bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of balanced protein energy supplementation in undernourished pregnant women and child physical growth in low‐ and middle‐income countries: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Stevens Briony , Buettner Petra , Watt Kerrianne , Clough Alan , Brimblecombe Julie , Judd Jenni
Published: April 2015

The beneficial effect of balanced protein energy supplementation during pregnancy on subsequent child growth is unclear and may depend upon the mother entering pregnancy adequately nourished or undernourished. Systematic reviews to‐date have included studies from high‐, middle‐ and low‐income countries. However, the effect of balanced protein energy supplementation should not be generalised. This review assesses the effect of balanced protein energy supplementation in undernourished pregnant women from low‐ and middle‐income countries on child growth. A systematic review of articles published in English (1970–2015) was conducted via MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Register and hand searching. Only peer‐reviewed experimental studies analysing the effects of balanced protein energy supplementation in undernourished pregnant women from low‐ and middle‐income countries with measures of physical growth as the primary outcome were included. Two reviewers independently assessed full‐text articles against inclusion criteria. Validity of eligible studies was ascertained using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (EPHPP QAT). In total, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies reported on birthweight, five on birth length, three on birth head circumference, and one on longer‐term growth. Standardised mean differences were calculated using a random‐effects meta‐analysis. Balanced protein energy supplementation significantly improved birthweight (seven randomised controlled trials, n = 2367; d = 0.20, 95% confidence interval, 0.03–0.38, P = 0.02). No significant benefit was observed on birth length or birth head circumference. Impact of intervention could not be determined for longer‐term physical growth due to limited evidence. Additional research is required in low‐ and middle‐income countries to identify impacts on longer‐term infant growth.
Low‐dose RUTF protocol and improved service delivery lead to good programme outcomes in the treatment of uncomplicated SAM: a programme report from Myanmar
Authors: James Philip T. , Van den Briel Natalie , Rozet Aurélie , Israël Anne‐Dominique , Fenn Bridget , Navarro‐Colorado Carlos
Published: April 2015

The treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) requires substantial amounts of ready‐to‐use therapeutic food (RUTF). In 2009, Action Contre la Faim anticipated a shortfall of RUTF for their nutrition programme in Myanmar. A low‐dose RUTF protocol to treat children with uncomplicated SAM was adopted. In this protocol, RUTF was dosed according to beneficiary's body weight, until the child reached a Weight‐for‐Height z‐score of ≥−3 and mid‐upper arm circumference ≥110 mm. From this point, the child received a fixed quantity of RUTF per day, independent of body weight until discharge. Specific measures were implemented as part of this low‐dose RUTF protocol in order to improve service quality and beneficiary support. We analysed individual records of 3083 children treated from July 2009 to January 2010. Up to 90.2% of children recovered, 2.0% defaulted and 0.9% were classified as non‐responders. No deaths were recorded. Among children who recovered, median [IQR] length of stay and weight gain were 42 days [28; 56] and 4.0 g kg–1 day–1 [3.0; 5.7], respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed that children older than 48 months had higher odds of non‐response to treatment than younger children (adjusted odds ratio: 3.51, 95% CI: 1.67–7.42). Our results indicate that a low‐dose RUTF protocol, combined with specific measures to ensure good service quality and beneficiary support, was successful in treating uncomplicated SAM in this setting. This programmatic experience should be validated by randomised studies aiming to test, quantify and attribute the effect of the protocol adaptation and programme improvements presented here.
Contrasting effects of tree diversity on young tree growth and resistance to insect herbivores across three biodiversity experiments
Authors: Haase Josephine , Castagneyrol Bastien , Cornelissen J. Hans C. , Ghazoul Jaboury , Kattge Jens , Koricheva Julia , Scherer‐Lorenzen Michael , Morath Simon , Jactel Hervé
Published: April 2015

Tree diversity is an important driver of forest ecosystem functioning, hypothesised to enhance tree growth and resistance to herbivores. To test this, we assessed the relative importance of tree species richness and functional diversity on tree height growth and insect herbivore damage across three tree diversity experiments in Finland, France and Germany, established within the last fifteen years. These experiments encompass species richness gradients from monocultures up to five species mixtures, with compositions drawn from a pool of eleven tree species. Tree height growth and total insect herbivory were evaluated at both the tree species and forest plot scales.

Trees in mixtures tended to grow taller, but on average received more insect herbivory relative to monocultures. Gradients of tree species richness or functional diversity had only weak impact on the magnitude of these effects. Community weighted means of specific leaf area alone captured diversity effects on tree height growth, with stronger positive effects of diversity in mixtures with high community SLA. Tree species‐specific responses were highly variable. No species significantly benefited both in terms of increased growth and reduced herbivory when grown in mixtures. More species showed positive height growth responses in mixed assemblages, but only the two exotic conifers experienced associational resistance to herbivores.

This large‐scale study shows that tree height growth in young forest plantations tends to be higher in species mixtures than in monocultures, but incremental increases in functional diversity have, at best, weak marginal growth benefits. Moreover, there appear to be contrasting effects at forest plot versus individual species scales. Thus, while some species show lower herbivore damage in mixtures, this is not a consistent trend and contrasts the higher overall damage in mixtures observed at the forest plot scale. To improve both tree growth and resistance to herbivores in tree species mixtures seems therefore challenging.
Policy Transfer through Time and the Search for Legitimacy in Developing Nations
Authors: McCarthy‐Jones Anthea , Turner Mark
Published: April 2015

This article explores the relationship between policy transfer through time and the quest for political legitimacy in developing countries. It is concerned with instances where contemporary figures reach back a long way in history in the search for items that can be used to legitimate present or future political arrangements. The first part of the article broadly classifies the various ways in which time has been used, but acknowledges the relative neglect of the temporal dimension in policy transfer studies. However, in the process of the search for political legitimation in developing countries, there has been a regular use of policy transfer through time. This is explored in a detailed case study of President Hugo Chávez's Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela. From this case study, a four‐stage sequence of policy transfer through time is constructed.

Related Articles

Holbig, Heike, and
Bruce Gilley. 2010. “.” Politics & Policy 38 (): 395–422. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00241.x/abstract

Case, William. 2010. “.” Politics & Policy 38 (): 497–522. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00245.x/abstract

Kane, John,
Hui‐Chieh Loy, and
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Related Media

Bartley, Kim, and Donnacha Ó Briain. 2002 “.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id‐‐ZFtjR5c

. 2011. “.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ1DUkxy8Bk
Differential colonization patterns of Xylella fastidiosa infecting citrus genotypes
Authors: Niza B. , Coletta‐Filho H. D. , Merfa M. V. , Takita M. A. , de Souza A. A.
Published: April 2015

Xylella fastidiosa is a phytopathogenic bacterium that causes disease in many different crops worldwide. In Brazil, X. fastidiosa subsp. pauca causes citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC), which is a disease responsible for economic losses in the citrus agribusiness. Variable host responses to bacterial colonization and disease development have been observed. This work studies the colonization processes of a pathogenic GFP‐labelled X. fastidiosa citrus strain in sweet orange (susceptible) and tangor (resistant) parents and two resulting hybrids that exhibited contrasting responses to CVC. Xylella fastidiosa showed increased populations and movement in the susceptible genotypes, but slower compared to other hosts such as grapevine. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the predominant pitted stem morphology in citrus makes the bacterial movement difficult. In susceptible genotypes X. fastidiosa can move from the primary to the secondary xylem, whilst it is confined to the primary xylem in resistant plants. Associated with this is an induction of lignification that occurs earlier in the resistant genotypes when in the presence of the pathogen, and represents a genetic mechanism that leads to formation of a physical barrier, impairing bacterial colonization.
In search for the not‐invented‐here syndrome: the role of knowledge sources and firm success
Authors: Hussinger Katrin , Wastyn Annelies
Published: April 2015

The not‐invented‐here (NIH) syndrome refers to a negative attitude of employees against externally developed knowledge. We show that the sources of external knowledge and the success of the company that acquires knowledge externally are factors that impact the occurrence of the NIH syndrome. In line with social identity theory, we hypothesize that internal resistance is most likely to occur if knowledge is acquired from similar organizations. This hypothesis is supported by our empirical finding that internal resistance against external knowledge is more likely to occur when knowledge is acquired from competitors rather than from suppliers, customers, or universities. Further, we show that the NIH syndrome is more likely to arise within successful companies that acquire knowledge from competitors. This is in line with our hypothesis that firm success increases the extent to which employees identify themselves with their company, resulting in stronger in‐group favoritism and a superior tendency to reject externally generated knowledge.
Drinking resumption: problematic alcohol use relapse after rehabilitation. A phenomenological hermeneutical perspective
Authors: Kvamme Brita Odland , Asplund Kenneth , Bjerke Trond Nergaard
Published: April 2015

The majority of patients being treated for alcohol abuse disorders experience one or more relapses after treatment. The fact that people use this inebriant in a way leading to so much harm and suffering might seem a conundrum. Therapists, family and others might find the person's relapse to be dramatic and upsetting, and one might question whether the person has the sufficient will or motivation to change. However, few previous studies have explored relapse from the patient's perspective. The aim of this study was to illuminate the patient's lived experience of relapse and to develop a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. The study consisted of qualitative interviews using a phenomenological hermeneutical approach. Three main themes emerged from the analyses: ‘craving’, ‘self‐image’ and ‘time’. The findings were discussed in the context of phenomenological literature. Cravings could occur unpredictably; nevertheless, craving was a common experience for the patients and signified a risk of relapse. Bodily experiences of craving were frequently mentioned, and alcohol addiction could be understood as to be a disease or a learned habit. Self‐image was, at times, adversely affected by relapse episodes. Therefore, feelings of shame, self‐respect and recognition were significant concepts. This study found that the perception of time as past, present and future greatly influenced the participants' experiences of relapse and rehabilitation. Thus, relapse was an upsetting and dramatic experience that could cause great discomfort and sometimes life‐threatening situations. However, relapse could also be viewed as a planned event. This study highlights important truth and reality about alcoholism and relapse grounded in people's lived experience.
Understanding Psychopathy Using the Basic Elements of Personality
Authors: Miller Joshua D. , Lynam Donald R.
Published: April 2015

Psychopathy is a form of personality disorder characterized by arrogance, self‐absorption, callousness, exploitation, and impulsivity that is also strongly associated with antisocial behavior. The present paper argues that psychopathy can and should be understood as a configuration of personality traits from a general model of personality functioning – the five‐factor model (FFM). In this paper, we demonstrate that previous theoretical conceptualizations of psychopathy and current empirical ones converge on a general FFM profile characterized by very low scores on agreeableness and conscientiousness and mixed relations to aspects of neuroticism and extraversion. Further, we articulate the advantages to understanding psychopathy in this way. The FFM provides an assay of extant inventories, explains the factor structure of various inventories, accounts for the epidemiology of psychopathy, and makes sense of the litany of putative psychopathic deficits. Perhaps most importantly, the FFM provides a connection to basic research in personality.
Combining malaria control with house electrification: adherence to recommended behaviours for proper deployment of solar‐powered mosquito trapping systems, Rusinga Island, western Kenya
Authors: Oria Prisca A. , Alaii Jane , Ayugi Margaret , Takken Willem , Leeuwis Cees
Published: April 2015

Objective

To investigate community adherence to recommended behaviours for proper deployment of solar‐powered mosquito trapping systems (SMoTS) after 3‐ to 10‐week use.

Methods

Solar‐powered mosquito trapping system, which also provided power for room lighting and charging mobile phones, were installed in houses in Rusinga Island, western Kenya. We used a structured checklist for observations and a semi‐structured questionnaire for interviews in 24 homesteads. We also analysed the subject of 224 community calls to the project team for technical maintenance of SMoTS.

Results

Most respondents cared for SMoTS by fencing, emptying and cleaning the trap. Our observations revealed that most traps were fenced, clean and in good working condition. A significantly higher proportion of community calls was lighting‐related. Lighting was the main reason respondents liked SMoTS because it reduced or eliminated expenditure on kerosene. However, some respondents observed they no longer heard sounds of mosquitoes inside their houses. All respondents reportedly slept under insecticide‐treated nets (ITNs) before receiving SMoTS. After receiving SMoTS, most respondents reportedly continued to use ITNs citing that the project advised them to do so. Some beach residents stopped using ITNs because they no longer heard mosquitoes or due to heat discomfort caused by lights.

Conclusion

Electricity‐related incentives played a greater role in encouraging adherence to recommended behaviours for proper deployment of SMoTS than the potential health benefits in the early stages of the intervention. Although energy‐related financial incentives may play a role, they are insufficient to ensure adherence to health advice, even in the short term. Ongoing community engagement and research monitors and addresses adherence to recommended behaviours including continuation of current malaria control strategies.
Euler systems for modular forms over imaginary quadratic fields
Authors: Lei Antonio , Loeffler David , Zerbes Sarah Livia
Published: April 2015

We construct an Euler system attached to a weight 2 modular form twisted by a Grössencharacter of an imaginary quadratic field $K$, and apply this to bounding Selmer groups.
Near Field Development of Planar Wakes Under the Effect of Asymmetric Initial Conditions
Authors: Momayez Ladan , Dghim Marouen , Ferchichi Mohsen , Graveline Sylvain
Published: April 2015

This paper reports an experimental investigation on the response of a planar wake past a flat plate to various upstream flow conditions. A tripping wire was placed on the upper side of the flat plate downstream the leading edge which resulted in asymmetric boundary layers. The near wake asymmetry was compared to their symmetrical counterpart at two different Reynolds numbers. The near wake dynamics were investigated using hotwire anemometry and flow visualizations. Self-similarity of the asymmetrical wakes was established. Asymmetry seemed to have the largest effect on the convection velocity of the large structures in the asymmetric laminar-turbulent wake.
Stability Analysis of On-Board Friction Modifier Systems at the Wheel–Rail Interface
Authors: Sharma C. P. , Srikantha Phani A.
Published: April 2015

Friction control at the wheel–rail interface, using on-board solid stick friction modifier systems can lead to enhanced track life, reduced wear, and increased fuel economy in railroads. Frictional contact between the solid stick and the railway wheel itself can potentially cause vibrations within the modifier systems, influencing their stability and performance. A frequency domain linearized stability analysis of the state of steady sliding at the frictional contact between the solid stick and the wheel is performed. The proposed approach relies on individual frequency response functions (FRFs) of the wheel and the applicator–bracket subsystems of the on-board friction modifier. Stability characteristics of three representative bracket designs are qualitatively compared, using the FRFs generated by their respective finite element (FE) models. The FE models are validated by comparing the predicted natural frequencies with corresponding experimentally measured values on a full wheel test rig (FWTR) facility. The validated FE models are then used to compute stability maps which delineate stable and unstable regions of operation in the design parameter space, defined by train speed, angle of applicator, friction coefficient, and bracket design. Strong dependence of stability upon the bracket designs is observed. The methodology developed here can be used by design engineers to assess the effectiveness of design changes on the stability of the applicator–bracket assembly in a virtual environment—thus avoiding costly retrofitting and prototyping. Directions for further model refinement and testing are provided.
Correlation Analysis of Multiple Sensors for Industrial Gas Turbine Compressor Blade Health Monitoring
Authors: Kestner Brian , Lieuwen Tim , Hill Chris , Angello Leonard , Barron Josh , Perullo Christopher A.
Published: April 2015

This paper summarizes an analysis of data obtained from an instrumented compressor of an operational, heavy duty industrial gas turbine; the goal of the aforementioned analysis is to understand some of the fundamental drivers, which may lead to compressor blade vibration. Methodologies are needed to (1) understand the fundamental drivers of compressor blade vibration, (2) quantify the severity of “events,” which accelerate the likelihood of failure and reduce the remaining life of the blade, and (3) proactively detect when these issues are occurring so that the operator can take corrective action. The motivation for this analysis lies in understanding the correlations between different sensors, which may be used to measure the fundamental drivers and blade vibrations. In this study, a variety of dynamic data was acquired from an operating engine, including acoustic pressure, bearing vibration, tip timing, and traditional gas path measurements. The acoustic pressure sensors were installed on the first four compressor stages, while the tip timing was installed on the first stage only. These data show the presence of rotating stall instabilities in the front stages of the compressor, occurring during every startup and shutdown, and manifesting itself as increased amplitude oscillations in the dynamic pressure measurements, which are manifested in blade and bearing vibrations. The data that lead to these observations were acquired during several startup and shutdown events, and clearly show that the amplitude of these instabilities and the rpm at which they occur can vary substantially.
T cell therapy in mice and men
Authors: Stephan Matthias
Published: April 2015

Transgenic mice generate human T cell receptors that recognize cancer cells as foreign.
Metabolic sanctions against epilepsy
Authors: Schaefer Anne
Published: April 2015

Suppression of LDH in astrocytes provides a new therapeutic approach against epilepsy.
Influenza A Virus Protein PA-X Contributes to Viral Growth and Suppression of the Host Antiviral and Immune Responses
Authors: Hayashi Tsuyoshi , MacDonald Leslie A. , Takimoto Toru
Published: April 2015

Influenza virus infection causes global inhibition of host protein synthesis in infected cells. This host shutoff is thought to allow viruses to escape from the host antiviral response, which restricts virus replication and spread. Although the mechanism of host shutoff is unclear, a novel viral protein expressed by ribosomal frameshifting, PA-X, was found to play a major role in influenza virus-induced host shutoff. However, little is known about the impact of PA-X expression on currently circulating influenza A virus pathogenicity and the host antiviral response. In this study, we rescued a recombinant influenza A virus, A/California/04/09 (H1N1, Cal), containing mutations at the frameshift motif in the polymerase PA gene (Cal PA-XFS). Cal PA-XFS expressed significantly less PA-X than Cal wild type (WT). Cal WT, but not Cal PA-XFS, induced degradation of host β-actin mRNA and suppressed host protein synthesis, supporting the idea that PA-X induces host shutoff via mRNA decay. Moreover, Cal WT inhibited beta interferon (IFN-β) expression and replicated more rapidly than Cal PA-XFS in human respiratory cells. Mice infected with Cal PA-XFS had significantly lower levels of viral growth and greater expression of IFN-β mRNA in their lungs than mice infected with Cal WT. Importantly, more antihemagglutinin and neutralizing antibodies were produced in Cal PA-XFS-infected mice than in Cal WT-infected mice, despite the lower level of virus replication in the lungs. Our data indicate that PA-X of the pandemic H1N1 virus has a strong impact on viral growth and the host innate and acquired immune responses to influenza virus.

IMPORTANCEVirus-induced host protein shutoff is considered to be a major factor allowing viruses to evade innate and acquired immune recognition. We provide evidence that the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus protein PA-X plays a role in virus replication and inhibition of host antiviral response by means of its host protein synthesis shutoff activity bothin vitroandin vivo. We also demonstrated that, while the growth of Cal PA-XFS was attenuated in the lungs of infected animals, this mutant induced a stronger humoral response than Cal WT. Our findings clearly highlight the importance of PA-X in counteracting the host innate and acquired immune responses to influenza virus, an important global pathogen. This work demonstrates that inhibition of PA-X expression in influenza virus vaccine strains may provide a novel way of safely attenuating viral growth while inducing a more robust immune response.
Coupled Positive and Negative Feedbacks Produce Diverse Gene Expression Patterns in Colonies
Authors: Mitarai Namiko , Jensen Mogens Høgh , Semsey Szabolcs
Published: April 2015

Formation of patterns is a common feature in the development of multicellular organism as well as of microbial communities. To investigate the formation of gene expression patterns in colonies, we build a mathematical model of two-dimensional colony growth, where cells carry a coupled positive-and-negative-feedback circuit. We demonstrate that the model can produce sectored, target (concentric), uniform, and scattered expression patterns of regulators, depending on gene expression dynamics and nutrient diffusion. We reconstructed the same regulatory structure in
Escherichia coli
cells and found gene expression patterns on the surface of colonies similar to the ones produced by the computer simulations. By comparing computer simulations and experimental results, we observed that very simple rules of gene expression can yield a spectrum of well-defined patterns in a growing colony. Our results suggest that variations of the protein content among cells lead to a high level of heterogeneity in colonies.

IMPORTANCE
Formation of patterns is a common feature in the development of microbial communities. In this work, we show that a simple genetic circuit composed of a positive-feedback loop and a negative-feedback loop can produce diverse expression patterns in colonies. We obtained similar sets of gene expression patterns in the simulations and in the experiments. Because the combination of positive feedback and negative feedback is common in intracellular molecular networks, our results suggest that the protein content of cells is highly diversified in colonies.
Genetic Basis of Persister Tolerance to Aminoglycosides in Escherichia coli
Authors: Shan Yue , Lazinski David , Rowe Sarah , Camilli Andrew , Lewis Kim
Published: April 2015

Persisters are dormant variants that form a subpopulation of drug-tolerant cells largely responsible for the recalcitrance of chronic infections. However, our understanding of the genetic basis of antibiotic tolerance remains incomplete. In this study, we applied transposon sequencing (Tn-Seq) to systematically investigate the mechanism of aminoglycoside tolerance in
Escherichia coli
. We constructed a highly saturated transposon library that covered the majority of
E. coli
genes and promoter regions and exposed a stationary-phase culture to a lethal dose of gentamicin. Tn-Seq was performed to evaluate the survival of each mutant to gentamicin exposure. We found that the disruption of several distinct pathways affected gentamicin tolerance. We identified 105 disrupted gene/promoter regions with a more than 5-fold reduction in gentamicin tolerance and 37 genes with a more than 5-fold increased tolerance. Functional cluster analysis suggests that deficiency in motility and amino acid synthesis significantly diminished persisters tolerant to gentamicin, without changing the MIC. Amino acid auxotrophs, including serine, threonine, glutamine, and tryptophan auxotrophs, exhibit strongly decreased tolerance to gentamicin, which cannot be restored by supplying the corresponding amino acids to the culture. Interestingly, supplying these amino acids to wild-type
E. coli
sensitizes stationary-phase cells to gentamicin, possibly through the inhibition of amino acid synthesis. In addition, we found that the deletion of amino acid synthesis genes significantly increases gentamicin uptake in stationary phase, while the deletion of flagellar genes does not affect gentamicin uptake. We conclude that activation of motility and amino acid biosynthesis contributes to the formation of persisters tolerant to gentamicin.

IMPORTANCE
Persisters are responsible for the recalcitrance of chronic infections to antibiotics. The pathways of persister formation in
E. coli
are redundant, and our understanding of the mechanism of persister formation is incomplete. Using a highly saturated transposon insertion library, we systematically analyzed the contribution of different cellular processes to the formation of persisters tolerant to aminoglycosides. Unexpectedly, we found that activation of amino acid synthesis and motility strongly contributes to persister formation. The approach used in this study leads to an understanding of aminoglycoside tolerance and provides a general method to identify genes affecting persister formation.
Over 150 Years of Long-Term Fertilization Alters Spatial Scaling of Microbial Biodiversity
Authors: Liang Yuting , Wu Liyou , Clark Ian M. , Xue Kai , Yang Yunfeng , Van Nostrand Joy D. , Deng Ye , He Zhili , McGrath Steve , Storkey Jonathan , Hirsch Penny R. , Sun Bo , Zhou Jizhong
Published: April 2015

Spatial scaling is a critical issue in ecology, but how anthropogenic activities like fertilization affect spatial scaling is poorly understood, especially for microbial communities. Here, we determined the effects of long-term fertilization on the spatial scaling of microbial functional diversity and its relationships to plant diversity in the 150-year-old Park Grass Experiment, the oldest continuous grassland experiment in the world. Nested samples were taken from plots with contrasting inorganic fertilization regimes, and community DNAs were analyzed using the GeoChip-based functional gene array. The slopes of microbial gene-area relationships (GARs) and plant species-area relationships (SARs) were estimated in a plot receiving nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and a control plot without fertilization. Our results indicated that long-term inorganic fertilization significantly increased both microbial GARs and plant SARs. Microbial spatial turnover rates (i.e.,
z
 values) were less than 0.1 and were significantly higher in the fertilized plot (0.0583) than in the control plot (0.0449) (
P
< 0.0001). The
z
 values also varied significantly with different functional genes involved in carbon (C), N, P, and sulfur (S) cycling and with various phylogenetic groups (archaea, bacteria, and fungi). Similarly, the plant SARs increased significantly (
P
< 0.0001), from 0.225 in the control plot to 0.419 in the fertilized plot. Soil fertilization, plant diversity, and spatial distance had roughly equal contributions in shaping the microbial functional community structure, while soil geochemical variables contributed less. These results indicated that long-term agricultural practice could alter the spatial scaling of microbial biodiversity.

IMPORTANCE
Determining the spatial scaling of microbial biodiversity and its response to human activities is important but challenging in microbial ecology. Most studies to date are based on different sites that may not be truly comparable or on short-term perturbations, and hence, the results observed could represent transient responses. This study examined the spatial patterns of microbial communities in response to different fertilization regimes at the Rothamsted Research Experimental Station, which has become an invaluable resource for ecologists, environmentalists, and soil scientists. The current study is the first showing that long-term fertilization has dramatic impacts on the spatial scaling of microbial communities. By identifying the spatial patterns in response to long-term fertilization and their underlying mechanisms, this study makes fundamental contributions to predictive understanding of microbial biogeography.
Intrahost Dynamics of Antiviral Resistance in Influenza A Virus Reflect Complex Patterns of Segment Linkage, Reassortment, and Natural Selection
Authors: Rogers Matthew B. , Song Timothy , Sebra Robert , Greenbaum Benjamin D. , Hamelin Marie-Eve , Fitch Adam , Twaddle Alan , Cui Lijia , Holmes Edward C. , Boivin Guy , Ghedin Elodie
Published: April 2015

Resistance following antiviral therapy is commonly observed in human influenza viruses. Although this evolutionary process is initiated within individual hosts, little is known about the pattern, dynamics, and drivers of antiviral resistance at this scale, including the role played by reassortment. In addition, the short duration of human influenza virus infections limits the available time window in which to examine intrahost evolution. Using single-molecule sequencing, we mapped, in detail, the mutational spectrum of an H3N2 influenza A virus population sampled from an immunocompromised patient who shed virus over a 21-month period. In this unique natural experiment, we were able to document the complex dynamics underlying the evolution of antiviral resistance. Individual resistance mutations appeared weeks before they became dominant, evolved independently on cocirculating lineages, led to a genome-wide reduction in genetic diversity through a selective sweep, and were placed into new combinations by reassortment. Notably, despite frequent reassortment, phylogenetic analysis also provided evidence for specific patterns of segment linkage, with a strong association between the hemagglutinin (HA)- and matrix (M)-encoding segments that matches that previously observed at the epidemiological scale. In sum, we were able to reveal, for the first time, the complex interaction between multiple evolutionary processes as they occur within an individual host.

IMPORTANCEUnderstanding the evolutionary forces that shape the genetic diversity of influenza virus is crucial for predicting the emergence of drug-resistant strains but remains challenging because multiple processes occur concurrently. We characterized the evolution of antiviral resistance in a single persistent influenza virus infection, representing the first case in which reassortment and the complex patterns of drug resistance emergence and evolution have been determined within an individual host. Deep-sequence data from multiple time points revealed that the evolution of antiviral resistance reflects a combination of frequent mutation, natural selection, and a complex pattern of segment linkage and reassortment. In sum, these data show how immunocompromised hosts may help reveal the drivers of strain emergence.
The Transcription Factor FoxK Participates with Nup98 To Regulate Antiviral Gene Expression
Authors: Panda Debasis , Gold Beth , Tartell Michael A. , Rausch Keiko , Casas-Tinto Sergio , Cherry Sara
Published: April 2015

Upon infection, pathogen recognition leads to a rapidly activated gene expression program that induces antimicrobial effectors to clear the invader. We recently found that Nup98 regulates the expression of a subset of rapidly activated antiviral genes to restrict disparate RNA virus infections in
Drosophila
by promoting RNA polymerase occupancy at the promoters of these antiviral genes. How Nup98 specifically targets these loci was unclear; however, it is known that Nup98 participates with transcription factors to regulate developmental-gene activation. We reasoned that additional transcription factors may facilitate the Nup98-dependent expression of antiviral genes. In a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen, we identified a relatively understudied forkhead transcription factor, FoxK, as active against Sindbis virus (SINV) in
Drosophila
. Here we find that FoxK is active against the panel of viruses that are restricted by Nup98, including SINV and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Mechanistically, we show that FoxK coordinately regulates the Nup98-dependent expression of antiviral genes. Depletion of FoxK significantly reduces Nup98-dependent induction of antiviral genes and reduces the expression of a forkhead response element-containing luciferase reporter. Together, these data show that FoxK-mediated activation of gene expression is Nup98 dependent. We extended our studies to mammalian cells and found that the mammalian ortholog FOXK1 is antiviral against two disparate RNA viruses, SINV and VSV, in human cells. Interestingly, FOXK1 also plays a role in the expression of antiviral genes in mammals: depletion of FOXK1 attenuates virus-inducible interferon-stimulated response element (ISRE) reporter expression. Overall, our results demonstrate a novel role for FOXK1 in regulating the expression of antiviral genes, from insects to humans.

IMPORTANCE
Innate immunity is characterized by rapid gene expression programs, from insects to mammals. Furthermore, we find that Nup98, known for its roles in the nuclear pore, plays a noncanonical role in binding the promoters and poising a subset of loci for rapid antiviral gene induction. It was unclear how Nup98 accesses these specific genes, and we here demonstrate that Nup98 cooperates with the transcription factor FoxK to regulate this gene expression program. Depletion of FoxK specifically reduces the induction of Nup98-dependent genes. Further, we find that the antiviral function of FoxK is conserved, as the human ortholog FOXK1 is also antiviral and regulates gene expression from virus-induced promoters. Although other forkhead transcription factors have been implicated in immunity, a role for FoxK in antiviral defense was previously unappreciated. Our findings reveal a conserved and novel role for FoxK in coordinating with Nup98 to promote a robust and complex antiviral transcriptional response.
‘You don't know which bits to believe’: qualitative study exploring carers’ experiences of seeking information on the internet about childhood eczema
Authors: Santer Miriam , Muller Ingrid , Yardley Lucy , Burgess Hana , Ersser Steven J , Lewis-Jones Sue , Little Paul
Published: April 2015

Objective

We sought to explore parents and carers’ experiences of searching for information about childhood eczema on the internet.

Design

A qualitative interview study was carried out among carers of children aged 5 years or less with a recorded diagnosis of eczema. The main focus of the study was to explore carers’ beliefs and understandings around eczema and its treatment. As part of this, we explored experiences of formal and informal information seeking about childhood eczema. Transcripts of interviews were analysed thematically.

Setting

Participants were recruited from six general practices in South West England.

Participants

Interviews were carried out with 31 parents from 28 families.

Results

Experiences of searching for eczema information on the internet varied widely. A few interviewees were able to navigate through the internet and find the specific information they were looking for (for instance about treatments their child had been prescribed), but more found searching for eczema information online to be a bewildering experience. Some could find no information of relevance to them, whereas others found the volume of different information sources overwhelming. Some said that they were unsure how to evaluate online information or that they were wary of commercial interests behind some information sources. Interviewees said that they would welcome more signposting towards high quality information from their healthcare providers.

Conclusions

We found very mixed experiences of seeking eczema information on the internet; but many participants in this study found this to be frustrating and confusing. Healthcare professionals and healthcare systems have a role to play in helping people with long-term health conditions and their carers find reliable online information to support them with self-care.
Application of braiding sequences III: Concordance of positive knots
Authors: Stoimenow A.
Published: April 2015

Applying the concept of braiding sequences and the inequality between the signature and number of roots of the Alexander polynomial on the unit circle, we prove that only finitely many special alternating knots are (even algebraically) concordant, in that their concordance class determines their Alexander polynomial. We discuss some extensions of this result to positive and almost positive knots, and links.
The universe dominated by the extended Chaplygin gas
Authors: Kahya E. O. , Pourhassan B.
Published: April 2015

In this paper, we consider a universe dominated by the extended Chaplygin gas which was recently proposed as the last version of Chaplygin gas models. Here, we only consider the second-order term which recovers quadratic barotropic fluid equation of state. The density perturbations are analyzed in both relativistic and Newtonian regimes and show that the model is stable without any phase transition and critical point. We confirmed stability of the model using thermodynamics point of view.
A statistical analysis of the minimal SUSY B–L theory
Authors: Ovrut Burt A. , Purves Austin , Spinner Sogee
Published: April 2015

The structure of the B–L minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) theory — specifically, the relevant mass scales and soft supersymmetric breaking parameters — is discussed. The space of initial soft parameters is explored at the high scale using random statistical sampling subject to a constraint on the range of dimensionful parameters. For every chosen initial point, the complete set of renormalization group equations is solved. The low energy results are then constrained to be consistent with present experimental data. It is shown that a large set of initial conditions satisfy these constraints and lead to acceptable low energy particle physics. Each such initial point has explicit predictions, such as the exact physical sparticle spectrum which is presented for two such points. There are also statistical predictions for the masses of the sparticles and the LSP species which are displayed as histograms. Finally, the fine-tuning of the μ parameter — which is always equivalent to or smaller than in the MSSM — is discussed.
A Semi-Supervised Learning Algorithm for Data Classification
Authors: Kuo Cheng-Chien , Shieh Horng-Lin
Published: April 2015

In this study, a semi-supervised learning algorithm for data classification and defect type recognition system for a 25 kV cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) underground power cable joint is proposed. The proposed algorithm integrates the fuzzy-rough set and shared nearest neighbors (SNN) method for the assignment of labels to unlabeled data. As such, the data set is divided into two subsets: one is labeled and the other is unlabeled. The SNN is adopted for measuring the similarity between unlabeled data and labeled data subsets. Then, according to the levels of similarity, the fuzzy-rough set algorithm is adopted for assigning labels to the unlabeled data. A defect type recognition system XLPE cable classification problem is proposed in order to test the proposed algorithm. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, the proposed algorithm is applied to two well-known data sets. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can obtain outstanding levels of performance.
Age-Invariant Face Recognition Using Triangle Geometric Features
Authors: Osman Ali Amal Seralkhatem , Asirvadam Vijanth Sagayan , Malik Aamir Saeed , Eltoukhy Mohamed Meselhy , Aziz Azrina
Published: April 2015

Whilst facial recognition systems are vulnerable to different acquisition conditions, most notably lighting effects and pose variations, their particular level of sensitivity to facial aging effects is yet to be researched. The face recognition vendor test (FRVT) 2012's annual statement estimated deterioration in the performance of face recognition systems due to facial aging. There was about 5% degradation in the accuracies of the face recognition systems for each single year age difference between a test image and a probe image. Consequently, developing an age-invariant platform continues to be a significant requirement for building an effective facial recognition system. The main objective of this work is to address the challenge of facial aging which affects the performance of facial recognition systems. Accordingly, this work presents a geometrical model that is based on extracting a number of triangular facial features. The proposed model comprises a total of six triangular areas connecting and surrounding the main facial features (i.e. eyes, nose and mouth). Furthermore, a set of thirty mathematical relationships are developed and used for building a feature vector for each sample image. The areas and perimeters of the extracted triangular areas are calculated and used as inputs for the developed mathematical relationships. The performance of the system is evaluated over the publicly available face and gesture recognition research network (FG-NET) face aging database. The performance of the system is compared with that of some of the state-of-the-art face recognition methods and state-of-the-art age-invariant face recognition systems. Our proposed system yielded a good performance in term of classification accuracy of more than 94%.
X-RAY IRRADIATION AFFECTS MORPHOLOGY, PROLIFERATION AND MIGRATION RATE OF HEALTHY AND CANCER CELLS
Authors: PANZETTA VALERIA , DE MENNA MARTA , BUCCI DEBORA , GIOVANNINI VITTORIA , PUGLIESE MARIAGABRIELLA , QUARTO MARIA , FUSCO SABATO , NETTI PAOLO
Published: April 2015

Cytoskeleton plays a central role in many cellular processes, such as migration, adhesion and proliferation. Alterations of its structural properties are commonly associated with different diseases (malignancy, cardiac hypertrophy, etc.). In this work, we studied the effects of X-radiations on cytoskeleton architecture of two cell lines: BALBc/3T3 and Simian virus 40-transformed BALBc/3T3 (SVT2) cells. In agreement with the current literature, we observed reduced adhesion and increased motility of SVT2 cells respect to non-transformed BALBc/3T3. In addition, we showed that two different doses of X-rays (1 and 2 Gy) increased cell-dish adhesiveness and reduced cell proliferation and cell motility of transformed cells, whereas minor effects were measured on the normal counterpart. These results suggested that low doses or fractioning of X-rays may have a normalization effect on the investigated parameters for the transformed cell phenotype.
Metalloporphyrin/G-quadruplexes: From basic properties to practical applications
Authors: Golub Eyal , Lu Chun-Hua , Willner Itamar
Published: April 2015

Guanine-rich single-stranded nucleic acids self-assemble into G-quadruplex nanostructures (predominately in the presence of K+-ions). Metalloporphyrins bind to the G-quadruplex nanostructures to form supramolecular assemblies exhibiting unique catalytic, electrocatalytic and photophysical properties. This paper addresses the advances in the characterization and the implementation of the metalloporphyrin/G-quadruplexes complexes for various applications. Out of the different complexes, the most extensively studied complexes are the hemin/G-quadruplex horseradish peroxidase-mimicking DNAzyme and the Zn(II) -protoporphyrin IX-functionalized G-quadruplex. Specifically, the hemin/G-quadruplex was found to act as a catalyst for driving different chemical transformations that mimic the native horseradish peroxidase enzyme, and, also, to function as an electrocatalyst for the reduction of H2O2. Also, the hemin/G-quadruplex stimulates interesting photophysical and photocatalytic processes such as the electron-transfer quenching of semiconductor quantum dots or the chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer to semiconductor quantum dots. Alternatively, Zn(II) -protoporphyrin IX associated with G-quadruplexes exhibit intensified fluorescence properties. Beyond the straight forward application of the metalloporphyrin/G-quadruplexes as catalysts that stimulate different chemical transformations, the specific catalytic, electrocatalytic and photocatalytic functions of hemin/G-quadruplexes are heavily implemented to develop sophisticated colorimetric, electrochemical, and optical sensing platforms. Also, the unique fluorescence properties of Zn(II) -protoporphyrin IX-functionalized G-quadruplexes are applied to develop fluorescence sensing platforms. The article exemplifies different sensing assays for analyzing DNA, ligand-aptamer complexes and telomerase activity using the metalloporphyrins/G-quadruplexes as transducing labels. Also, the use of the hemin/G-quadruplex as a probe to follow the operations of DNA machines is discussed.