMEA methodologies and have a good opportunity to improve their order‐handling process starting from the beginning of the order receiving, by eliminating the potential risks and designing better product specifications by reflecting the knowledge generated through FMEA.

Originality/value

The paper offers a systematic approach to improve the order‐handling process in food package production, and this approach can be generalised to many order‐handling processes to strengthen the supply chain in any industry.
Impact of chronic exposure to a pyrethroid pesticide on bumblebees and interactions with a trypanosome parasite
Authors: Baron Gemma L. , Raine Nigel E. , Brown Mark J. F.
Published: January 2014

Bees are exposed to pesticides when foraging in agricultural areas and growing evidence suggests that such compounds can be harmful to managed and wild populations. Given the economic and ecological importance of bees, and the evidence of widespread population declines, the full impacts of pesticides and their interactions with other stressors in the environment need to be investigated.

Here, we focus on the impacts of chronic exposure to the commonly used pyrethroid pesticide lambda (λ)‐cyhalothrin on the bumblebee Bombus terrestris at both the individual and colony level. Furthermore, we investigated the interactions of pesticide exposure with a highly prevalent trypanosome parasite Crithidia bombi. Colonies were exposed to λ‐cyhalothrin in the laboratory, and colony growth and reproductive output were monitored for up to 14 weeks. The potential interactions between the pesticide and C. bombi were investigated by quantifying the impact of pesticide treatment on susceptibility to, and success of experimental infections, as well as the survival of workers. Male survival after larval pesticide exposure was also monitored.

Pesticide‐treated colonies produced workers with a significantly lower body mass. However, out of the twelve variables of colony development measured, this was the only metric that was significantly affected by pesticide treatment and there was no subsequent significant impact on the reproductive output of colonies.

Lambda‐cyhalothrin had no significant impact on the susceptibility of workers to C. bombi, or intensity of parasitic infection.

Pesticide exposure did not cause differential survival in workers or males, even when workers were additionally challenged with C. bombi.

Synthesis and applications. Chronic exposure to λ‐cyhalothrin has a significant impact on worker size, a key aspect of bumblebee colony function, particularly under conditions of limited food resources. This could indicate that under times of resource limitation, colonies exposed to this pesticide in the field may fail. However, the lack of other impacts found in this study indicate that further field trials are needed to elucidate this.
No signs of meristem senescence in old Scots pine
Authors: Mencuccini Maurizio , Oñate Marta , Peñuelas Josep , Rico Laura , Munné‐Bosch Sergi
Published: January 2014

Ageing and senescence in plants remain poorly understood. Although meristem totipotency may allow woody perennials to be immortal, relative growth and photosynthetic rates typically decline with age.

Trees of ages between 129 and 534 years were selected in one of the oldest extant populations of Scots pine. Apical branches were propagated by grafting onto homogeneous juvenile rootstock to eliminate the effects of size and environmental variability and isolate those due to age. The hormonal profile of leaves and seeds along with markers of the physiological status of leaves and their pattern of DNA cytosine methylation were measured 15 years after grafting.

The percentage of total methylated loci in nuclear DNA increased with increasing meristematic age. However, only very few significant relationships were found between levels of phyto‐hormones, pigments or physiological markers either in leaves or seeds and age of the meristem. In addition, shoots grafted from old trees grew as fast as those from younger trees and produced the same number of germinable seeds.

Synthesis. We conclude that changes in DNA methylation can occur in old trees. The lack of apparent physiological deterioration in the grafted plants suggests that meristem senescence is not the main factor triggering whole‐plant ageing in Scots pine.
A preliminary report on the English phonology of typically developing English–Mandarin bilingual preschool Singaporean children
Authors: En Lydea Gn Wei , Brebner Chris , McCormack Paul
Published: January 2014

Background

There are no published data on typical phonological development for Singaporean children. There is therefore the risk that children's speech in Singapore may be misdiagnosed or that clinicians may set goals erroneously.

Aims

This paper reports a preliminary study on the English phonology of typically developing 4;0–4;5‐year‐old Chinese Singaporean children who speak English and Mandarin.

Method & Procedures

Seventy children were recruited throughout Singapore, and speech samples were collected in English using the Phonology Assessment of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP). The participants were divided equally into two groups: English‐dominant and Mandarin‐dominant. Their speech samples were compared with British English targets (BT) and Singapore English targets (ST) in terms of phonological accuracy and types of phonological processes used.

Outcomes & Results

The results showed that Singaporean children's phonological accuracy scores increased significantly when scored against ST instead of BT. When scored against ST, English‐dominant children were found to perform similarly to their DEAP counterparts. However, Mandarin‐dominant children had significantly less accurate consonant production in English and exhibited more interference effects from Mandarin phonology than English‐dominant children.

Conclusions & Implications

In this preliminary study, the results highlight the importance of speech and language therapists using local dialect pronunciations to be the target of speech assessments so as to provide appropriate assessment and intervention. It is also essential to account for the language background and language dominance of the children. More local normative data are needed for the typical acquisition of Singapore English in children, especially for children whose dominant language is not English.
Evaluation and Social Impact Measurement Amongst Small to Medium Social Enterprises: Process, Purpose and Value
Authors: Barraket Jo , Yousefpour Nina
Published: January 2014

In recent years, the imperative to communicate organisational impacts to a variety of stakeholders has gained increasing importance within all sectors. Despite growing external demands for evaluation and social impact measurement, there has been limited critically informed analysis about the presumed importance of these activities to organisational success and the practical challenges faced by organisations in undertaking such assessment. In this paper, we present the findings from an action research study of five Australian small to medium social enterprises’ practices and use of evaluation and social impact analysis. Our findings have implications for social enterprise operators, policy makers and social investors regarding when, why and at what level these activities contribute to organisational performance and the fulfilment of mission.
Sheilas on the Move? Religion, Spirituality, and Tourism
Authors: Grimshaw Mike
Published: January 2014

How might we consider the emergent field of religion and tourism and its sub‐field of spiritual travel? This review article engages with two recent publications that provide a mapping of this emergent territory. Yet is mapping a critical engagement? Does discussion of what Michael Stausberg terms the “social fact” of religion and tourism suffice? The rise of the academic study of religion within the modern, secular university tends to exclude the possibilities offered by critique from theology, even if this is a theological critique aligned with critical theory and neo‐Marxism. However in this review, arising out of Greenberg's identification of the limitations of the middlebrow, a secular theological critique, that keeps in the “difficult bits” is undertaken. A central question is that of how might we critically understand the rise and expansion of modern pilgrimage and the travel of modern, individualised spirituality in search of geopiety.
Proteolysis in ultra‐heat‐treated skim milk after exposure to multispecies biofilms under conditions modelling a milk tanker
Authors: Teh Koon Hoong , Lindsay Denise , Palmer Jon , Andrewes Paul , Bremer Phil , Flint Steve
Published: January 2014

Bacteria from milk tankers can form multispecies biofilms and produce heat‐stable enzymes. In this study, milk was exposed to multispecies biofilms in stainless steel vessels and was then used to produce ultra‐heat‐treated (UHT) milk, which was stored for 5 months. The UHT milks were assessed for microbial counts, free peptide concentration and pH. The free peptide concentration, which indicated proteolysis, was higher in UHT milk that had been exposed to multispecies biofilms than in untreated UHT milk. Biofilm formation may be promoted in milk tankers that are not properly cleaned, which may compromise the quality of the final dairy product.
Aligning inside and outside perspectives of the self: A cross‐cultural difference in self‐perception
Authors: Kim Young‐Hoon , Chiu Chi‐Yue , Cho Sinhae , Au Evelyn W. M. , Kwak Sunyoung Nicole
Published: January 2014

Past research shows that European Americans tend to take a first‐person perspective to understand the self and are unlikely to align the inside look with the outside gaze, whereas Asians tend to take a third‐person perspective and are likely to shift their inside look in the direction of the outsize gaze. In three experiments, we compared Asians and European Americans' self‐perceptions when the presence of their parents in the background of self‐perception was primed or otherwise. Without the priming, both European Americans and Asians viewed themselves more positively from their own perspective than from their parents' perspective. With the priming, only Asians lowered the positivity of their self‐perceptions to match the perceived positivity of the self in the parents' perspective. These results suggest that Asians do not have a static, passive tendency to assimilate their self‐views into the perceived external assessments of the self. Rather, their self‐views are fluid and flexible.
Posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy: outcomes and lessons learned from initial 50 cases
Authors: Cabalag Miguel S. , Mann G Bruce , Gorelik Alexandra , Miller Julie A.
Published: January 2014

Background

Posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (PRA) is an alternative approach to minimally invasive adrenalectomy, potentially offering less pain and faster recovery compared with laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy (LA). The authors have recently changed from LA to PRA in suitable patients and audited their first 50 cases.

Methods

Data were prospectively collected for 50 consecutive PRAs performed by the same surgeon. Patient demographics, tumour characteristics, analgesia use, operative and preparation time, length of stay, and complications were recorded.

Results

Fifty adrenalectomies were performed in 49 patients. The median (range) age was 58.5 years (30–83) and the majority of patients were female (n = 33, 66.0%). The median (interquartile range (IQR)) preparation time was 35.5 (28.5–50.0) and median operation time was 70.5 (54–85) min, which decreased during the study period. After a learning curve of 15 cases, median operative time reached 61 min. PRA patients required minimal post‐operative analgesia, with a median (IQR) of 0 (0–5) mg of intravenous morphine equivalent used. The median (IQR) length of stay was 1 (1–1) day, with 8 (16.0%) same‐day discharges. There were four complications: one blood pressure lability from a phaeochromocytoma, one reintubation, one self‐limited bleed and one temporary subcostal neuropraxia. There were no conversions to open surgery or deaths.

Conclusion

Our results support previously published findings that PRA is a safe procedure, with a relatively short learning curve, resulting in minimal post‐operative analgesia use and short length of hospital stay.