bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The long‐term adaptation of bacterial communities in metal‐contaminated sediments: a metaproteogenomic study
Authors: Gillan David C. , Roosa Stéphanie , Kunath Benoit , Billon Gabriel , Wattiez Ruddy
Published: September 2014

The aim of the study was to understand the effect of a long‐term metal exposure (110 years) on sediment microbial communities. Two freshwater sites, Férin and MetalEurop, differing by one order of magnitude in metal levels (MetalEurop: 3218 mg Zn kg−1; 913 mg Pb kg−1) were compared by shotgun metaproteogenomics. A total of 69–118 Mpb of DNA and 943–1241 proteins were obtained. PhymmBL analysis of the DNA sequences indicated that the phylogenetic profile was similar in both stations and that β‐Proteobacteria were dominant. However, subtle but significant changes were observed for some bacteria: e.g. Pseudomonas (+0.4%), Leptothrix (–0.4%), Thiobacillus (+0.36%) and Acidovorax (+0.48%). Using the stamp software, the two communities were found to be functionally very similar. However, significant genetic differences (10−6 < P < 10−3) were observed for three SEED categories: synthesis of exopolymeric substances, virulence and defence mechanisms (including czcA metal efflux genes), and elements involved in horizontal gene transfer. The CzcA protein was found by metaproteomics in MetalEurop, but the levels were too low to allow comparisons. It is concluded that bacterial communities in freshwater sediments may adapt to high metal levels without broad changes in the structure of the population.
The Concept Analysis of Health Based onIslamic Sources: Intellectual Health
Authors: Sadat Hoseini Akram Sadat , Panah AbdulHosein Khosro , Alhani Fateme
Published: September 2014

Purpose

This study describes the concept of health through an analysis ofIslamic sources.

Method

The concept analysis method ofWalker andAvant was used.

Findings

The concept of health includes body and spiritual dimensions. Humans have the authority and insight to attain spiritual health, allowing intellectual dominance of the spirit over the body.

Conclusion

Health and illness are different stages of life, and illness is an opportunity for spiritual growth. It means that events can be used intellectually to gain greater spiritual growth.

Practical Implications

This approach may eliminate the concept of adaptation in nursing. Nurses can aspire to human excellence if they consider illness as a normal event, not an abnormal event to which the patient must adapt.
Plato, Nightingale, and Nursing: Can You Hear Me Now?
Authors: Arnone Jacqueline Michele , Fitzsimons Virginia
Published: September 2014

Purpose

A historical perspective on how the writings of Plato influenced Florence Nightingale in the formation of nursing as a respected profession for women. Comparing Nightingale's life and legacy to Platonic philosophy demonstrates how philosophy continues to speak to the profession of nursing practice as guardians of society in the 21st century.

Methods

A review of the literature using EBSCO, SAGEpub, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases and hand searches of literature were initiated for the years 1990–2014 using the terms “Plato,” “Nightingale,” and “nursing” restricted to English.

Findings

Florence Nightingale, known as the mother of modern‐day nursing, embodied her life and work after the philosophic tenets of Plato. Plato's Allegory of the Cave influenced Nightingale's attitudes with regard to the value of education, knowledge of the good, and the importance of imparting learned knowledge to others. Plato's work spoke of educating both men and women to seek the truth, affording both sexes to become competent as future leaders in the role of guardians to society. Nightingale's emphasis of education for women as a conduit for their usefulness to society mirrored Plato's philosophy.

Conclusion

Over 100 years after her death, the impact Florence Nightingale still has on professional nursing practice remains. Scholarship in nursing education today is infused with a liberal arts background in philosophy, ethics, and the sciences. Nightingale's holistic concepts of person, health, and environment in the practice of nursing coalesced with her statistical analyses in validating nursing actions foreshadowed the development of universal nursing knowledge and language base and meta‐paradigm concepts in nursing. Further classification and categorization of Nightingale's concepts of assessing, implementing, and evaluating delivery of care became the linguistic precursors for the identification of nursing process, nursing actions, and nursing diagnoses.

Nursing implications

Plato's and Nightingale's holistic, scientific, and humanistic approach to living, and to care practice in all its dimensions, grounds the discipline of nursing in a liberal arts and critical thinking matrix, elevating nursing to higher ethical, safe, and professional levels of standards.
On the Analysis of Hybrid Designs that Combine Group- and Individual-Level Data
Authors: Smoot E. , Haneuse S.
Published: September 2014

Ecological studies that make use of data on groups of individuals, rather than on the individuals themselves, are subject to numerous biases that cannot be resolved without some individual-level data. In the context of a rare outcome, the hybrid design for ecological inference efficiently combines group-level data with individual-level case-control data. Unfortunately, except in relatively simple settings, use of the design in practice is limited since evaluation of the hybrid likelihood is computationally prohibitively expensive. In this article we first propose and develop an alternative representation of the hybrid likelihood. Second, based on this new representation, a series of approximations are proposed that drastically reduce computational burden. A comprehensive simulation shows that, in a broad range of scenarios, estimators based on the approximate hybrid likelihood exhibit the same operating characteristics as the exact hybrid likelihood, without any penalty in terms of increased bias or reduced efficiency. Third, in settings where the approximations may not hold, a pragmatic estimation and inference strategy is developed that uses the approximate form for some likelihood contributions and the exact form for others. The strategy gives researchers the ability to balance computational tractability with accuracy in their own settings. Finally, as a by-product of the development, we provide the first explicit characterization of the hybrid aggregate data design which combines data from an aggregate data study (Prentice and Sheppard, 1995, Biometrika 82, 113–125) with case–control samples. The methods are illustrated using data from North Carolina on births between 2007 and 2009.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Technetium‐99m‐Labeled Bioreductive Pharmacophores Conjugated with Amino Acids and Peptides for Tumor Imaging
Authors: Baishya Rinku , Nayak Dipak K. , Karmakar Sanmoy , Chattopadhyay Sankha , Sachdeva Satbir S. , Sarkar Bharat R. , Ganguly Shantanu , Debnath Mita C.
Published: September 2014

Development of molecular imaging agents to target tumor has become a major trend in nuclear medicine. With the aim to develop new potential 99mTc‐radiopharmaceuticals for targeting tumor, we have synthesized 5‐nitroimidazolyl amino acids and RGD‐coupled 2‐nitroimidazoles. Technetium‐99m radiolabeling with high radiochemical purity (>90%) was achieved for all the compounds. The radiolabeled complexes exhibited substantial in vitro stability in saline, serum, and histidine solution (10−2 m). Cell binding studies in EAC and B16F10 cell lines also revealed rapid and comparatively high cellular internalization. Among all the compounds studied, the binding of 99mTc(CO)3‐5 to B16F10 cells was moderately inhibited by the competitive peptide c[RGDfV], suggesting specificity of the radioligand toward αvβ3 receptor. However, no significant displacement of bound radioligand was observed when the binding of the 99mTc‐labeled complexes to above cells was challenged with excess competitive peptide. Fluorescent microscopy study provided direct evidence of intracellular localization of 5(6)‐carboxyfluorescein‐labeled 2‐nitroimidazolyl‐RGD‐peptide in αvβ3‐positive B16F10 mouse melanoma cell line. The ligands caused only 8–13% of hemolysis toward rat erythrocytes at concentrations as high as 100 μm. Imaging and biodistribution studies were performed in Swiss albino mice bearing induced tumor. 99mTc‐1 and 99mTc(CO)3‐5 demonstrated a very favorable in vivo profile. Selective uptake and retention in tumor with encouraging tumor/muscle and tumor/blood ratio and significant cellular uptake of fluorescence‐labeled‐2‐nitroimidazolyl RGD indicate the great potentiality of the pharmacophore for further evaluation as potential molecular imaging agent in cancer diagnosis.
Design, Synthesis, and Cercaricidal Activity of Novel High‐efficient, Low‐toxic Self‐spreading PEG‐N‐salicylanilide Derivatives Against Cercariae Larvae of Schistosome Japonicum Floating on the Water Surface
Authors: Guo Wei , Zheng Lv‐Yin , Wu Ren‐Miao , Fan Xiao‐Lin
Published: September 2014

Novel cercaricides of PEG‐N‐salicylanilide derivatives that could self‐spread and float on the water surface were designed and synthesized according to the particular habit of cercariae larvae of Schistosome japonicum. The structures of the cercaricides were characterized by the infrared spectra (IR), magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and mass spectrum (MS). The images of the floating cercaricides on the water surface were investigated by the Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). When the cercaricides were dropped on the water surface, they could spread along the air–water interface automatically and form thin membranes floating on the water surface immediately. The lethality rate of cercariae for 5a and 6a was more than 90% in 120 min at a surface concentration of 0.008 mg/cm2. The non‐ionic surfactant–cercaricides not only showed strong cercaricidal activities against the cercariae larvae but also exhibited low toxicities, which offered an effective and environment‐friendly approach for the reduction of population infection rate and the realization of schistosome control.
Perceptual Fluency and Judgments of Vocal Aesthetics and Stereotypicality
Authors: Babel Molly , McGuire Grant
Published: September 2014

Research has shown that processing dynamics on the perceiver's end determine aesthetic pleasure. Specifically, typical objects, which are processed more fluently, are perceived as more attractive. We extend this notion of perceptual fluency to judgments of vocal aesthetics. Vocal attractiveness has traditionally been examined with respect to sexual dimorphism and the apparent size of a talker, as reconstructed from the acoustic signal, despite evidence that gender‐specific speech patterns are learned social behaviors. In this study, we report on a series of three experiments using 60 voices (30 females) to compare the relationship between judgments of vocal attractiveness, stereotypicality, and gender categorization fluency. Our results indicate that attractiveness and stereotypicality are highly correlated for female and male voices. Stereotypicality and categorization fluency were also correlated for male voices, but not female voices. Crucially, stereotypicality and categorization fluency interacted to predict attractiveness, suggesting the role of perceptual fluency is present, but nuanced, in judgments of human voices.
Predicting support for non‐pharmaceutical interventions during infectious outbreaks: a four region analysis
Authors: Matthews Pillemer Francesca , Blendon Robert J. , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Lee Bruce Y.
Published: September 2014

Non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are an important public health tool for responding to infectious disease outbreaks, including pandemics. However, little is known about the individual characteristics associated with support for NPIs, or whether they are consistent across regions. This study draws on survey data from four regions—Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States—collected following the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2002–03, and employs regression techniques to estimate predictors of NPI support. It finds that characteristics associated with NPI support vary widely by region, possibly because of cultural variation and prior experience, and that minority groups tend to be less supportive of NPIs when arrest is the consequence of noncompliance. Prior experience of face‐mask usage also results in increased support for future usage, as well as other NPIs. Policymakers should be attentive to local preferences and to the application of compulsory interventions. It is speculated here that some public health interventions may serve as ‘gateway’ exposures to future public health interventions.
THE POWER OF THE LITTLE BLUE PILL: INNOVATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF LIFESTYLE DRUGS IN AN AGING POPULATION
Authors: LaRiviere Jacob , Wolff Hendrik
Published: September 2014

The launch of Viagra in April 1998 led to a historically unprecedented high usage of erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs. We test whether Viagra's introduction significantly influenced outcomes for its target population such as sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates of older men, as well as its nontarget populations, such as divorces, natality, the distribution of the age spread within couples, female STDs, and sexual assault rates. We find causal evidence that Viagra's introduction increased gonorrhea rates in older men by 15%–28%. We find no significant evidence of any effects on other variables. We take this as evidence that this lifestyle drug causes significant changes in choices only which affect short‐term outcomes, while long‐term planned decisions are unaffected. Overall, we find that the welfare impacts of Viagra with respect to our outcomes of interest are positive and large. (JEL I1, J1, O33)
Species’ roles in food webs show fidelity across a highly variable oak forest
Authors: Baker Nick J. , Kaartinen Riikka , Roslin Tomas , Stouffer Daniel B.
Published: September 2014

Ecological communities are composed of many species and an intricate network of interactions between them. Because of their overall complexity, an intriguing approach to understanding network structure is by breaking it down into the structural roles of its constituent species. The structural role of a species can be directly measured based on how it appears in network motifs – the basic building blocks of complex networks. Here, we study the distribution of species’ roles at three distinct spatio‐temporal scales (i.e. species, network, and temporal) in host–parasitoid networks collected across 22 sites over two years within a fragmented landscape of oaks in southern Finland. We found that species’ roles for hosts and parasitoids were heterogeneously distributed across the study system but that roles are strongly conserved over spatial scales. In addition, we found that species’ roles were remarkably consistent between years even in the presence of disturbances (e.g. species turnover). Overall, our results suggest that species’ roles are an intrinsic property of species that may be predictable over spatial and temporal scales.
Development of two alternative Loop‐mediated isothermal amplification tools for detecting pathogenic pine wood nematodes
Authors: Kang J. S. , Kim A.‐Y. , Han H. R. , Moon Y. S. , Koh Y. H.
Published: September 2014

Loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) detection tools have great potential for diagnosing the causal agents of infectious diseases in clinics and in agriculture. In this work, we developed two alternative LAMP protocols for detecting the pathogenic nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, causal agent of pine wilt disease. We first identified a pectate lyase 3 gene as a biomarker for developing a LAMP Detection Kit, as there was no homologue in non‐pathogenic nematodes that live in pine timber or bark and show structural similarities to B. xylophilus. The first LAMP protocol used the Genie II equipment and an isothermal master mix containing Geobacillus sp. M 2.0 large fragment DNA polymerase showed approximately 10 times greater sensitivity with a shorter incubation period compared with that of the second LAMP protocol, which utilized a fluorescence metal indicator, calcein and an engineered Bacillus stearothermophilus DNA polymerase I, large fragment (Bst 2.0 DNA polymerase). However, the LAMP reactions with calcein and Bst 2.0 polymerase were the cost‐effective method because the reaction could be performed using a simple isothermal block and relatively inexpensive calcein as a fluorescence indicator visible to the naked eye.
Share portfolios in the early years of financial capitalism: London, 1690–1730
Authors: Carlos Ann M. , Fletcher Erin , Neal Larry
Published: September 2014

The dramatic expansion of public and private financial markets in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution has received extensive attention. Despite this, little is known about how ordinary individual investors managed risk within this framework. Using a newly constructed dataset of share ownership for those joint‐stock companies listed in the financial press of the day, we reconstruct individual portfolio holdings for investors in these companies. We examine individual portfolio holdings first for the decade after the Glorious Revolution and then for the years around the South Sea Bubble. Despite a fivefold increase in the number of unique individuals in the market between the 1690s and the 1720s, we find that in each period roughly 80 per cent of those active in the equity market held shares in only one company, even though many shareholders had the capacity or wealth to diversify share portfolios. These outcomes suggest diversification against idiosyncratic liquidity risk. Overall, however, there is limited evidence that individuals were using their financial portfolios to protect against diversifiable shocks. For many, we argue, company‐specific voting and firm governance rules drove market activity.
Microscale Laser Surgery Demonstrates the Grasping Function of the Male Sex Combs in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila bipectinata
Authors: Hurtado‐Gonzales Jorge L. , Gallaher Wesley , Warner Alexandra , Polak Michal
Published: September 2014

Male secondary sexual traits of animals are richly diversified in form and complexity, yet there are many species in which their precise function remains unknown. Within the genus Drosophila, species belonging to the melanogaster and obscura species groups have evolved a remarkable variety of sex combs, male‐limited secondary sexual traits located on the tarsi of both front legs. Information concerning sex comb function is minimal or absent, except for D. melanogaster, where previous studies indicate that the sex combs are used for grasping the female prior to copulation. These studies, however, do not unambiguously demonstrate comb function, because it has not been possible to ascribe observed behavioral outcomes of the various comb manipulations to changes in the combs per se. We used microscale laser surgery to manipulate comb size in D. melanogaster and D. bipectinata, and tested the hypothesis that the sex combs function as grasping devices in courtship, making them essential for copulation to ensue. Results of high‐resolution behavioral analysis in small observation arenas demonstrated that in both species in which sex combs were surgically eliminated, males were unable to grasp, mount or copulate. The combless foretarsi of these altered males slipped off the end (D. melanogaster) and sides (D. bipectinata) of the female abdomen when courting males attempted to grasp. In most cases, males whose sex combs were reduced but not completely removed exhibited similar copulation probabilities as surgical control males, a result we demonstrated in observation chambers as well as under more ecologically realistic conditions inside population cages where males and females interacted on the surface of fruit substrates. Thus, the sex combs in D. melanogaster and D. bipectinata are grasping devices, essential for mounting and copulation.
The Effects of a Multiple Family Therapy on Adolescents with Eating Disorders: An Outcome Study
Authors: Gelin Zoé , Fuso Silvana , Hendrick Stephan , Cook‐Darzens Solange , Simon Yves
Published: September 2014

Multiple Family Therapy (MFT) has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of eating disorders and many programs have been developed over the past decade. Still, there is little evidence in the literature on the effectiveness on MFT for treating eating disorders. The present study examines the effects of a particular model of Multiple Family Therapy on eating disorder symptoms, quality of life, and percentage of Expected Body Weight (%EBW) in adolescents with eating disorders (ED). Eighty‐two adolescents with ED, aged between 11 and 19 years, were assessed before and after treatment using the Eating Disorders Inventory 2 (EDI‐2), the Outcome Questionnaire 45 (OQ‐45) and %EBW. Results showed a significant increase in %EBW between the beginning and end of treatment, with a large effect size. 52.4% of patients achieved an EBW above 85%. Symptoms relative to all EDI dimensions (except for bulimia) significantly decreased during treatment. The three dimensions related to quality of life assessment also improved over the course of MFT. At the end of treatment, 70.7% of patients had a total OQ‐45 score below clinical significance. This study suggests that Multiple Family Therapy may benefit adolescents with eating disorders, with improvement on several outcome measures (%EBW, ED symptoms, and quality of life). However, the lack of a comparison group entails caution when drawing conclusions.
Hypoxia‐inducible factor‐2α (HIF‐2α), but not HIF‐1α, is essential for hypoxic induction of class III β‐tubulin expression in human glioblastoma cells
Authors: Bordji Karim , Grandval Alexandra , Cuhna‐Alves Leilane , Lechapt‐Zalcman Emmanuèle , Bernaudin Myriam
Published: September 2014

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest form of primary brain cancer. Several reports have indicated aberrant levels of βIII‐tubulin (βIII‐t) in human GBM. βIII‐t overexpression was linked to increasing malignancy in glial tumors and described to determine the onset of resistance to chemotherapy. Furthermore, a linkage was suggested between the induction of βIII‐t expression and hypoxia, a hallmark of GBM. We investigated the role of hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α and HIF‐2α in the regulation of the βIII‐t gene (TUBB3) in GBM cells cultured in either normoxia or hypoxia. We report for the first time that HIF‐2α, but not HIF‐1α, is involved in hypoxia‐induced βIII‐t expression in GBM cells. By gene‐reporter experiments and site‐directed mutagenesis, we found that two overlapping hypoxia response elements located in the 3′ UTR of the gene were involved in the activation of TUBB3. This occurred through an enhanced binding of HIF‐2α to the 3′ region, as revealed by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Conversely, the promoter of TUBB3 was shown to be inactive. In addition, we observed that HIF‐1α exhibits a repressive effect on βIII‐t expression in cells cultured in normoxia. These results show that both HIF‐α isoforms have opposing effects on βIII‐t expression in GBM cells. Finally, we observed that hypoxia‐induced βIII‐t expression is well correlated with the kinetics of HIF‐2α protein stabilization. The evidence for a direct linkage between HIF‐2α and increased expression of βIII‐t by hypoxia suggests that an anti‐HIF‐2α strategy (i.e. by downregulating βIII‐t) could be of potential interest for improving the treatment of GBM.
Knockdown of Sec8 enhances the binding affinity of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK)‐interacting protein 4 for mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) and suppresses the phosphorylation of MKK4, p38, and JNK, thereby inhibiting apoptosis
Authors: Tanaka Toshiaki , Iino Mitsuyoshi , Goto Kaoru
Published: September 2014

The exocyst complex, also called the Sec6/8 complex, is important for targeting exocytic vesicles to specific docking sites on the plasma membrane in yeast and mammalian cells. In addition to these original findings, recent results of studies suggest that Sec8 is also involved in oncogenesis, although the functional implications of Sec8 in cancer cells are not well understood. c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase‐interacting protein 4 (JIP4) is a scaffold protein that plays a crucial role in the regulation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades. The present study examined how Sec8 is involved in JIP4‐mediated MAPK signaling under apoptotic conditions. It was found that Sec8 binds to and regulates JIP4, and that knockdown of Sec8 enhances the binding of JIP4 to MAPK kinase 4, thereby decreasing the phosphorylation of MAPK kinase 4, JNK, and p38. These results raise the possibility that Sec8 serves as an important regulator of MAPK signaling cascades.

Structured digital abstract

Sec8 physically interacts with JIP4 by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (View interaction)

JIP4 physically interacts with Sec8 by anti bait coip (View interaction)

Sec8 and JIP4 colocalize by fluorescence microscopy (View interaction)
Epigenetic control of adult skeletal muscle stem cell functions
Authors: Segalés Jessica , Perdiguero Eusebio , Muñoz‐Cánoves Pura
Published: September 2014

Skeletal muscle regeneration in the adult (de novo myogenesis) depends on a resident population of muscle stem cells (satellite cells) that are normally quiescent. In response to injury or stress, satellite cells are activated and expand as myoblast cells that differentiate and fuse to form new muscle fibers or return to quiescence to maintain the stem cell pool (self‐renewal). Satellite cell‐dependent myogenesis is a well‐characterized multi‐step process orchestrated by muscle‐specific transcription factors, such as Pax3/Pax7 and members of the MyoD family of muscle regulatory factors, and epigenetically controlled by mechanisms such as DNA methylation, covalent modification of histones and non‐coding RNAs. Recent results from next‐generation genome‐wide sequencing have increased our understanding about the highly intricate layers of epigenetic regulation involved in satellite cell maintenance, activation, differentiation and self‐renewal, and their cross‐talk with the muscle‐specific transcriptional machinery.
Development of multiple ordered fracture in an elastic homogeneous, structured and layered medium
Authors: Goldstein R. V. , Osipenko N. M.
Published: September 2014

Mechanical models of a series of fracture processes accompanied by formation of structures of fracture (ordered systems of cracks (violations)) are presented. The models are based on the fracture mechanics concepts and account for an influence of an initial structure and texture of material (medium) and loading conditions. Attention is paid to the model of linear structures of fracture formation in a porous material (medium) under the combined action of compression and tension. An influence of various mechanisms of local brittle fracture in the vicinities of pores and microcracks on the material bearing capacity at complex stress state is considered. Possibilities of a hierarchy of echelon‐like crack systems formation near a macroconcentrator of stresses are illustrated by experiments on fracture near a macrocut (notch) of longitudinal shear. A model of the process is also discussed.
Evaluation of three current methods for including the mean stress effect in fatigue crack growth rate prediction
Authors: Duran J. A. R. , Hernandez C. T.
Published: September 2014

The fatigue crack growth rates curves of engineering materials depend on two parameters. In addition to the dependence on the classical stress intensity factor (SIF) range ΔK, there is a dependence on the mean load (or mean SIF), mainly in the near‐threshold region. The present paper provides some useful suggestions and good practices for using three of the current available methods to reduce this second dependence through the use of tuning constants. The methods considered here are the Elber, Walker and Vasudevan (or unified approach). For each approach, multiple regression analyses are performed on experimental data from the literature, and the correlations in two and three dimensions are graphically analyzed. Numerical examples of crack growth analysis for cracks growing under nominal stresses of constant amplitude in single‐edge and notch/hole geometries are performed, assuming an identical material component to that of the available experimental data. The resulting curves of crack size versus number of cycles (a versus N) are then compared. All three models gave approximately the same (a versus N) curves in both geometries. Differences between the behaviors of the (a versus N) curves in both geometries are highlighted, and the reasons for these particular behaviors are discussed.
Experimental study on fatigue failure and damage of sandwich structure with PMI foam core
Authors: Yang F.P. , Lin Q.Y. , Jiang J.J.
Published: September 2014

Sandwich structures consisting of aluminium skin sheets and polymethacrylimide foam core have been gradually used in the high‐speed trains. The static mechanical properties and fatigue damage of the sandwich structures with polymethacrylimide foam core were experimented in three‐point bending and were discussed. The failure mode is identified as local indentation. The static strength was obtained, and it showed good consistency with the forecasting formula. The fatigue property and damage evolution were also researched under cyclic loading. The fatigue life curve and the fitting formula were submitted. The fatigue damage evolution started from the skin sheet fracture and then the foam core indentation. The displacement at the midpoint as the damage parameter was discussed, and the evolution prediction formula was submitted, which showed great agreement with the experimental results.
Survival of Norway spruce remains higher in mixed stands under a dryer and warmer climate
Authors: Neuner Susanne , Albrecht Axel , Cullmann Dominik , Engels Friedrich , Griess Verena C. , Hahn W. Andreas , Hanewinkel Marc , Härtl Fabian , Kölling Christian , Staupendahl Kai , Knoke Thomas
Published: September 2014

Shifts in tree species distributions caused by climatic change are expected to cause severe losses in the economic value of European forestland. However, this projection disregards potential adaptation options such as tree species conversion, shorter production periods, or establishment of mixed species forests. The effect of tree species mixture has, as yet, not been quantitatively investigated for its potential to mitigate future increases in production risks. For the first time, we use survival time analysis to assess the effects of climate, species mixture and soil condition on survival probabilities for Norway spruce and European beech. Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models based on an extensive dataset of almost 65 000 trees from the European Forest Damage Survey (FDS) – part of the European‐wide Level I monitoring network – predicted a 24% decrease in survival probability for Norway spruce in pure stands at age 120 when unfavorable changes in climate conditions were assumed. Increasing species admixture greatly reduced the negative effects of unfavorable climate conditions, resulting in a decline in survival probabilities of only 7%. We conclude that future studies of forest management under climate change as well as forest policy measures need to take this, as yet unconsidered, strongly advantageous effect of tree species mixture into account.
MaximumGetis–Ord Statistic Adjusted for Spatially Autocorrelated Data
Authors: Rogerson Peter A.
Published: September 2014

Local statistics test the null hypothesis of no spatial association or clustering around the vicinity of a location. To carry out statistical tests, it is assumed that the observations are independent and that they exhibit no global spatial autocorrelation. In this article, approaches to account for global spatial autocorrelation are described and illustrated for the case of theGetis–Ord statistic with binary weights. Although the majority of current applications of local statistics assume that the spatial scale of the local spatial association (as specified via weights) is known, it is more often the case that it is unknown. The approaches described here cover the cases of testing local statistics for the cases of both known and unknown weights, and they are based upon methods that have been used with aspatial data, where the objective is to find changepoints in temporal data. After a review of theGetis–Ord statistic, the article provides a review of its extension to the case where the objective is to choose the best set of binary weights to estimate the spatial scale of the local association and assess statistical significance. Modified approaches that account for spatially autocorrelated data are then introduced and discussed. Finally, the method is illustrated using data on leukemia in centralNewYork, and some concluding comments are made.
Macroscale prediction of autumn leaf coloration throughout the continental United States
Authors: Jeong Su‐Jong , Medvigy David
Published: September 2014

Aim

Previous studies have shown that warming temperatures can affect the phenology of cold deciduous forests, delaying the timing of leaf coloration. However, these works have principally been based on observations from a small number of sites. Consequently it has been challenging to infer continental‐scale variations in the phenology of individual deciduous forest species and the extent to which there may be underlying climate drivers for these variations. To address that problem, this study evaluated and predicted the large‐scale variations of leaf colouring by using macroscale observations and models.

Location

North America.

Methods

We developed leaf colouring models using select observations (1) from Harvard Forest only and (2) from both Harvard Forest and a new, ground‐based, Alaskan dataset from the USA National Phenology Network (USA‐NPN). Both model types were evaluated using reserved observations from the continental‐scale USA‐NPN that were not used in model calibration. Validated models were then used to assess the spatial scaling and interspecies variation in the timing of leaf coloration. The sensitivity of the models to projected climate change was also evaluated.

Results

Using a model calibrated only with data from Harvard Forest, significant biases were found in predictions of leaf colouring date for species with broad habitat ranges in the temperate to boreal regions. When calibration data from both Harvard Forest and Alaska were used, model performance improved throughout the whole continent. It was also found that species with similar shade tolerance could be described by similar models. Finally, the models indicated that climate change over the next century will affect leaf coloration in Alaska less than in the Harvard Forest region.

Main conclusions

For a given species, continental‐scale variations in the timing of autumn leaf coloration can be predicted using a model driven by photoperiod and daily temperature. The temperature sensitivity of the leaf colouring date is nonlinear, such that warmer regions have a larger temperature sensitivity than cooler regions. Species‐specific measurements from multiple environments are essential for model parameterization.
Quality control method for RNA‐seq using single nucleotide polymorphism allele frequency
Authors: Endo Takaho A.
Published: September 2014

RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) provides information not only about the level of expression of individual genes but also about genomic sequences of host cells. When we use transcriptome data with whole‐genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant information, the allele frequency can show the genetic composition of the cell population and/or chromosomal aberrations. Here, I show how SNPs in mRNAs can be used to evaluate RNA‐seq experiments by focusing on RNA‐seq data based on a recently retracted paper on stimulus‐triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) cells. The analysis indicated that different types of cells and chromosomal abnormalities might have been erroneously included in the dataset. This re‐evaluation showed that observing allele frequencies could help in assessing the quality of samples during a study and with retrospective evaluation of experimental quality.
Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic hepatitis B virus patients during nucleoside/nucleotide analog therapy
Authors: Orito Etsuro , Hasebe Chitomi , Kurosaki Masayuki , Osaki Yukio , Joko Kouji , Watanabe Hiroshi , Kimura Hiroyuki , Nishijima Norihiro , Kusakabe Atsunori , Izumi Namiki ,   the Japanese Red Cross Liver Network
Published: September 2014

Aim

Some patients develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during nucleoside/nucleotide analog (NA) therapy even if alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels are sufficiently reduced. The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors of development of HCC during NA therapy.

Methods

Six hundred and two patients were analyzed who were continuously receiving NA for chronic HBV infection. The patients who developed HCC previously or within 1 year of therapy were excluded. In the patients studied, the median duration of therapy was 90 months. A total of 492 patients had chronic hepatitis (CH) and 110 had liver cirrhosis (LC).

Results

In 602 patients, the rate of normalization of ALT, loss of serum HBV DNA and development of HCC were 90.4%, 55.4%, and 6.1%, respectively. The significant risk factors of development of HCC were LC status and duration of therapy. The annual incidence of HCC in LC patients was 2.53%/year, compared with 0.34%/year in CH patients. When the relation between the incidence of HCC and the response to therapy was evaluated, in patients with normalization of ALT level, loss of HBV DNA by real‐time polymerase chain reaction or hepatitis B e‐antigen seroconversion, the incidences of HCC was reduced to some extent. However, none of the patients who achieved hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance during NA therapy developed HCC.

Conclusion

LC status was the significant risk factor of development of HCC during NA therapy. However, none of the patients who showed HBsAg seroclearance developed HCC. The ultimate goal of therapy for reduced risk of HCC may be HBsAg seroclearance.
Micro‐CT evaluation of C‐shaped mandibular first premolars in a Brazilian subpopulation
Authors: Ordinola‐Zapata R. , Monteiro Bramante C. , Gagliardi Minotti P. , Cavalini Cavenago B. , Gutmann J. L. , Moldauer B. I. , Versiani M. A. , Hungaro Duarte M. A.
Published: September 2014

Aim

To describe morphometric aspects of the internal anatomy of C‐shaped mandibular premolars from a Brazilian subpopulation using micro‐CT analysis.

Methodology

First mandibular premolars with radicular grooves (n = 123) were scanned using a micro‐computed tomography system. After cross‐section analysis, 83 specimens were identified with a C‐shaped canal and selected for micro‐CT analysis. Number and location of canals according to Vertucci's classification, distances between anatomic landmarks, occurrence of apical deltas, furcation canals, prevalence of C‐shaped cross‐sections at five levels as well as 2‐dimensional analysis (Area, perimeter, roundness, aspect ratio, major and minor diameters) were performed for the more prevalent anatomical features. Data were compared statistically using Kruskal–Wallis tests (α = 0.05).

Results

The more prevalent anatomical types according to Vertucci's classification were Type I (13%), III (8%), V (37%) and VII (2%). Mean distances from the furcation to the cemento‐enamel junction were in the range of 5.36–5.65 mm. Apical deltas and furcation canals were present in 36 (43%) and 27 (33%) specimens, respectively. C‐shaped cross‐sections were more prevalent at the middle (56%) and apical middle levels (81%). Overall, significant differences were found in the 2‐dimensional analyses between single canals at the apical third and buccal and lingual canals of Vertucci's V classification (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

In this Brazilian subpopulation, C‐shaped canal configuration of the root canal system was found in 67% of extracted first mandibular premolars with radicular grooves. Vertucci's types I and V were the most prevalent anatomical variations. C‐shaped cross‐sections were more prevalent in the middle third, and the presence of apical deltas was the most common feature in the apical third.
Recombinant Ad35 adenoviral proteins as potent modulators of human T‐cell activation
Authors: Hay Joanne , Carter Darrick , Lieber André , Astier Anne L.
Published: September 2014

The protein CD46 protects cells from complement attack by regulating cleavage of C3b and C3d. CD46 also regulates the adaptive immune response by controlling T‐cell activation and differentiation. Co‐engagement of the T‐cell receptor and CD46 notably drives T‐cell differentiation by switching production of interferon‐γ to secretion of anti‐inflammatory interleukin‐10. This regulatory pathway is altered in several chronic inflammatory diseases, highlighting its key role for immune homeostasis. The manipulation of the CD46 pathway may therefore provide a powerful means to regulate immune responses. Herein, we investigated the effect of recombinant proteins derived from the fibre knob of the adenovirus serotype 35 (Ad35) that uses CD46 as its entry receptor, on human T‐cell activation. We compared the effects of Ad35K++, engineered to exhibit enhanced affinity to CD46, and of Ad35K−, mutated in the binding site for CD46. Ad35K++ profoundly affects T‐cell activation by decreasing the levels of CD46 at the surface of primary T cells, and impairing T‐cell co‐activation, shown by decreased CD25 expression, reduced proliferation and lower secretion of interleukin‐10 and interferon‐γ. In contrast, Ad35K− acts a potent co‐activator of T cells, enhancing T‐cell proliferation and cytokine production. These data show that recombinant Ad35 proteins are potent modulators of human T‐cell activation, and support their further development as potential drugs targeting T‐cell responses.
Who wants the Contrat de Travail Unique? Social Support for Labor Market Flexibilization in France
Authors: Amable Bruno
Published: September 2014

In France, a proposal was made to substitute a unique labor contract with a degree of employment protection increasing with tenure to the existing open‐end and fixed‐term contracts. Using survey data, this paper analyzes the social support for this contrat de travail unique (CTU). Contrary to the prediction of insider/outsider theories, support for the CTU comes from insider groups, whereas most outsider groups oppose it. This result may be the consequence of the job protection increasing with tenure. This mechanism could reinforce certain types of market segmentation instead of abolishing employment precariousness.
Perfect match or missing link? An analysis of the representativeness of trade union representatives inBelgium
Authors: Wauters Bram , Mus Manu , Lannoo Steven , Devos Carl
Published: September 2014

Insights from the representation literature were applied to industrial relations in order to study the representativeness of union officials. Based on a member‐survey in a majorBelgian trade union, we found that union representatives mirror quite well their followers in descriptive (except for gender) and substantive terms (issue congruence).
As Clear as MUD: Characteristics, Objectives, and Strategies of the Opposition in Bolivarian Venezuela
Authors: Cannon Barry
Published: September 2014

Since President Hugo Chávez was first elected in 1998, the Venezuelan opposition seems to have alternated between institutional and extra-institutional power strategies at different junctures. To help explain this pattern, this article constructs a novel theoretical framework from critical readings of both general theory and accounts of the Venezuelan opposition. It proposes that the strategies should be viewed as dialectical rather than discrete. On this basis, it finds that while the Venezuelan opposition has undergone important changes toward institutionalization in its composition, discursive emphasis, and strategic direction, close readings of opposition texts, interviews with opposition actors, and observations of street demonstrations all reveal continuity with previous rupturist and extra-institutional tendencies. Both strategies therefore must be considered to achieve a fuller, more comprehensive vision of the Venezuelan opposition; this conclusion has important theoretical implications for the study of opposition in the wider region.
Microstructural Characteristic and its Relation to Mechanical Properties of Clinocardium californiense Shell
Authors: Ji Hong‐Mei , Li Xiao‐Wu
Published: September 2014

The microstructures and mechanical properties of Clinocardium californiense shell were investigated in relation to the different parts of shell. It is found that the shell can be divided into three parts, that is, the dorsal side, body part, and marginal side based on the variation of microstructures along the longitudinal cross section. Specifically, all areas exhibit a cross‐lamellar structure on the dorsal side, and a hierarchical structure comprising three layers including inner (with a cross‐lamellar structure), middle (with a complex cross‐lamellar structure), and outer (with a prismatic structure) layers was observed on the body part, whereas on the marginal side, the orientation of aragonite sheets shows an obvious deflection. The structural architecture, the dimensions of different‐order lamellae in the same kind of structure and the orientation between the indenting direction and aragonite sheet all contribute to the unique mechanical properties of this shell. It is also found that a low value of the ratio of hardness‐to‐Young's modulus (H/E) corresponds to an improved indentation toughness. The middle layer with the densest and most complicated structure on the body part shows the lowest H/E ratio and the highest hardness and Young's modulus.
How interview questions are placed in time influences caregiver description of social communication symptoms on the ADI‐R
Authors: Jones Rebecca M. , Risi Susan , Wexler Diana , Anderson Deborah , Corsello Christina , Pickles Andrew , Lord Catherine
Published: September 2014

Background

Caregiver report is crucial for the diagnosis of childhood onset psychiatric disorders, particularly autism. Three experiments were conducted to determine whether caregiver reports of past and current behaviors are affected by question timing and ordering.

Methods

Using the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI‐R), two studies systematically varied the order in which caregivers were asked about behaviors. In a third study, descriptions of children's current behaviors at age 5 were compared to retrospective descriptions of behaviors at age 5 collected at age 10.

Results

Caregivers, who were first asked about a history of symptoms, described less severe past and present behavior than caregivers reporting current behaviors as well as caregivers reporting current and history of symptoms together. Caregivers retrospectively reported more severe behaviors for age 5 when their children were age 10 than they had when their children were age 5.

Conclusions

Caregivers describe past behaviors differently depending on whether they are asked about current symptoms first. Methods of caregiver reporting can influence interpretations of symptom severity with effects on diagnoses and research findings.