bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microscopic insights into the protein-stabilizing effect of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)
Authors: Ma Jianqiang , Pazos Ileana M. , Gai Feng
Published: May 2014

Significance

The ability of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) to counteract osmotic stress along with the deleterious effects of denaturants such as urea is fascinating and has inspired many studies. To further our understanding of how TMAO acts to stabilize folded proteins, we carry out an infrared experiment designed to probe the microscopic details of this action explicitly from the perspective of the solute molecule. Our results reveal that the protein-stabilizing effect of TMAO originates from two contributions: One is entropic and the other is enthalpic in nature. Thus, this study provides not only microscopic details underlying the stabilizing action of TMAO, but also a method that can be used to study the stability-perturbing effect of other cosolvents.
Certainty, uncertainty and unexpectedness in English and French
Authors: Celle Agnès , Lansari Laure
Published: May 2014

The present contrastive English-French case study examines interactions in which an unexpected factor triggers a verbal reaction of surprise, hence affecting a speaker’s level of certainty. We focus on why-would questions in English and their equivalents in French and analyse them from a pragmatic viewpoint. The dialogues under scrutiny, drawn from the American series Desperate Housewives, show that the epistemic stance of speakers engaged in verbal interaction is constantly negotiated and co-constructed as the exchange unfolds, and that the traditional binary opposition between certainty and uncertainty may not constitute an adequate theoretical model. A distinct epistemic stance is called for, i.e. modal remoteness. This stance does exist in both languages. And yet it does not relate to certainty and uncertainty in the same way in English and in French.
The epistemic side of retrospective utterances
Authors: Paul Christine
Published: May 2014

The paper further contributes to what Schegloff (2007) terms as “retro-sequences”. Different utterance formats such as utterances expansions by a second speaker, or questions regarding prior utterances, can be termed retrospective in a communicative sense. While previous research describes both utterance formats as syntactic and communicative opposites, this paper concentrates on their common ground, e.g. their common sequence organization. The paper demonstrates how interlocutors use the different utterance formats to display a degree of understanding with varying epistemic stance, and specifies the linguistic means for it.
Obama said it
Authors: Reber Elisabeth
Published: May 2014

Quoting constitutes a well documented evidential strategy across languages. This article examines an English collection of comments in online political discussion forums, which covers a wide spectrum of patterns with 1) overt stance-taking plus a direct quotation at one end and 2) implicit stance-taking without quotation at the other. The notions of deixis and accountability are used in order to explicate the evidential function of quotations in the practices of stance-taking observed: While pattern 1) achieves participants’ maximum accountability and entitlement to making their claims, pattern 2) is associated with minimum accountability and entitlement. The findings are discussed in light of knowledge management and epistemic authority.
Strategic uses of certainty and uncertainty in a political debate
Authors: Ionescu-Ruxandoiu Liliana
Published: May 2014

The paper analyses the contribution of modal forms expressing certainty and uncertainty to the construal of a politician’s ethos. Deontic modals are considered implicit evidentials. The theoretical and methodological background of the analysis is provided by pragmatics and discourse analysis, as discourse is the main place where ethos is construed. The illustrative data are selected from a TV debate which took place in the last presidential election campaign in Romania (2009). The confrontation involved Traian Bǎsescu (TB), the President in office, running for a second term, and Crin Antonescu (CA), the president of the National Liberal Party. The differences in their strategic use of certainty and uncertainty marks define two types of ethos for the audience: an ethos of power (TB) vs. an ethos of a man of character (CA).
Hyperoxia reverses glucotoxicity-induced inhibition of insulin secretion in rat INS-1 β cells
Authors: Matsunaga Tetsuro , Li Shiho , Adachi Tetsuya , Joo Erina , Gu Ning , Yamazaki Hanae , Yasuda Koichiro , Kondoh Takashi , Tsuda Kinsuke
Published: May 2014

Chronic hyperglycemia has deleterious effects on pancreatic β-cell function, a process known as glucotoxicity. This study examined whether chronic high glucose (CHG) induces cellular hypoxia in rat INS-1 β cells, and whether hyperoxia (35% O2) can reverse glucotoxicity-induced inhibition of insulin secretion. CHG (33.3 mm, 96 h) reduced insulin secretion, and down-regulated insulin and pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor 1 gene expression. CHG also increased intracellular pimonidazole-protein adducts, a marker for hypoxia. CHG also enhanced hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) protein expression and its DNA-binding activity, which was accompanied by a decrease in mRNA expression of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), glucokinase and uncoupling protein-2 and an increase in mRNA expression of GLUT1 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1. Hyperoxia restored the decrease in insulin secretion and the gene expression except for GLUT2, and suppressed intracellular hypoxia and HIF-1α activation. These results suggest that glucotoxicity may cause β-cell hypoxia. Hyperoxia might prevent glucotoxicity-induced β-cell dysfunction and improve insulin secretion.
Desmodianone H and uncinanone B, potential tyrosinase inhibitors obtained from Lespedeza maximowiczii by using bioactivity-guided isolation
Authors: Heo Do Yeon , Kim Young Mi , Lee Joongku , Park Sang-Hong , Kim Jinki , Park Hye Min , Lee Choong Hwan
Published: May 2014

A new bioactive compound, namely desmodianone H (1), and another known compound uncinanone B (2) were first isolated using bioactivity-guided isolation from the leaves of Lespedeza maximowiczii and structures were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of their nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry data. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited strong inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase activity.
Proteomic analysis ofPhyscomitrella patenstreated with 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid, an important oxylipin in plants
Authors: Toshima Erika , Nanjo Yohei , Komatsu Setsuko , Abe Tatsuya , Matsuura Hideyuki , Takahashi Kosaku
Published: May 2014

12-Oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) is biosynthesized in the octadecanoid pathway and is considered to be a signaling molecule in plants. In Physcomitrella patens, OPDA is induced by bacterial infection and mechanical stress and is known to suppress growth; however, the functional mechanism of OPDA signaling remains elusive. In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis of P. patens treated with OPDA and found that the expression of 82 proteins was significantly altered, with approximately 80% of these proteins being downregulated by OPDA. The identified proteins were mainly categorized as being involved in photosynthesis, metabolism, and protein synthesis, and most of the proteins that were upregulated by OPDA are involved in light-dependent reactions, suggesting that OPDA regulates a function in chloroplasts. Additionally, OPDA induced the expression of an allene oxide cyclase (PpAOC1) in the octadecanoid pathway, demonstrating positive feedback regulation by OPDA in P. patens.
Antioxidative activity, moisture retention, film formation, and viscosity stability of Auricularia fuscosuccinea, white strain water extract
Authors: Liao Wayne C , Hsueh Chiu-Yen , Chan Chin-Feng
Published: May 2014

This study showed that both water extracts (WAF-W) and ethanol extracts (EAF-W) of Auricularia fuscosuccinea (Montagne) Farlow, white strain (AF-W) demonstrated significantly stronger antioxidative effects than did commercially available Tremella fuciformis sporocarp extracts (WSK; with the exception of EAF-W in terms of superoxide radical scavenging activity levels). The moisture retention capacity of WAF-W is as potent as that of sodium hyaluronate (SHA), but less than that of WSK. No corrugation or fissures were observed in WAF-W film; only the SHA and WSK films demonstrated such effects in low-moisture conditions. The WAF-W solution also exhibited stable viscosity at high temperatures, indicating that the WAF-W film was more stable compared with the SHA and WSK films. WAF-W induced no adverse effects when a hen’s egg test was performed on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). This study demonstrated that WAF-W exhibits excellent potential as a topical material for skin moisturizing and anti-aging effects.
Cyanidin-3-glucoside suppresses Th2 cytokines and GATA-3 transcription factor in EL-4 T cells
Authors: Pyo Myoung Yun , Yoon Soo Jeong , Yu Yeonsil , Park Sunyoung , Jin Mirim
Published: May 2014

Allergic disease is dominated by Th2 immune responses. Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, representative Th2 cytokines, play pivotal roles in the pathogenic activation of the Th2 immune response. In this study, we found that cyanidin-3-glucoside chloride (C3G), an anthocyanin suppressed IL-4 and IL-13 produced in activated EL-4 T cells but not Th1 cytokines including IL-2, interferon-γ, or IL-12. IL-4 and IL-13 mRNA levels and luciferase activation in cells transiently transfected with IL-4 and IL-13 promoter reporter plasmids were significantly inhibited by C3G, suggesting that suppression might be, at least in part, regulated at the transcriptional level. Data from western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses of transcription factors involved in cytokine expression suggested that expression of GATA-3, but not T-bet, was downregulated in the nucleus by C3G. Taken together, our data indicate that C3G may has potential as an anti-allergic agent suppressing Th2 activation by downregulating Th2 cytokines and the GATA3 transcription factor in allergies.
Effects of laver extracts on adhesion, invasion, and migration in SK-Hep1 human hepatoma cancer cells
Authors: Do Thi Nhuan , Hwang Eun-Sun
Published: May 2014

The laver (Porphyra tenera), red seaweed, has been reported to have anticancer activity, but little is known about its molecular mechanisms of action. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of laver extract on cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in SK-Hep1 cells using migration and invasion assays. We also investigated the relationship of MMP-2/-9 and TIMP-1/-2 expression at both the protein and gene level in SK-Hep1 human hepatoma carcinoma cells after laver extract treatment. Laver extract inhibited cancer cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. In an invasion assay conducted in Transwell chambers, laver extract showed 19.6 and 27.2% inhibition of cancer cell at 200 and 400 μg/mL, respectively, compared to the control. The mRNA levels of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 were down-regulated by laver extract treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Laver extract, at 400 μg/mL, was inhibited by MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions by 70.1 and 77.0%, respectively. An inverse relationship in the mRNA contents of MMP-2/-9 and TIMP-1/-2 expressions in SK-Hep1 cells was found by laver extract treatment. Our results demonstrate antimetastatic properties of laver extract in inhibiting the adhesion, invasion, and migration of SK-Hep1 human hepatoma cancer cells.
Purification and characterization of a novel O-methyltransferase from Flammulina velutipes
Authors: Kirita Masanobu , Tanaka Yoshihisa , Tagashira Motoyuki , Kanda Tomomasa , Maeda-Yamamoto Mari
Published: May 2014

An enzyme catalyzing the methylation of phenolic hydroxyl groups in polyphenols was identified from mycelial cultures of edible mushrooms to synthesize O-methylated polyphenols. Enzyme activity was measured to assess whether methyl groups were introduced into (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) using SAM as a methyl donor, and (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl)-gallate (EGCG3″Me), (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(4-O-methyl)-gallate (EGCG4″Me), and (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(3,5-O-dimethyl)-gallate (EGCG3″,5″diMe) peaks were detected using crude enzyme preparations from mycelial cultures of Flammulina velutipes. The enzyme was purified using chromatographic and two-dimensional electrophoresis. The purified enzyme was subsequently analyzed on the basis of the partial amino acid sequence using LC–MS/MS. Partial amino acid sequencing identified the 17 and 12 amino acid sequences, VLEVGTLGGYSTTWLAR and TGGIIIVDNVVR. In database searches, these sequences showed high identity with O-methyltransferases from other mushroom species and completely matched 11 of 17 and 9 of 12 amino acids from five other mushroom O-methyltransferases.
Formation of long-chain N-vanillyl-acylamides from plant oils
Authors: Kobata Kenji , Takemura Ikue , Tago Gaku , Moriya Takayuki , Kubota Kaori , Nakatani Sachie , Wada Masahiro , Watanabe Tatsuo
Published: May 2014

Long-chain N-vanillyl-acylamides (LCNVAs) were generated from plant oils and vanillylamine (VA) by nucleophilic amidation without any catalytic reagents. The resulting LCNVAs varied according to the fatty acid composition of the plant oil used. Therefore, the LCNVAs contained in Capsicum oleoresins were products that were spontaneously generated from the oleoresin during storage.
High stability of apo-cytochrome c’ from thermophilic Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus
Authors: Fujii Sotaro , Masanari Misa , Yamanaka Masaru , Wakai Satoshi , Sambongi Yoshihiro
Published: May 2014

Apo-cytochomes c without heme are usually unstructured. Here we showed that apo-form of thermophilic Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus cytochrome c’ (PHCP) was a monomeric protein with high helix content. Apo-PHCP was thermally stable, possibly due to the hydrophobic residues and ion pairs. PHCP is the first example of a structured apo-cytochrome c’, which will expand our view of hemoprotein structure formation.
Re-feeding rats a high-sucrose diet after 3 days of starvation enhances histone H3 acetylation in transcribed region and expression of jejunal GLUT5 gene
Authors: Honma Kazue , Masuda Yuriko , Mochizuki Kazuki , Goda Toshinao
Published: May 2014

Fasting for 3 days leads to reduction in the expression of GLUT5 and SGLT1 genes in jejunum. Re-feeding a high-sucrose diet in fasted rats enhanced mRNA levels and histone H3 acetylation on transcribed region of GLUT5 gene within 24 h, but not in SGLT1. Responsiveness of jejunal GLUT5 gene is associated with changes in histone H3 acetylation on transcribed region.
Compartmentation and localization of bioactive metabolites in different organs of Allium roylei
Authors: Abdelrahman Mostafa , Hirata Sho , Ito Shin-ichi , Yamauchi Naoki , Shigyo Masayoshi
Published: May 2014

To investigate the involvement of Allium roylei metabolites in the plant’s defenses, a comprehensive analysis of the content of cysteine sulfoxides, flavonols, polyphenols, ascorbic acid, and saponins was carried out in the various organs of this species. Metabolomics high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), spectral-based analysis, and histochemcial studies have given important insight to the validity of saponins as a key component involved in plant protection. The root-basal stem, bulb, and leaf extracts exhibited 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity with inhibition concentration (IC50) ranging from 0.649 to 0.757 mg/mL. The antimicrobial properties of the saponin and flavonoid crude extracts were evaluated. The saponin extracts demonstrated significant antifungal activity depending on the applied concentration, and the growth inhibition rate of the tested fungal pathogens ranged from 1.07 to 47.76%. No appreciable antibacterial activity was recorded in the same sample.
An optimized extraction technique for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from the Camellia japonica seed cake by using response surface methodology
Authors: Kim Jae Kyeom , Kim Cho Rong , Lim Ho-Jeong , Nam Sang Hae , Joo Ok Soo , Shin Dong-Hoon , Shin Eui-Cheol
Published: May 2014

The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction conditions for the acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitory activity and extraction yield from Camellia japonica seed cake. Predicted values for AchE inhibition and extraction yield were 19.41 and 13.35%, respectively, which are in good agreement with the experimental values from validation, suggesting that RSM may provide a useful tool to optimization processes.
Purification and characterization of three β-glycosidases exhibiting high glucose tolerance from Aspergillus niger ASKU28
Authors: Thongpoo Preeyanuch , Srisomsap Chantragan , Chokchaichamnankit Daranee , Kitpreechavanich Vichien , Svasti Jisnuson , Kongsaeree Prachumporn T
Published: May 2014

Production and utilization of cellulosic ethanol has been limited, partly due to the difficulty in degradation of cellulosic feedstock. β-Glucosidases convert cellobiose to glucose in the final step of cellulose degradation, but they are inhibited by high concentrations of glucose. Thus, in this study, we have screened, isolated, and characterized three β-glycosidases exhibiting highly glucose-tolerant property from Aspergillus niger ASKU28, namely β-xylosidase (P1.1), β-glucosidase (P1.2), and glucan 1,3-β-glucosidase (P2). Results from kinetic analysis, inhibition study, and hydrolysis of oligosaccharide substrates supported the identification of these enzymes by both LC/MS/MS analysis and nucleotide sequences. Moreover, the highly efficient P1.2 performed better than the commercial β-glucosidase preparation in cellulose saccharification, suggesting its potential applications in the cellulosic ethanol industry. These results shed light on the nature of highly glucose-tolerant β-glucosidase activities in A. niger, whose kinetic properties and identities have not been completely determined in any prior investigations.
Cell motility and biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis are affected by the ribosomal proteins, S11 and S21
Authors: Takada Hiraku , Morita Masato , Shiwa Yuh , Sugimoto Ryoma , Suzuki Shota , Kawamura Fujio , Yoshikawa Hirofumi
Published: May 2014

Bacillus subtilis differentiates into various cellular states in response to environmental changes. It exists in two states during the exponential growth phase: motile cells and connected chains of sessile cells. Here, we identified new regulators of cell motility and chaining, the ribosomal proteins S21 (rpsU) and S11 (rpsK). Their mutants showed impaired cell motility (observed in a laboratory strain) and robust biofilm formation (observed in an undomesticated strain). The two major operons for biofilm formation, tapA-sipW-tasA and epsA-O, were strongly expressed in the rpsU mutant, whereas the flagellin-encoding hag gene and other SigD-dependent motility regulons were not. Genetic analysis revealed that the mutation of remA, the transcriptional activator of the eps operon, is epistatic to that of rpsU, whereas the mutation of antagonistic regulators of SinR is not. Our studies demonstrate that S11 and S21 participate in the regulation of bistability via the RemA/RemB pathway.
Intracellular retention of the extracellular domain of the (pro)renin receptor in mammalian cells
Authors: Suzuki-Nakagawa Chiharu , Nishimura Misa , Noda Masako , Iwata Hideyuki , Hattori Masaru , Ebihara Akio , Suzuki Fumiaki , Nakagawa Tsutomu
Published: May 2014

As a component of the renin-angiotensin system, the (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR] activates prorenin along with intracellular signaling pathways. In this study, the glutathione S-transferase-fused extracellular domain of (P)RR expressed in mammalian cells was recovered in the detergent phase in detergent-based two-phase separation experiments, and intracellular localization was observed by immunocytochemistry, suggesting retention inside the cell through stable membrane association.
Effect of amines as activators on the alcohol-oxidizing activity of pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase
Authors: Takeda Kouta , Ishida Takuya , Igarashi Kiyohiko , Samejima Masahiro , Nakamura Nobuhumi , Ohno Hiroyuki
Published: May 2014

Pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenases (PQQ-ADH) require ammonia or primary amines as activators in in vitro assays with artificial electron acceptors. We found that PQQ-ADH from Pseudomonas putida KT2440 (PpADH) was activated by various primary amines, di-methylamine, and tri-methylamine. The alcohol oxidation activity of PpADH was strongly enhanced and the affinity for substrates was also improved by pentylamine as an activator.
Metabolic stability and inhibitory effect of O-methylated theaflavins on H2O2-induced oxidative damage in human HepG2 cells
Authors: Tanaka Yoshihisa , Kirita Masanobu , Abe Yuko , Miyata Satoshi , Tagashira Motoyuki , Kanda Tomomasa , Maeda-Yamamoto Mari
Published: May 2014

Seven new O-methylated theaflavins (TFs) were synthesized by using O-methyltransferase from an edible mushroom. Using TFs and O-methylated TFs, metabolic stability in pooled human liver S9 fractions and inhibitory effect on H2O2-induced oxidative damage in human HepG2 cells were investigated. In O-methylation of theaflavin 3′-O-gallate (TF3′G), metabolic stability was potentiated by an increase in the number of introduced methyl groups. O-methylation of TF3,3′G did not affect metabolic stability, which was likely because of a remaining 3-O-galloyl group. The inhibitory effect on oxidative damage was assessed by measuring the viability of H2O2-damaged HepG2 cells treated with TFs and O-methylated TFs. TF3,3′G and O-methylated TFs increased cell viabilities significantly compared with DMSO, which was the compound vehicle (p < 0.05), and improved to approximately 100%. Only TF3′G did not significantly increase cell viability. It was suggested that the inhibitory effect on H2O2-induced oxidative damage was potentiated by O-methylation or O-galloylation of TFs.
On root posets for noncrystallographic root systems
Authors: Cuntz Michael , Stump Christian
Published: May 2014

We discuss properties of root posets for finite crystallographic root systems, and show that these properties uniquely determine root posets for the noncrystallographic dihedral types and type

H
3

H_3

, while proving that there does not exist a poset satisfying all of the properties in type

H
4

H_4

. We do this by exhaustive computer searches for posets having these properties. We further give a realization of the poset of type

H
3

H_3

as restricted roots of type

D
6

D_6

, and conjecture a Hilbert polynomial for the

q
,
t

q,t

-Catalan numbers for type

H
4

H_4

.
Elliptic fibrations on a generic Jacobian Kummer surface
Authors: Kumar Abhinav
Published: May 2014

We describe all the elliptic fibrations with section on the Kummer surface

X
X

of the Jacobian of a very general curve

C
C

of genus

2
2

over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0, modulo the automorphism group of

X
X

and the symmetric group on the Weierstrass points of

C
C

. In particular, we compute elliptic parameters and Weierstrass equations for the 25 different fibrations and analyze the reducible fibers and Mordell–Weil lattices. This answers completely a question posed by Kuwata and Shioda in 2008.
Interlacing of zeros of weakly holomorphic modular forms
Authors: Jenkins Paul , Pratt Kyle
Published: May 2014

We prove that the zeros of a family of extremal modular forms interlace, settling a question of Nozaki. Additionally, we show that the zeros of almost all forms in a basis for the space of weakly holomorphic modular forms of weight

k
k

for

S
L

2

(

Z

)

\mathrm {SL}_2(\mathbb {Z})

interlace on most of the lower boundary of the fundamental domain.
Distribution of the Soybean Cyst Nematode, Heterodera glycines, in the United States and Canada: 1954 to 2014
Authors: Tylka Gregory L. , Marett Christopher C.
Published: May 2014

The soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) is considered the most damaging pathogen of soybean in the USA and Canada, and causes considerable yield loss in many other soybean-producing countries. It is believed to have been introduced into North America from Asia. The map of the known distribution of H. glycines in the USA and Canada has been updated for 2014. Maps of its known distribution in past years illustrate the spread of the pathogen since its initial discovery in the United States in 1954.

Accepted for publication 20 April 2014. Published 27 May 2014.
Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi Detected on Horse Chestnut in Norway
Authors: Perminow Juliana Irina Spies , Brurberg May Bente , Sletten Arild , Talgø Venche
Published: May 2014

This is the first report of bleeding canker of horse chestnut in Norway. The pathogen Psa, which has most likely entered the country with latently infected imported trees, seems to thrive and spread well in Norway, especially in the mild and humid climate of Rogaland County. Due to the risk of Psa and the new fungal diseases, we no longer recommend horse chestnut for planting in Norway.

Accepted for publication 4 February 2014. Published 2 May 2014.
Correction Capability in the 3 Anatomic Planes of Different Pedicle Screw Designs in Scoliosis Instrumentation
Authors: Wang Xiaoyu , Aubin Carl-Eric , Coleman John , Rawlinson Jeremy
Published: May 2014

Study Design:

Computer simulations to compare the correction capabilities of different pedicle screws in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) instrumentations.

Objective:

To compare the correction and resulting bone-screw forces associated with different pedicle screws in scoliosis instrumentations.

Summary of Background Data:

Pedicle screw fixation is widely used in surgical instrumentation for spinal deformity treatment. Screw design, correction philosophies, and surgical techniques are constantly evolving to achieve better control of the vertebrae and correction of the spinal deformity. Yet, there remains a lack of biomechanical studies that quantify the effects and advantages of different screw designs in terms of correction kinematics.

Methods:

The correction capabilities of fixed-angle, multiaxial, uniaxial, and saddle axial screws were kinematically analyzed, simulated, and compared. These simulations were based on the screw patterns and correction techniques proposed by 2 experienced surgeons for 2 AIS cases. Additional instrumentations were assessed to compare the correction and resulting bone-screw forces associated with each type of screw.

Results:

The fixed-angle, uniaxial and saddle axial screws had similar kinematic behavior and performed better than multiaxial screws in the coronal and transverse planes (8% and 30% greater simulated corrections, respectively). Uniaxial and multiaxial screws were less effective than fixed-angle and saddle axial screws in transmitting compression/distraction to the anterior spine because of their sagittal plane mobility between the screw head and shank. Only the saddle axial screws allow vertebra angle in the sagittal plane to be independently adjusted.

Conclusions:

Pedicle screws of different designs performed differently for deformity corrections or for compensating screw placement variations in different anatomic planes. For a given AIS case, screw types should be determined based on the particular instrumentation objectives, the deformity’s stiffness and characteristics so as to make the best of the screw designs.
The oldest ionoscopiform from China sheds new light on the early evolution of halecomorph fishes
Authors: Xu Guang-Hui , Zhao Li-Jun , Coates Michael I.
Published: May 2014

The Halecomorphi are a major subdivision of the ray-finned fishes. Although living halecomorphs are represented solely by the freshwater bowfin,
Amia calva
, this clade has a rich fossil history, and the resolution of interrelationships among extinct members is central to the problem of understanding the origin of the Teleostei, the largest clade of extant vertebrates. The Ionoscopiformes are extinct marine halecomorphs that were inferred to have originated in the Late Jurassic of Europe, and subsequently dispersed to the Early Cretaceous of the New World. Here, we report the discovery of a new ionoscopiform,
Robustichthys luopingensis
gen. et sp. nov., based on eight well-preserved specimens from the Anisian (242–247 Ma), Middle Triassic marine deposits of Luoping, eastern Yunnan Province, China. The new species documents the oldest known ionoscopiform, extending the stratigraphic range of this group by approximately 90 Ma, and the geographical distribution of this group into the Middle Triassic of South China, a part of eastern Palaeotethys Ocean. These new data provide a minimum estimate for the split of Ionoscopiformes from its sister clade Amiiformes and shed new light on the origin of ionoscopiform fishes.
Eocene fossil is earliest evidence of flower-visiting by birds
Authors: Mayr Gerald , Wilde Volker
Published: May 2014

Birds are important pollinators, but the evolutionary history of ornithophily (bird pollination) is poorly known. Here, we report a skeleton of the avian taxon
Pumiliornis
from the middle Eocene of Messel in Germany with preserved stomach contents containing numerous pollen grains of an eudicotyledonous angiosperm. The skeletal morphology of
Pumiliornis
is in agreement with this bird having been a, presumably nectarivorous, flower-visitor. It represents the earliest and first direct fossil evidence of flower-visiting by birds and indicates a minimum age of 47 million years for the origin of bird–flower interactions. As
Pumiliornis
does not belong to any of the modern groups of flower-visiting birds, the origin of ornithophily in some angiosperm lineages may have predated that of their extant avian pollinators.
Higher aggression towards closer relatives by soldier larvae in a polyembryonic wasp
Authors: Dunn Johanna , Dunn Derek W. , Strand Michael R. , Hardy Ian C. W.
Published: May 2014

In the polyembryonic wasp
Copidosoma floridanum
, females commonly lay one male and one female egg in a lepidopteran host. Both sexes proliferate clonally within the growing host larva. Distinct larval castes develop from each wasp egg, the majority being ‘reproductives’ plus some ‘soldiers’ which sacrifice reproduction and attack competitors. Maturing mixed sex broods are usually female biased, as expected when intra-brood mating is common. Pre-mating dispersal followed by outbreeding is expected to increase sexual conflict over brood sex ratios and result in greater soldier attack rates. Owing to sexually asymmetric relatedness, intra-brood conflicts are expected to be resolved primarily via female soldier attack. We observed soldier behaviour
in vitro
to test whether lower intra-brood relatedness (siblings from either within-strain or between-strain crosses were presented) increased inter-sexual aggression by female as well as male soldiers. As found in prior studies, females were more aggressive than males but, contrary to expectations and previous empirical observations, soldiers of both sexes showed more aggression towards more closely related embryos. We speculate that lower intra-brood relatedness indicates maternal outbreeding and may suggest a rarity of mating opportunities for reproductives maturing from the current brood, which may enhance the value of opposite sex brood-mates, or that higher aggression towards relatives may be a side-effect of mechanisms to discriminate heterospecific competitors.
Patterns in melanocytic lesions: impact of the geometry on growth and transport inside the epidermis
Authors: Balois Thibaut , Chatelain Clément , Ben Amar Martine
Published: May 2014

In glabrous skin, nevi and melanomas exhibit pigmented stripes during clinical dermoscopic examination. They find their origin in the basal layer geometry which periodically exhibits ridges, alternatively large (limiting ridges) and thin (intermediate ridges). However, nevus and melanoma lesions differ by the localization of the pigmented stripes along furrows or ridges of the epidermis surface. Here, we propose a biomechanical model of avascular tumour growth which takes into account this specific geometry in the epidermis where both kinds of lesions first appear. Simulations show a periodic distribution of tumour cells inside the lesion, with a global contour stretched out along the ridges. In order to be as close as possible to clinical observations, we also consider the melanin transport by the keratinocytes. Our simulations show that reasonable assumptions on melanocytic cell repartition in the ridges favour the limiting ridges of the basal compared with the intermediate ones in agreement with nevus observations but not really with melanomas. It raises the question of cell aggregation and repartition of melanocytic cells in acral melanomas and requires further biological studies of these cells
in situ
.
Network-based vaccination improves prospects for disease control in wild chimpanzees
Authors: Rushmore Julie , Caillaud Damien , Hall Richard J. , Stumpf Rebecca M. , Meyers Lauren Ancel , Altizer Sonia
Published: May 2014

Many endangered wildlife populations are vulnerable to infectious diseases for which vaccines exist; yet, pragmatic considerations often preclude large-scale vaccination efforts. These barriers could be reduced by focusing on individuals with the highest contact rates. However, the question then becomes whether targeted vaccination is sufficient to prevent large outbreaks. To evaluate the efficacy of targeted wildlife vaccinations, we simulate pathogen transmission and control on monthly association networks informed by behavioural data from a wild chimpanzee community (KanyawaraN= 37, Kibale National Park, Uganda). Despite considerable variation across monthly networks, our simulations indicate that targeting the most connected individuals can prevent large outbreaks with up to 35% fewer vaccines than random vaccination. Transmission heterogeneities might be attributed to biological differences among individuals (e.g. sex, age, dominance and family size). Thus, we also evaluate the effectiveness of a trait-based vaccination strategy, as trait data are often easier to collect than interaction data. Our simulations indicate that a trait-based strategy can prevent large outbreaks with up to 18% fewer vaccines than random vaccination, demonstrating that individual traits can serve as effective estimates of connectivity. Overall, these results suggest that fine-scale behavioural data can help optimize pathogen control efforts for endangered wildlife.
Meniscus on a shaped fibre: singularities and hodograph formulation
Authors: Alimov Mars M. , Kornev Konstantin G.
Published: May 2014

Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, the problem of the capillary rise of a meniscus on the complex-shaped fibres was reduced to a nonlinear problem of determination of a minimal surface. This surface has to satisfy a special boundary condition at infinity. The proposed formulation allows one to interpret the meniscus problem as a problem of flow of a fictitious non-Newtonian fluid through a porous medium. As an example, the shape of a meniscus on a fibre of an oval cross section was analysed employing Chaplygin's hodograph transformation. It was discovered that the contact line may form singularities even if the fibre has a smooth profile: this statement was illustrated with an oval fibre profile having infinite curvature at two endpoints.
Social learning in cooperative dilemmas
Authors: Lamba Shakti
Published: May 2014

Helping is a cornerstone of social organization and commonplace in human societies. A major challenge for the evolutionary sciences is to explain how cooperation is maintained in large populations with high levels of migration, conditions under which cooperators can be exploited by selfish individuals. Cultural group selection models posit that such large-scale cooperation evolves via selection acting on populations among which behavioural variation is maintained by the cultural transmission of cooperative norms. These models assume that individuals acquire cooperative strategies via social learning. This assumption remains empirically untested. Here, I test this by investigating whether individuals employ conformist or payoff-biased learning in public goods games conducted in 14 villages of a forager–horticulturist society, the Pahari Korwa of India. Individuals did not show a clear tendency to conform or to be payoff-biased and are highly variable in their use of social learning. This variation is partly explained by both individual and village characteristics. The tendency to conform decreases and to be payoff-biased increases as the value of the modal contribution increases. These findings suggest that the use of social learning in cooperative dilemmas is contingent on individuals' circumstances and environments, and question the existence of stably transmitted cultural norms of cooperation.
Zebra finches are sensitive to prosodic features of human speech
Authors: Spierings Michelle J. , ten Cate Carel
Published: May 2014

Variation in pitch, amplitude and rhythm adds crucial paralinguistic information to human speech. Such prosodic cues can reveal information about the meaning or emphasis of a sentence or the emotional state of the speaker. To examine the hypothesis that sensitivity to prosodic cues is language independent and not human specific, we tested prosody perception in a controlled experiment with zebra finches. Using a go/no-go procedure, subjects were trained to discriminate between speech syllables arranged in XYXY patterns with prosodic stress on the first syllable and XXYY patterns with prosodic stress on the final syllable. To systematically determine the salience of the various prosodic cues (pitch, duration and amplitude) to the zebra finches, they were subjected to five tests with different combinations of these cues. The zebra finches generalized the prosodic pattern to sequences that consisted of new syllables and used prosodic features over structural ones to discriminate between stimuli. This strong sensitivity to the prosodic pattern was maintained when only a single prosodic cue was available. The change in pitch was treated as more salient than changes in the other prosodic features. These results show that zebra finches are sensitive to the same prosodic cues known to affect human speech perception.
The effect of epistasis on sexually antagonistic genetic variation
Authors: Arnqvist Göran , Vellnow Nikolas , Rowe Locke
Published: May 2014

There is increasing evidence of segregating sexually antagonistic (SA) genetic variation for fitness in laboratory and wild populations, yet the conditions for the maintenance of such variation can be restrictive. Epistatic interactions between genes can contribute to the maintenance of genetic variance in fitness and we suggest that epistasis between SA genes should be pervasive. Here, we explore its effect on SA genetic variation in fitness using a two locus model with negative epistasis. Our results demonstrate that epistasis often increases the parameter space showing polymorphism for SA loci. This is because selection in one locus is affected by allele frequencies at the other, which can act to balance net selection in males and females. Increased linkage between SA loci had more marginal effects. We also show that under some conditions, large portions of the parameter space evolve to a state where male benefit alleles are fixed at one locus and female benefit alleles at the other. This novel effect of epistasis on SA loci, which we term the ‘equity effect’, may have important effects on population differentiation and may contribute to speciation. More generally, these results support the suggestion that epistasis contributes to population divergence.
Macroecological and macroevolutionary patterns of leaf herbivory across vascular plants
Authors: Turcotte Martin M. , Davies T. Jonathan , Thomsen Christina J. M. , Johnson Marc T. J.
Published: May 2014

The consumption of plants by animals underlies important evolutionary and ecological processes in nature. Arthropod herbivory evolved approximately 415 Ma and the ensuing coevolution between plants and herbivores is credited with generating much of the macroscopic diversity on the Earth. In contemporary ecosystems, herbivory provides the major conduit of energy from primary producers to consumers. Here, we show that when averaged across all major lineages of vascular plants, herbivores consume 5.3% of the leaf tissue produced annually by plants, whereas previous estimates are up to 3.8× higher. This result suggests that for many plant species, leaf herbivory may play a smaller role in energy and nutrient flow than currently thought. Comparative analyses of a diverse global sample of 1058 species across 2085 populations reveal that models of stabilizing selection best describe rates of leaf consumption, and that rates vary substantially within and among major plant lineages. A key determinant of this variation is plant growth form, where woody plant species experience 64% higher leaf herbivory than non-woody plants. Higher leaf herbivory in woody species supports a key prediction of the plant apparency theory. Our study provides insight into how a long history of coevolution has shaped the ecological and evolutionary relationships between plants and herbivores.
Transitions in social complexity along elevational gradients reveal a combined impact of season length and development time on social evolution
Authors: Kocher Sarah D. , Pellissier Loïc , Veller Carl , Purcell Jessica , Nowak Martin A. , Chapuisat Michel , Pierce Naomi E.
Published: May 2014

Eusociality is taxonomically rare, yet associated with great ecological success. Surprisingly, studies of environmental conditions favouring eusociality are often contradictory. Harsh conditions associated with increasing altitude and latitude seem to favour increased sociality in bumblebees and ants, but the reverse pattern is found in halictid bees and polistine wasps. Here, we compare the life histories and distributions of populations of 176 species of Hymenoptera from the Swiss Alps. We show that differences in altitudinal distributions and development times among social forms can explain these contrasting patterns: highly social taxa develop more quickly than intermediate social taxa, and are thus able to complete the reproductive cycle in shorter seasons at higher elevations. This dual impact of altitude and development time on sociality illustrates that ecological constraints can elicit dynamic shifts in behaviour, and helps explain the complex distribution of sociality across ecological gradients.
A desert ant's memory of recent visual experience and the control of route guidance
Authors: Collett Matthew
Published: May 2014

Insects such as desert ants learn stereotyped visual routes between their nests and reliable food sites. Studies here reveal an important control element for ensuring that the route memories are used appropriately. They find that visual route memories can be disengaged, so that they do not provide guidance, even when all appropriate visual cues are present and when there are no competing guidance cues. Ants were trained along a simple route dominated by a single isolated landmark. If returning ants were caught just before entering the nest and replaced at the feeder, then they often interrupted the recapitulation of their homeward route with a period of apparent confusion during which the route memories were ignored. A series of experiments showed that this confusion occurred in response to the repetition of the route, and that the ants must therefore maintain some kind of a memory of their visual experience on the current trip home. A conceptual model of route guidance is offered to explain the results here. It proposes how the memory might act and suggests a general role for disengagement in regulating route guidance.
Genetic mapping of the rice resistance-breaking gene of the brown planthopper
Nilaparvata lugens
Authors: Kobayashi Tetsuya , Yamamoto Kimiko , Suetsugu Yoshitaka , Kuwazaki Seigo , Hattori Makoto , Jairin Jirapong , Sanada-Morimura Sachiyo , Matsumura Masaya
Published: May 2014

Host plant resistance has been widely used for controlling the major rice pest brown planthopper (BPH,
Nilaparvata lugens
). However, adaptation of the wild BPH population to resistance limits the effective use of resistant rice varieties. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was conducted to identify resistance-breaking genes against the anti-feeding mechanism mediated by the rice resistance gene
Bph1
. QTL analysis in iso-female BPH lines with single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers detected a single region on the 10th linkage group responsible for the virulence. The QTL explained from 57 to 84% of the total phenotypic variation. Bulked segregant analysis with next-generation sequencing in F
2
progenies identified five SNPs genetically linked to the virulence. These analyses showed that virulence to
Bph1
was controlled by a single recessive gene. In contrast to previous studies, the gene-for-gene relationship between the major resistance gene
Bph1
and virulence gene of BPH was confirmed. Identified markers are available for map-based cloning of the major gene controlling BPH virulence to rice resistance.
Fairy wrasses perceive and respond to their deep red fluorescent coloration
Authors: Gerlach Tobias , Sprenger Dennis , Michiels Nico K.
Published: May 2014

Fluorescence enables the display of wavelengths that are absent in the natural environment, offering the potential to generate conspicuous colour contrasts. The marine fairy wrasse
Cirrhilabrus solorensis
displays prominent fluorescence in the deep red range (650–700 nm). This is remarkable because marine fishes are generally assumed to have poor sensitivity in this part of the visual spectrum. Here, we investigated whether
C. solorensis
males can perceive the fluorescence featured in this species by testing whether the presence or absence of red fluorescence affects male–male interactions under exclusive blue illumination. Given that males respond aggressively towards mirror-image stimuli, we quantified agonistic behaviour against mirrors covered with filters that did or did not absorb long (i.e. red) wavelengths. Males showed significantly fewer agonistic responses when their fluorescent signal was masked, independent of brightness differences. Our results unequivocally show that
C. solorensis
can see its deep red fluorescent coloration and that this pattern affects male–male interactions. This is the first study to demonstrate that deep red fluorescent body coloration can be perceived and has behavioural significance in a reef fish.
Granulicella cerasi sp. nov., an acidophilic bacterium isolated from cherry bark
Authors: Yamada Kazune , Okuno Yusuke , Meng Xian-Ying , Tamaki Hideyuki , Kamagata Yoichi , Hanada Satoshi
Published: May 2014

A novel acidobacterial strain, Sakura1T, was isolated from pieces of cherry bark. Cells of strain Sakura1Twere non-motile, rod-shaped and stained Gram-negative. This strictly aerobic isolate was mesophilic but was able to grow at temperatures as low as 10 °C. Colonies were pink due to production of carotenoids, and its pigmentation was more pronounced in cells grown at lower temperature. This strain had endoglucanase activity. The main respiratory quinone was menaquinone-8, and major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 1ω7cand C16 : 0. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strain was closely related to species of the genusGranulicellain subdivision 1 of the phylumAcidobacteria. The closest relative wasGranulicella paludicolaOB1010T(97.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). While common characteristics were found among the isolate and species of the genusGranulicella,there were obvious differences between them such as their cell morphology, cellulolytic activity, and tolerance to low temperature and NaCl concentration. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic findings, a novel species is proposed in the genusGranulicellawith the nameGranulicella cerasisp. nov. The type strain is Sakura1T( = NBRC 107139T = DSM 23641T).