bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multi‐residue method for 17 anticoccidial drugs and ractopamine in animal tissues by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Matus Johanna L. , Boison Joe O.
Published: July 2016

A new and sensitive multi‐residue liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) and liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight‐mass spectrometry (LC‐QToF‐MS) method was developed and validated for the determination and confirmation of residues of 17 anticoccidials, plus free ractopamine in poultry muscle and liver, and bovine muscle, liver, and kidney tissues. The 17 anticoccidials are lasalocid, halofuginone, narasin, monensin, semduramicin, ethopabate, robenidine, buquinolate, toltrazuril as its sulfone metabolite, maduramicin, salinomycin, diclazuril, amprolium, decoquinate, dinitolmide, clopidol, and the nicarbazin metabolite DNC (N,N1‐bis(4‐nitrophenyl)urea). The analytes were extracted and cleaned up within a 3‐hour period by simply extracting the analytes into a solvent mixture with salts followed by centrifugation, dilution, and filtration. The validated method was used in a pilot study for the analysis of 173 samples that included quail liver, bovine kidney, liver, muscle, and horse muscle. The predominant residues found in this study were monensin, ractopamine, and lasalocid. The results of this pilot study showed that this new method is applicable to real samples, and is fit for use in a regulatory testing programme. © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Drug Testing and Analysis. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genetic diversity and evolutionary history of the Schizothorax species complex in the Lancang River (upper Mekong)
Authors: Chen Weitao , Shen Yanjun , Gan Xiaoni , Wang Xuzhen , He Shunping
Published: July 2016

The genus Schizothorax (Cyprinidae), one of the most diverse genera of ichthyofauna of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP), is a good candidate for investigating patterns of genetic variation and evolutionary mechanisms. In this study, sequences from the mitochondrial control region, the cytochrome b gene, and two nuclear genes were used to re‐examine the genetic diversity and investigate the evolutionary history of the Schizothorax species complex inhabiting the Lancang River. Three maternal clades were detected in the Schizothorax species complex, but frequent nuclear allele sharing also occurred among the three maternal clades. A discrepancy between topologies of mitochondrial and nuclear loci might result from introgression or/and incomplete lineage sorting. The divergence of the clades of the Schizothorax species complex was closely related to the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene orogenesis of the QTP and Southwest Mountains of China. Demographic analyses indicated that the species complex subsequently persisted in situ with stable populations during Pleistocene glacial cycling, which suggested that Pleistocene climate changes did not exert a remarkable influence on the species complex. Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of the Schizothorax species complex in the Lancang River.
Positive and negative effects of mesograzers on early‐colonizing species in an intertidal rocky‐shore community
Authors: Tejada‐Martinez Daniela , López Daniela N. , Bonta César C. , Sepúlveda Roger D. , Valdivia Nelson
Published: July 2016

The ecological consequences of human‐driven overexploitation and loss of keystone consumers are still unclear. In intertidal rocky shores over the world, the decrease of keystone macrograzers has resulted in an increase in the dominance of herbivores with smaller body (i.e., “mesograzers”), which could potentially alter community assembly and structure. Here, we experimentally tested whether mesograzers affect the structure of rocky intertidal communities during the period of early colonization after the occurrence of a disturbance. A manipulative field experiment was conducted to exclude mesograzers (i.e., juvenile chitons, small snails, amphipods, and juvenile limpets) from experimental areas in an ecosystem characterized by the overexploitation of keystone macrograzers and predators. The results of multivariate analyses suggest that mesograzers had significant effects on intertidal community structure through negative and positive effects on species abundances. Mesograzers had negative effects on filamentous algae, but positive effects on opportunistic foliose algae and barnacles. Probably, mesograzers indirectly favored the colonization of barnacles and foliose algae by removing preemptive competitors, as previously shown for other meso‐ and macrograzer species. These results strongly support the idea that small herbivores exert a firm controlling effect on the assembly process of natural communities. Therefore, changes in functional roles of top‐down controllers might have significant implications for the structure of intertidal communities.
Seed preferences by rodents in the agri‐environment and implications for biological weed control
Authors: Fischer Christina , Türke Manfred
Published: July 2016

Post‐dispersal seed predation and endozoochorous seed dispersal are two antagonistic processes in relation to plant recruitment, but rely on similar preconditions such as feeding behavior of seed consumers and seed traits. In agricultural landscapes, rodents are considered important seed predators, thereby potentially providing regulating ecosystem services in terms of biological weed control. However, their potential to disperse seeds endozoochorously is largely unknown. We exposed seeds of arable plant species with different seed traits (seed weight, nutrient content) and different Red List status in an experimental rye field and assessed seed removal by rodents. In a complementary laboratory experiment, consumption rates, feeding preferences, and potential endozoochory by two vole species (Microtus arvalis and Myodes glareolus) were tested. Seed consumption by rodents after 24 h was 35% in the field and 90% in the laboratory. Both vole species preferred nutrient‐rich over nutrient‐poor seeds and M. glareolus further preferred light over heavy seeds and seeds of common over those of endangered plants. Endozoochory by voles could be neglected for all tested plant species as no seeds germinated, and only few intact seeds could be retrieved from feces. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that voles can provide regulating services in agricultural landscapes by depleting the seed shadow of weeds, rather than facilitating plant recruitment by endozoochory. In the laboratory, endangered arable plants were less preferred by voles than noxious weeds, and thus, our results provide implications for seed choice in restoration approaches. However, other factors such as seed and predator densities need to be taken into account to reliably predict the impact of rodents on the seed fate of arable plants.
Mitonuclear coevolution as the genesis of speciation and the mitochondrial DNA barcode gap
Authors: Hill Geoffrey E.
Published: July 2016

Mitochondrial genes are widely used in taxonomy and systematics because high mutation rates lead to rapid sequence divergence and because such changes have long been assumed to be neutral with respect to function. In particular, the nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 has been established as a highly effective DNA barcode for diagnosing the species boundaries of animals. Rarely considered in discussions of mitochondrial evolution in the context of systematics, speciation, or DNA barcodes, however, is the genomic architecture of the eukaryotes: Mitochondrial and nuclear genes must function in tight coordination to produce the complexes of the electron transport chain and enable cellular respiration. Coadaptation of these interacting gene products is essential for organism function. I extend the hypothesis that mitonuclear interactions are integral to the process of speciation. To maintain mitonuclear coadaptation, nuclear genes, which code for proteins in mitochondria that cofunction with the products of mitochondrial genes, must coevolve with rapidly changing mitochondrial genes. Mitonuclear coevolution in isolated populations leads to speciation because population‐specific mitonuclear coadaptations create between‐population mitonuclear incompatibilities and hence barriers to gene flow between populations. In addition, selection for adaptive divergence of products of mitochondrial genes, particularly in response to climate or altitude, can lead to rapid fixation of novel mitochondrial genotypes between populations and consequently to disruption in gene flow between populations as the initiating step in animal speciation. By this model, the defining characteristic of a metazoan species is a coadapted mitonuclear genotype that is incompatible with the coadapted mitochondrial and nuclear genotype of any other population.
On the dual nature of lichen‐induced rock surface weathering in contrasting micro‐environments
Authors: Marques Joana , Gonçalves João , Oliveira Cláudia , Favero‐Longo Sergio E. , Paz‐Bermúdez Graciela , Almeida Rubim , Prieto Beatriz
Published: July 2016

Contradictory evidence from biogeomorphological studies has increased the debate on the extent of lichen contribution to differential rock surface weathering in both natural and cultural settings. This study, undertaken in Côa Valley Archaeological Park, aimed at evaluating the effect of rock surface orientation on the weathering ability of dominant lichens. Hyphal penetration and oxalate formation at the lichen‐rock interface were evaluated as proxies of physical and chemical weathering, respectively. A new protocol of pixel‐based supervised image classification for the analysis of periodic acid‐Schiff stained cross‐sections of colonized schist revealed that hyphal spread of individual species was not influenced by surface orientation. However, hyphal spread was significantly higher in species dominant on northwest facing surfaces. An apparently opposite effect was noticed in terms of calcium oxalate accumulation at the lichen‐rock interface; it was detected by Raman spectroscopy and complementary X‐ray microdiffraction on southeast facing surfaces only. These results suggest that lichen‐induced physical weathering may be most severe on northwest facing surfaces by means of an indirect effect of surface orientation on species abundance, and thus dependent on the species, whereas lichen‐induced chemical weathering is apparently higher on southeast facing surfaces and dependent on micro‐environmental conditions, giving only weak support to the hypothesis that lichens are responsible for the currently observed pattern of rock‐art distribution in Côa Valley. Assumptions about the drivers of open‐air rock‐art distribution patterns elsewhere should also consider the micro‐environmental controls of lichen‐induced weathering, to avoid biased measures of lichen contribution to rock‐art deterioration.
DC Fault Clearing Characteristics of a Bulk Power VSC HVDC Transmission System using DC Circuit Breakers
Authors: KIMURA RYOTA , YOKOYAMA AKIHIKO , SANO KENICHIRO
Published: July 2016

Development of wind power generation resources is considered in Japan. However, long‐distance transmission lines are necessary to utilize the wind power because most of the wind power resources are distant from load centers. A voltage source converter based high voltage dc transmission (VSC HVDC) system is an option to realize their effective use. A VSC HVDC system equipped with dc circuit breakers has been considered to clear the dc line faults promptly. However, the fault clearing characteristics by the dc circuit breakers have not been analyzed very well for the system with the long distance overhead transmission line. This paper focuses on a fault clearing in the VSC HVDC system with long‐distance overhead line by the dc circuit breaker using a new fault detection method. A 2.4‐GW bipolar VSC HVDC system with 600‐km overhead transmission line is modeled and its operation performance is verified by computer simulations. The simulation results demonstrate the detailed fault clearing characteristics with the long transmission line. Moreover, specifications required for the dc circuit breakers are considered in terms of operation delay, peak current, and absorbed energy.
An Equalization Time Reduction Method Using a Pseudo‐Random Number Sequence for a Cell Voltage Equalization Circuit with an LC Series Circuit
Authors: SATOU DAIKI , HOSHI NOBUKAZU
Published: July 2016

When the cells of energy storage devices such as electric double‐layer capacitors are connected in series, it results in voltage imbalance in each cell because of the nonuniform properties of the individual cells. In a previous research, the authors proposed a novel cell voltage equalization circuit using an LC series circuit, and they examined the effectiveness of this circuit. However, the characteristics of the cell voltage equalization operation depend on each cell voltage difference. Therefore, the proposed circuit has a disadvantage that the equalization time tends to be longer than other cell voltage equalization circuits with a boosting circuit. This paper proposes an equalization time reduction method that uses a pseudo‐random number sequence generated by the linear congruential generators. The proposed method can reduce the average equalization time without adding any other active or passive elements. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through the experimental results. According to the experimental results, the proposed equalization time reduction method reduces the equalization time to 86.5% of the conventional method.
Variable Magnetization Machine in Electrified Vehicle Application
Authors: FUKUSHIGE TAKASHI , KATO TAKASHI , AKATSU KAN , LORENZ ROBERT D.
Published: July 2016

This paper describes variable magnetization machines, which are capable of varying the magnetization state (MS) of permanent magnets during operation. A pulse current on the stator windings creates a magnetic field on the rotor; this can be used to manipulate the MS of the rotor magnets. Regulating the MS according to the machine operating condition can reduce machine losses. A proof‐of‐principle machine was designed and fabricated. A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the torque–speed envelope and efficiency contours of the fabricated machine. A full‐scale machine was then designed with a modified magnetic circuit for application to an electric vehicle and evaluated using finite element analysis. A control strategy for the MS during machine operation is proposed, and the losses during a driving cycle with the strategy were evaluated.
One‐Pot Hydrothermal Synthesis of Visible‐Light‐Responsive MoS2/g‐CNO Heterostructures for Organic‐Pollutant Degradation
Authors: Joy Mega , Nair Balagopal N. , Mohamed Abdul Azeez Peer , Warrier Krishna Gopakumar , Hareesh Unnikrishnan Nair S.
Published: July 2016

MoS2/g‐CNO (g‐CNO = oxidized graphitic carbon nitride) heterostructures were synthesized by a one‐step low‐temperature hydrothermal route. The hydrolysis and oxidation reactions during the hydrothermal synthesis provide a fivefold increase in the surface area of the carbon nitride matrix. The heterostructure formation between MoS2 and the g‐CNO matrix induced reduced recombination effects, and 1 wt.‐% MoS2/g‐CNO composites showed the highest photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of organic pollutants under visible‐light irradiation. Moreover, owing to the presence of groups with negative inductive effects in g‐CNO and g‐CNO‐based composites, the photocatalytic activities were higher than that of bare g‐C3N4. Recyclability studies on the synthesized catalysts indicated no loss of efficiency after four cycles. Thus, these MoS2/g‐CNO heterostructures are promising photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants.
Sulfur versus Dioxygen: Dinuclear (Trisulfido)copper Complexes
Authors: Wern Miriam , Hoppe Tobias , Becker Jonathan , Zahn Stefan , Mollenhauer Doreen , Schindler Siegfried
Published: July 2016

Invited for the cover of this issue are the groups of Siegfried Schindler and Doreen Mollenhauer from the Justus‐Liebig University Gießen, Germany. The cover image shows the reaction of a copper(I) complex with elemental sulfur.
A single step protein assay that is both detergent and reducer compatible: The cydex blue assay
Authors: Rabilloud Thierry
Published: July 2016

Determination of protein concentration is often an absolute prerequisite in preparing samples for biochemical and proteomic analyses. However, current protein assay methods are not compatible with both reducers and detergents, which are however present simultaneously in most denaturing extraction buffers used in proteomics and electrophoresis, and in particular in SDS electrophoresis. It was found that inclusion of cyclodextrins in a Coomassie blue‐based assay made it compatible with detergents, as cyclodextrins complex detergents in a 1:1 molecular ratio. As this type of assay is intrinsically resistant to reducers, a single‐step assay that is both detergent and reducer compatible was developed. Depending on the type and concentration of detergents present in the sample buffer, either beta‐cyclodextrin or alpha‐cyclodextrin can be used, the former being able to complex a wider range of detergents and the latter being able to complex higher amounts of detergents due to its greater solubility in water. Cyclodextrins are used at final concentrations of 2–10 mg/mL in the assay mix. This typically allows to measure samples containing as little as 0.1 mg/mL protein, in the presence of up to 2% detergent and reducers such as 5% mercaptoethanol or 50 mM DTT in a single step with a simple spectrophotometric assay.
Interface transport scheme of a two‐phase flow by the method of characteristics
Authors: Haddad Mireille , Hecht Frédéric , Sayah Toni
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we study an interface transport scheme of a two‐phase flow of an incompressible viscous immiscible fluid. The problem is discretized by the characteristics method in time and finite elements method in space. The interface is captured by the level set function. Appropriate boundary conditions for the problem of mold filling are investigated, a new natural boundary condition under pressure effect for the transport equation is proposed, and an algorithm for computing the solution is presented. Finally, numerical experiments show and validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The US Dollar/Euro Exchange Rate: Structural Modeling and Forecasting During the Recent Financial Crises
Authors: Morana Claudio
Published: July 2016

The paper investigates the determinants of the US dollar/euro within the framework of the asset pricing theory of exchange rate determination, which posits that current exchange rate fluctuations are determined by the entire path of current and future revisions in expectations about fundamentals. In this perspective, we innovate by conditioning on Fama–French and Carhart risk factors, which directly measures changing market expectations about the economic outlook, on new financial condition indexes and macroeconomic variables. The macro‐finance augmented econometric model has a remarkable in‐sample and out‐of‐sample predictive ability, largely outperforming a standard autoregressive specification. We also document a stable relationship between the US dollar/euro Carhart momentum conditional correlation (CCW) and the euro area business cycle. CCW signals a progressive weakening in economic conditions since June 2014, consistent with the scattered recovery from the sovereign debt crisis and the new Greek solvency crisis exploded in late spring/early summer 2015. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Combined effects of transferrin and thyroid hormone during oligodendrogenesis In vitro
Authors: Marziali L. N. , Correale J. , Garcia C. I. , Pasquini J. M.
Published: July 2016

Thyroid hormones (THs) and transferrin (Tf) are factors capable of favoring myelination due to their positive effects on oligodendroglial cell (OLG) differentiation. The first notion of a combined effect of apotransferrin (aTf) and TH emerged from experiments conducted in young hyperthyroid animals, which showed a seven‐fold increase in the expression of Tf mRNA and precocious myelination when compared with control animals. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon in young hyperthyroid rats could consist of an increase in Tf synthesis, which in the CNS is almost exclusively produced by OLG. Overall, our results show that, during the initial stages of OLG differentiation, Tf synthesis triggers thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 (TRα1) expression in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and promotes proliferating cells to become responsive to this trophic factor. Exposure to TH could then regulate Tf expression through TRα1 and promote the induction of thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRβ) expression, which mediates TH effects on myelination through the activation of final OLG differentiation. This regulation of the combined effects of Tf and THs implies that both factors are fundamental actors during oligodendrogenesis. GLIA 2016;64:1879–1891
Spatial GR4J conceptualization of the Tamor glaciated alpine catchment in Eastern Nepal: evaluation of GR4JSG against streamflow and MODIS snow extent
Authors: Nepal Santosh , Chen Jie , Penton David J. , Neumann Luis E. , Zheng Hongxing , Wahid Shahriar
Published: July 2016

Snow and glacial melt processes are an important part of the Himalayan water balance. Correct quantification of melt runoff processes is necessary to understand the region's vulnerability to climate change. This paper describes in detail an application of conceptual GR4J hydrological model in the Tamor catchment in Eastern Nepal using typical elevation band and degree‐day factor approaches to model Himalayan snow and glacial melt processes. The model aims to provide a simple model that meets most water planning applications. The paper contributes a model conceptualization (GR4JSG) that enables coarse evaluation of modelled snow extents against remotely sensed Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer snow extent. Novel aspects include the glacial store in GR4JSG and examination of how the parameters controlling snow and glacial stores correlate with existing parameters of GR4J. The model is calibrated using a Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain method against observed streamflow for one glaciated catchment with reliable data. Evaluation of the modelled streamflow with observed streamflow gave Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency of 0.88 and Percent Bias of <4%. Comparison of the modelled snow extents with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer gaveR2of 0.46, with calibration against streamflow only. The contribution of melt runoff to total discharge from the catchment is 14–16% across different experiments. The model is highly sensitive to rainfall and temperature data, which suffer from known problems and biases, for example because of stations being located predominantly in valleys and at lower elevations. Testing of the model in other Himalayan catchments may reveal additional limitations. © 2016 The Authors.Hydrological Processespublished by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Frequency analysis of nonstationary annual maximum flood series using the time‐varying two‐component mixture distributions
Authors: Yan Lei , Xiong Lihua , Liu Dedi , Hu Tiesong , Xu Chong‐Yu
Published: July 2016

The most popular practice for analysing nonstationarity of flood series is to use a fixed single‐type probability distribution incorporated with the time‐varying moments. However, the type of probability distribution could be both complex because of distinct flood populations and time‐varying under changing environments. To allow the investigation of this complex nature, the time‐varying two‐component mixture distributions (TTMD) method is proposed in this study by considering the time variations of not only the moments of its component distributions but also the weighting coefficients. Having identified the existence of mixed flood populations based on circular statistics, the proposed TTMD was applied to model the annual maximum flood series of two stations in the Weihe River basin, with the model parameters calibrated by the meta‐heuristic maximum likelihood method. The performance of TTMD was evaluated by different diagnostic plots and indexes and compared with stationary single‐type distributions, stationary mixture distributions and time‐varying single‐type distributions. The results highlighted the advantages of TTMD with physically‐based covariates for both stations. Besides, the optimal TTMD models were considered to be capable of settling the issue of nonstationarity and capturing the mixed flood populations satisfactorily. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of the Fukushima accident on marine biota, five years later
Authors: Vives i Batlle Jordi
Published: July 2016

In a previous commentary written in 2011 in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident in Japan, I summarized what was then understood about the effects of accidental radioactive discharges to marine life and forecasted into the future how the marine environment would likely be affected. Since that time, several studies have been conducted on the impact of the accident on marine organisms, and radiation doses arising thereof. I developed a dynamic transfer model for studying the bioaccumulation of Fukushima radionuclides in marine biota and assessed the impact and likelihood of effects to marine life. In the present article, I highlight the lessons learned over the past 5 years. I address whether the environmental consequences in the marine environment are as significant as initially feared and, with respect to the current situation, what remains to be investigated as the radioactivity continues to spread in the marine environment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:654–658. © 2016 SETAC.
Embodied information affects judgements about politicians: The impact of haptic weight sensations and hand cleansing
Authors: Kaspar Kai , Klane Andreas
Published: July 2016

Politicians' characteristics attract voters' attention and dominate impression formation. Thereby, social judgements are deduced from different information being available in a certain situation. The literature suggests that incidental bodily sensations can influence judgement processes. Here, two bodily treatments—the haptic sensation of weight and the act of hand cleansing—simultaneously contribute to judgements about politicians. This study expands previous works by (a) investigating potential interactions of two haptic information cues, (b) providing evidence for the significant role of conceptual closeness between embodied cues and judgement dimensions, (c) showing that hand cleansing leads to harsher moral judgements independently of whether a misconduct has been committed or not, and (d) showing that the familiarity of the target to be judged does not moderate the effect of embodied information. The results demonstrate that judgements can be modulated by basal sensorimotor experiences. We discuss implications and the important issue of result generalisation and replicability.
Transplantation of Haploidentical TcRaß-Depleted Hematopoietic Cells Allows for Optimal Timing and Sustained Correction of the Metabolic Defect in Children With Infantile Osteopetrosis
Authors: Pronk Cornelis JH , Turkiewicz Dominik , Vult von Steyern Kristina , Ehinger Mats , Dykes Josefina , Toporski Jacek
Published: July 2016

In osteopetrosis, osteoclast dysfunction can lead to deafness, blindness, bone marrow failure, and death. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is currently the only curative treatment, but outcome remains disappointing. Although a rapid progression toward HCT is detrimental to prevent further progress of disease manifestations, 70% of cases lack an HLA-matched sibling and require alternative stem cell sources. We present two cases of osteopetrosis that successfully received an HCT with haploidentical TcRαβ-depleted cells from one of the parents. These cases showed no further disease progression, had restoration of functional osteoclasts, and illustrate this approach to enable prompt HCT with ready available parental donors and rapid and sustained hematological, including osteoclast, recovery. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
MiR‐145 Regulates Lipogenesis in Goat Mammary Cells Via Targeting INSIG1 and Epigenetic Regulation of Lipid‐Related Genes
Authors: Wang Hui , Shi Huaiping , Luo Jun , Yi Yongqing , Yao Dawei , Zhang Xueying , Ma Gongzhen , Loor Juan J.
Published: July 2016

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the post‐transcriptional level to cause translational repression or degradation of targets. The profiles of miRNAs across stages of lactation in small ruminant species such as dairy goats is unknown. A small RNA library was constructed using tissue samples from mammary gland of Saanen dairy goats harvested at mid‐lactation followed by sequencing via Solexa technology. A total of 796 conserved miRNAs, 263 new miRNAs, and 821 pre‐miRNAs were uncovered. After comparative analyses of our sequence data with published mammary gland transcriptome data across different stages of lactation, a total of 37 miRNAs (including miR‐145) had significant differences in expression over the lactation cycle. Further studies revealed that miR‐145 regulates metabolism of fatty acids in goat mammary gland epithelial cells (GMEC). Compared with nonlactating mammary tissue, lactating mammary gland had a marked increase in expression of miR‐145. Overexpression of miR‐145 increased transcription of genes associated with milk fat synthesis resulting in greater fat droplet formation, triacylglycerol accumulation, and proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. In contrast, silencing of miR‐145 impaired fatty acid synthesis. Inhibition of miR‐145 increased methylation levels of fatty acid synthase (FASN), stearoyl‐CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARG), and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1). Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that insulin induced gene 1 (INSIG1) is a direct target of miR‐145. These findings underscore the need for further studies to evaluate the potential for targeting miR‐145 for improving beneficial milk components in ruminant milk. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1030–1040, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diagnostic accuracy of hepatorenal index in the detection and grading of hepatic steatosis
Authors: Chauhan Anil , Sultan Laith R. , Furth Emma E. , Jones Lisa P. , Khungar Vandana , Sehgal Chandra M.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The objectives of our study were to assess the accuracy of hepatorenal index (HRI) in detection and grading of hepatic steatosis and to evaluate various factors that can affect the HRI measurement.

Methods

Forty‐five patients, who had undergone an abdominal sonographic examination within 30 days of liver biopsy, were enrolled. The HRI was calculated as the ratio of the mean brightness levels of the liver and renal parenchymas. The effect of the measurement technique on the HRI was evaluated by using various sizes, depths, and locations of the regions of interest (ROIs) in the liver. The measurements were obtained by two observers. The HRI was compared with the subjective grading of steatosis.

Results

The optimal HRI cutoff to detect steatosis was 2.01, yielding a sensitivity of 62.5% and specificity of 95.2%. Subjective grading had a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 62.5%. HRIs of the hepatic steatosis group were statistically different from the no‐steatosis group (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference between mild steatosis and no‐steatosis groups (p value = 0.72). There was a strong correlation between different HRIs based on variable placements of ROIs, except when the ROIs were positioned randomly. Interclass correlation coefficient for measurements performed by two observers was 0.74 (confidence interval: 0.58–0.86).

Conclusions

The HRI is an effective tool for detecting hepatic steatosis. It provides similar accuracy for different methods of ROI placement (except for random placement) and has good interobserver agreement. It, however, is unable to effectively differentiate between absent and mild steatosis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:580–586, 2016
Stagewise multidimensional visual discrimination by pigeons
Authors: Vyazovska Olga V. , Navarro Victor M. , Wasserman Edward A.
Published: July 2016

We trained six pigeons in a stagewise Multiple Necessary Cues (MNC) go/no‐go task to document the dynamics of discrimination learning involving increasingly complex visual stimuli. The compound stimuli were composed from four dimensions, each of which could assume either of two extreme values or their intermediate value: Shape, Size, Line Orientation, and Brightness. Starting with a stimulus composed entirely from intermediate values, we replaced those values with each of the two extreme dimensional values in four successive stages, thereby increasing the stimulus set from 2 in Stage 1 to 16 in Stage 4. In each stage, only one combination of values signaled food (S+), whereas the remaining combinations did not (S−s). We calculated the rate of pecking during the first 15 s of each stimulus presentation and, in any given stage, training continued until the rate of responding to all of the S−s was less than 20% of the rate of responding to the S+. All pigeons successfully acquired the final discrimination, suggesting that they attended to all of the dimensions relevant for the discrimination. We also replicated the key results of prior MNC studies: (1) the number of extreme dimensional values in each stage was positively related to the amount of training required for pigeons to acquire the discrimination; (2) attentional tradeoffs were most often observed when three or four dimensions were being trained; and (3) throughout training, the number of dimensional values in the S−s that differed from the S+ was positively related to their discriminability from S+.
177Lu‐5‐Fluorouracil a potential theranostic radiopharmaceutical: radiosynthesis, quality control, biodistribution, and scintigraphy
Authors: Rasheed Rashid , Tariq Saleha , Naqvi Syed Ali Raza , Gillani Syed Jawad Hussain , Rizvi Faheem Askari , Sajid Muhammad , Rasheed Shahid
Published: July 2016

The aim of this study is to develop 177Lu‐5‐Flourouracil as a potential cancer therapeutic radiopharmaceutical. 5‐Flourouracil (5‐FU) is widely accepted as an anticancer drug of broad spectrum fame. The labeling of 5‐FU was carried out at different set of experimental conditions using high specific activity of 177LuCl3. The optimum conditions for maximum radiochemical yield was set: 5‐FU (5 mg), 177LuCl3 (185 MBq), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (10 µg), reaction volume (2 mL), pH (5.5), temperature (80°C), and reaction time (20 min). The radiochemical labeling was assessed with Whatman No. 2 paper, instant thin layer chromatographic, and radio‐HPLC, which revealed >94% labeling results with sufficient stability up to 6 h. Serum stability study also showed 177Lu‐5‐FU promising stability. Biodistribution study in normal rats and rabbits showed liver, stomach, kidney, and heart as area of increased tracer accumulation just after injection, which decreased to 1.4%, 0.4%, 0.2%, and 0.39% ID/g, respectively, after 72 h. Glomerular filtration rate and cytotoxicity study results of 177Lu‐5‐FU showed it had no adverse effect on renal function and nontoxic to blood cells. The promising characteristics of 177Lu‐5‐FU, that is, clever elimination from kidney and nontoxic nature toward blood cells make it the radiopharmaceutical for further testing in patients for therapeutic purposes.
Optimization of protein–protein docking for predicting Fc–protein interactions
Authors: Agostino Mark , Mancera Ricardo L. , Ramsland Paul A. , Fernández‐Recio Juan
Published: July 2016

The antibody crystallizable fragment (Fc) is recognized by effector proteins as part of the immune system. Pathogens produce proteins that bind Fc in order to subvert or evade the immune response. The structural characterization of the determinants of Fc–protein association is essential to improve our understanding of the immune system at the molecular level and to develop new therapeutic agents. Furthermore, Fc‐binding peptides and proteins are frequently used to purify therapeutic antibodies. Although several structures of Fc–protein complexes are available, numerous others have not yet been determined. Protein–protein docking could be used to investigate Fc–protein complexes; however, improved approaches are necessary to efficiently model such cases. In this study, a docking‐based structural bioinformatics approach is developed for predicting the structures of Fc–protein complexes. Based on the available set of X‐ray structures of Fc–protein complexes, three regions of the Fc, loosely corresponding to three turns within the structure, were defined as containing the essential features for protein recognition and used as restraints to filter the initial docking search. Rescoring the filtered poses with an optimal scoring strategy provided a success rate of approximately 80% of the test cases examined within the top ranked 20 poses, compared to approximately 20% by the initial unrestrained docking. The developed docking protocol provides a significant improvement over the initial unrestrained docking and will be valuable for predicting the structures of currently undetermined Fc–protein complexes, as well as in the design of peptides and proteins that target Fc.
Exploring the possibility of arthropod transmission of HCV
Authors: Houldsworth Annwyne
Published: July 2016

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer occurring in up to 3% of the world's population. Parenteral exposure to HCV is the major mode of transmission of infection. Once established, infection will persist in up to 85% of individuals with only a minority of patients clearing viremia. Egypt has possibly the highest HCV prevalence in the world where 10–20% of the general population are infected with HCV. Endemic HCV appears to be concentrated in the tropics and sub‐tropics where there are higher biting rates from insects. The question as to whether a bridge vector transmission is possible, via arthropods, both between humans and/or from an animal reservoir to humans is explored. Mechanical transmission, as opposed to biological transmission, is considered. Mechanical transmission can be an efficient way of transmitting an infection, as effective as biological transmission. Probability of transmission can increase as to the immediate circumstances and conditions at the time. Several factors may enhance mechanical transmission, including high levels of microbes in the vector, frequent biting, the close proximity, and contact between vectors and recipients as well as high density of insects. HCV has been isolated from bodies or heads of mosquitoes collected from the houses of HCV‐infected individuals. The possibility of enzootic cycles of HCV tangential transmission via bridging vectors, such as, arthropods needs to be further investigated and possible animal reservoirs, including domestic rural epizootic cycles for HCV infection, requires further research with particular initial emphasis on equine infections.J. Med. Virol. 89:187–194, 2017.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prevailing genotype distribution and characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus in northeastern China
Authors: Zheng Yuxuan , Liu Li , Wang Shaohua , Li Zhaolong , Hou Min , Li Jingliang , Yu Xiao‐Fang , Zhang Wenyan , Hua Shucheng
Published: July 2016

Although human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common viruses inducing respiratory tract infections in young children and the elderly, the genotype distribution and characteristics of RSV in northeastern China have not been investigated. Here, we identified 25 RSV‐A and 8 RSV‐B strains from 80 samples of patients with respiratory infections between February 2015 and May 2015. All 25 RSV‐A viruses were classified as the ON1 genotype, which rapidly spread and became the dominant genotype in the world since being identified in Ontario (Canada) in December 2010. All eight RSV‐B viruses belonged to the BA genotype with a 60‐nucleotide duplication, seven of which formed two new genotypes, BA‐CCA and BA‐CCB. The remaining RSV‐B virus clustered with one of the Hangzhou strains belonging to genotype BA11. Construction of a phylogenetic tree and amino acid substitution analysis showed that Changchun ON1 viruses exclusively constituted Lineages 3, 5 and 6, and contained several unique and newly identified amino acid substitutions, including E224G, R244K, L289I, Y297H, and L298P. Selective pressure was also evaluated, and various N and O‐glycosylation sites were predicted. This study provides the first genetic analysis of RSV in northeastern China and may facilitate a better understanding of the evolution of this virus locally and globally. J. Med. Virol. 89:222–233, 2017. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Medical Virology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Well‐Defined Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels with Enhanced Mechanical Performance Prepared by Thermally Induced Copper‐Catalyzed Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition
Authors: Li Ke Wen , Cen Lian , Zhou Chao , Zhang Ao Kai , Yao Fang , Tan Lin Hua , Xu Li Qun , Fu Guo Dong
Published: July 2016

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐based hydrogels have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to their good biocompatibility and low cost. However, the PEG‐based hydrogels prepared by traditional methods exhibit a poor machinability due to their disordered network structure. Herein, the preparation of well‐defined PEG‐based hydrogel via a facile thermally induced copper‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction is demonstrated. To accomplish this, thermochemically reduced Cu(I) catalyst is adopted to trigger “click” cross‐linking, resulting in a well‐defined PEG network. The as‐synthesized PEG‐based hydrogel exhibits good mechanical performance with a tensile strength of 2.51 MPa, which is higher than the traditional PEG‐based hydrogels prepared from CuSO4/NaSac‐mediated or CuBr/ligand‐catalyzed CuAAC. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo porcine subcutaneous implantation tests demonstrate that the as‐synthesized PEG‐based hydrogel has a good biocompatibility and low toxicity, making it a promising candidate for the applications in biomedical devices and tissue engineering.

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Value‐added quantitative medium‐range rainfall forecasts for the BIMSTEC region
Authors: Joshi Madhu , Kar S. C.
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACT:

Daily operational forecasts from the global models run at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), India were assessed for their skill during the southwest monsoon for member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi‐Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). The rainfall forecasts from two models, NCMRWF Global Forecast System (NGFS) and NCMRWF Unified Model (NCUM), were used to carry out the verification study for July and August 2013 and 2014. The skills were analysed in terms of equitable threat score (ETS), Hansen–Kuiper skill score (HKS) and the economic value for various rainfall thresholds. The ETS had a positive value for all of the thresholds up to the Day 10 forecast for both years. The HKS and economic value for binary forecast of Yes rain (prediction that rainfall event will occur) suggest that the model has significant positive skills. Deterministic forecast for four rainfall thresholds show negative skills, suggesting that false alarms increase as forecasts are made for smaller rainfall thresholds. To improve the skill scores, forecasted data were processed using simple bias correction, relative co‐efficient of variance (Rvar) method and the best easy systematic error (BESE) correction method. Correlation of the processed forecasts with model forecasts suggests an improvement using the bias correction and Rvar method but not using the BESE method. Significant improvement in the HKS and economic value of processed forecasts using the bias correction method has been noticed over most parts of the BIMSTEC region, except for the Western Ghats.
Improving road weather model forecasts by adjusting the radiation input
Authors: Karsisto Virve , Nurmi Pertti , Kangas Markku , Hippi Marjo , Fortelius Carl , Niemelä Sami , Järvinen Heikki
Published: July 2016

Considerable savings in winter road maintenance and accident costs can be achieved with accurate road weather forecasts. Forecasting road surface freezing time accurately enables the timely start of salting and thus ensures safety on roads. The optimal use of road weather observations is essential for the accuracy of short‐range road condition forecasts. Road weather models incorporate radiation and other atmospheric variables from numerical weather prediction models. In this study, observations were used to correct the forecast radiation and thus improve road weather forecasts for a set of specific sites. Eighteen different configurations of this methodology were tested for 20 road weather stations in Finland during the autumn–winter period 3 October 2013 to 13 January 2014. This study shows that the coupling method has potential to significantly improve road surface temperature forecasts. Two model configurations in particular turned out to be better than the others giving almost equally good road surface temperature forecasts. It was found that the length of the adjustment period using the corrected radiation had only a slight effect on the results. The outcome of this study can be used to improve road weather models and thus achieve more accurate forecasts.
Downscaling of monthly precipitation using CMIP5 climate models operated under RCPs
Authors: Okkan Umut , Kirdemir Umut
Published: July 2016

Downscaling of general circulation model (GCM) outputs extracted from CMIP5 datasets to monthly precipitation for the Gediz Basin, Turkey, under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) was performed by statistical downscaling models, multi‐GCM ensemble and bias correction. The output databases from 12 GCMs were used for the projections. To determine explanatory predictor variables, the correlation analysis was applied between precipitation observed at 39 meteorological stations located over the Basin and potential predictors of ERA‐Interim reanalysis data. After setting both artificial neural networks and least‐squares support vector machine‐based statistical downscaling models calibrated with determined predictor variables, downscaling models producing the most suitable results were chosen for each meteorological station. The selected downscaling model structure for each station was then operated with historical and future scenarios RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5. Afterwards, the monthly precipitation forecasts were obtained from a multi‐GCM ensemble based on Bayesian model averaging and bias correction applications. The statistical significance of the foreseen changes for the future period 2015–2050 was investigated using Student's t test. The projected decrease trend in precipitation is significant for the RCP8.5 scenario, whereas it is less significant for the RCP4.5 and RCP6.0 scenarios.