bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Gait Evaluation of Patients with Lumbar Spine Stenosis
Authors: Sun Jun , Liu Yan‐cheng , Yan Song‐hua , Wang Sha‐sha , Lester D Kevin , Zeng Ji‐zhou , Miao Jun , Zhang Kuan 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveThe third generation Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (IDEEA3, MiniSun, CA) has been developed for clinical gait evaluation, and this study was designed to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of IDEEA3 for the gait measurement of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients.MethodsTwelve healthy volunteers were recruited to compare gait cycle, cadence, step length, velocity, and number of steps between a motion analysis system and a high‐speed video camera. Twenty hospitalized LSS patients were recruited for the comparison of the five parameters between the IDEEA3 and GoPro camera. Paired t‐test, intraclass correlation coefficient, concordance correlation coefficient, and Bland–Altman plots were used for the data analysis.ResultsThe ratios of GoPro camera results to motion analysis system results, and the ratios of IDEEA3 results to GoPro camera results were all around 1.00. All P‐values of paired t‐tests for gait cycle, cadence, step length, and velocity were greater than 0.05, while all the ICC and CCC results were above 0.950 with P < 0.001.ConclusionsThe measurements for gait cycle, cadence, step length, velocity, and number of steps with the GoPro camera are highly consistent with the measurements with the motion analysis system. The measurements for IDEEA3 are consistent with those for the GoPro camera. IDEEA3 can be effectively used in the gait measurement of LSS patients.
Host‐induced gene silencing of a regulator of G protein signalling gene (VdRGS1) confers resistance to Verticillium wilt in cotton
Authors: Xu Jun , Wang Xinyu , Li Yongqing , Zeng Jianguo , Wang Guilin , Deng Chaoyang , Guo Wangzhen 
Published: February 2018

SummaryVerticillium wilt (VW), caused by soil‐borne fungi of the genus Verticillium, is a serious disease affecting a wide range of plants and leading to a constant and major challenge to agriculture worldwide. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is the world's most important natural textile fibre and oil crop. VW of cotton is a highly devastating vascular disease; however, few resistant germplasms have been reported in cotton. An increasing number of studies have shown that RNA interference (RNAi)‐based host‐induced gene silencing (HIGS) is an effective strategy for improving plant resistance to pathogens by silencing genes essential for the pathogenicity of these pathogens. Here, we have identified and characterized multifunctional regulators of G protein signalling (RGS) in the Verticillium dahliae virulence strain, Vd8. Of eight VdRGS genes, VdRGS1 showed the most significant increase in expression in V. dahliae after treating with the roots of cotton seedlings. Based on the phenotype detection of VdRGS1 deletion and complementation mutants, we found that VdRGS1 played crucial roles in spore production, hyphal development, microsclerotia formation and pathogenicity. Tobacco rattle virus‐mediated HIGS in cotton plants silenced VdRGS1 transcripts in invaded V. dahliae strains and enhanced broad‐spectrum resistance to cotton VW. Our data demonstrate that VdRGS1 is a conserved and essential gene for V. dahliae virulence. HIGS of VdRGS1 provides effective control against V. dahliae infection and could obtain the durable disease resistance in cotton and in other VW‐susceptible host crops by developing the stable transformants.
QTL mapping for six ear leaf architecture traits under water‐stressed and well‐watered conditions in maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Zhao Xiaoqiang , Fang Peng , Zhang Jinwen , Peng Yunling 
Published: February 2018

AbstractMorphological traits for ear leaf are determinant traits influencing plant architecture and drought tolerance in maize. However, the genetic controls of ear leaf architecture traits remain poorly understood under drought stress. Here, we identified 100 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for leaf angle, leaf orientation value, leaf length, leaf width, leaf size and leaf shape value of ear leaf across four populations under drought‐stressed and unstressed conditions, which explained 0.71%–20.62% of phenotypic variation in single watering condition. Forty‐five of the 100 QTLs were identified under water‐stressed conditions, and 29 stable QTLs (sQTLs) were identified under water‐stressed conditions, which could be useful for the genetic improvement of maize drought tolerance via QTL pyramiding. We further integrated 27 independent QTL studies in a meta‐analysis to identify 21 meta‐QTLs (mQTLs). Then, 24 candidate genes controlling leaf architecture traits coincided with 20 corresponding mQTLs. Thus, new/valuable information on quantitative traits has shed some light on the molecular mechanisms responsible for leaf architecture traits affected by watering conditions. Furthermore, alleles for leaf architecture traits provide useful targets for marker‐assisted selection to generate high‐yielding maize varieties.
Genetic characterization of reniform nematode resistance for Gossypium arboreum accession PI 417895
Authors: Erpelding John E. , Stetina Salliana R. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractRotylenchulus reniformis is an important root pathogen of cotton in the south‐eastern United States, and management is hindered by the lack of host‐plant resistance in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The G. arboreum accession PI 417895 is highly resistant to R. reniformis, and a segregating population of 300 F2 plants was developed for phenotypic characterization of resistance. The population showed quantitative variation for nematode infection. Twenty plants showed no infection and were classified as escapes. Fifty‐four plants were classified as resistant or moderately resistant, whereas, 226 were classified as moderately susceptible or susceptible based on the nematode response of the susceptible parent, indicating resistance is a recessive trait, but these data did not support the single recessive gene model. Alternatively, this model would be supported if the 77 plants with a similar nematode response as observed for PI 417895 were classified as resistant. Twelve plants showed high levels of resistance and these data would support a two recessive gene model. Accession PI 417895 represents a new source of R. reniformis resistance with two major genes conferring resistance. Introgression of multiple resistance genes into G. hirsutum will require the development of larger populations to recover the resistant phenotype.
Genetic analysis of late blight resistance in Solanum pimpinellifolium accession PI 270441: Heritability and response to selection
Authors: Sullenberger Matthew T. , Jia Mengyuan , Gao Sihui , Foolad Majid R. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractLate blight (LB), caused by Phytophthora infestans, is a destructive disease of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) worldwide. Currently, there are few commercial cultivars of tomato with resistance to LB, and the disease is mainly controlled by heavy use of fungicides. Due to the emergence of fungicide‐resistant pathogen isolates, there is a concerted effort to identify new genetic sources of resistance and breed new resistant cultivars. A recent screening identified several new tomato accessions with strong resistance to LB. Here, we report on the genetic basis of LB resistance in S. pimpinellifolium accession PI 270441, as determined by generation means analysis and analysis of response to selection, using populations derived from crosses with LB‐susceptible breeding line Fla. 8059. Heritability of LB resistance ranged from 0.76 to 0.78, and the minimum number of genes was estimated 1—few. These results suggest that transfer of LB resistance from PI 270441 to the cultivated tomato should be feasible via a traditional backcross breeding approach. Genetic mapping studies are underway to identify molecular markers associated with resistance in this accession.
High temperature exposure did not affect induced 2n pollen viability in Populus
Authors: Tian Mengdi , Zhang Yuan , Liu Yan , Kang Xiangyang , Zhang Pingdong 
Published: February 2018

AbstractHigh temperature exposure is widely used as a physical mutagenic agent to induce 2n gametes in Populus. However, whether high temperature exposure affects induced 2n pollen viability remains unknown. To clarify whether high temperature exposure affected the induced 2n pollen viability, 2n pollen induced by 38 and 41 °C temperatures, pollen morphology, 2n pollen germination in vitro, and crossing induced 2n pollen with normal gametes to produce a triploid was, based on observations of meiosis, conducted in Populus canescens. We found that the dominant meiotic stages (F = 56.6, p < .001) and the treatment duration (F = 21.4, p < .001) significantly affected the occurrence rate of induced 2n pollen. A significant decrease in pollen production and an increase in aborted pollen were observed (p < .001). High temperature sometimes affected in ectexine deposition and some narrow furrows were also analysed via details of ectexine structure. However, no significant difference in 2n pollen germination rate was observed between natural 2n pollen (26.7%) and high‐temperature‐induced 2n pollen (26.2%), and 42 triploids were created by crossing high‐temperature‐induced 2n pollen, suggesting that 38 and 41 °C temperatures exposure will not result in dysfunctional induced 2n pollen.
The localization and function of p38α mitogen‐activated protein kinase in rat oocytes
Authors: Hu S , Yu Q , Wang Y , Ke D , Zhou F , Cheng G , Xia W , Zhu C 
Published: February 2018

ContentsP38α mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), which is a member of the canonical MAPK family, is activated in response to various extracellular stresses and plays a role in multiple cellular processes. In this study, we investigated the expression, subcellular localization and functional roles of p38α MAPK during the meiotic maturation of rat oocytes. We found that p38α MAPK phosphorylation (p‐p38α MAPK, indicative of p38α MAPK activation) was low at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, increased 3 hr after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and maintained its maximum at metaphase I (MI) or metaphase II (MII). The p‐p38α MAPK mainly accumulated in the GV and had no obvious expression in the nucleus. From GVBD to MII, p‐p38α MAPK was distributed in the cytoplasm around either the chromosomes or the spindle. We used SB203580, an inhibitor of p38α MAPK, to investigate the possible functional role of p38α MAPK during rat oocyte meiotic maturation. Treatment of GV stage oocytes with 20 μM SB203580 blocked p‐p38α MAPK activity, and the spindles appeared abnormal. Additionally, the rate of GVBD after 3 hr of culture with 20 μM SB203580 (58.8%) was significantly inhibited compared with the control (82.5%, p < .05), and the polar body extrusion rate after 12 hr of culture with SB203580 was also significantly decreased compared with the control (40.1% vs 73.3%, p < .05). Taken together, these data indicate that p38α MAPK may play a vital role in rat oocyte meiotic maturation.
Does the political party in the government increase intentional homicide in Brazil?
Authors: Loureiro Paulo R. A. , Moreira Tito B. S. , Nascimento Antônio , Ellery Roberto 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThis paper investigates the impacts of the Workers’ Party (WP) in government on the homicide rate in Brazil from panel data for the Brazilian states between 1980 and 2011 using the system of generalized method of moments. An important explanatory factor in the homicide rate is the association between socioeconomic variables and left political parties in state governments. The results provide empirical evidence that the WP's control of the government increased the homicide rate more than the other political parties. This suggests that increasing the number of years of WP occupation of the presidency leads to a more pronounced increase in the homicide rate, compared with other political parties. Although the observed trend indicates increased rates of homicide, more substantial growth was observed in almost all states under WP rule during the period 2003 to 2011, contributing to a higher overall level of violence in Brazil.
Functional Principal Components Analysis on Moving Time Windows of Longitudinal Data: Dynamic Prediction of Times to Event
Authors: Yan Fangrong , Lin Xiao , Li Ruosha , Huang Xuelin 
Published: February 2018

SummaryFunctional principal component analysis (FPCA) is a powerful approach for modelling noisy and irregularly measured longitudinal data. Similarly to principal component analysis that extracts features from multivariate random vectors, FPCA can extract features from longitudinal biomarker data. We propose to use these features to update predictions for patients’ prognoses frequently. Traditional FPCA applies only to data observed in a common time window. In the setting of time-to-event analysis, the patterns of the biomarker trajectories may change over time, which poses a challenge for the application of FPCA to dynamic prediction. We propose to use a series of moving time windows to apply FPCA techniques, and we impose smoothness constraints between parameters for these moving windows. Simulation studies show that the approach proposed can provide more robust performance than predictions based on parametric models for longitudinal biomarker data, by prediction judged by performance measures such as the root-mean-square errors and area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics. We apply the method to a longitudinal study for chronic myeloid leukaemia patients, predicting their time to disease progression by using the transcript levels of an oncogene, BCR-ABL, which is repeatedly measured during their follow-up visits.
Self‐sensing damage in CNT infused epoxy panels with and without glass‐fibre reinforcement
Authors: Ikikardaslar K.T. , Delale F. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe objective of the study is to utilise a material's inherent electrical conductivity as means of damage quantification and damage location detection. After determining the percolation threshold for a carbon nanotube (CNT)‐epoxy mixture, an optimum concentration was chosen to infuse it into glass‐fabric reinforced panels to make them electrically conductive. Two different multiwalled CNT‐epoxy composites were manufactured for this study: CNT enhanced epoxy resin and glass‐fabric reinforced CNT epoxy resin. Epoxy resin‐based glass‐fabric reinforced composite panels enhanced with carbon nanotubes were manufactured with embedded electrodes and then subjected to damages. Rectangular panels of various proportions were studied. Disks made out of copper foil were affixed to surfaces of CNT epoxy panel, whereas in glass‐fabric CNT epoxy specimen, total of 64 electrodes (grid of 8 × 8) were embedded inside the composite panel under the top layer of the 10‐ply fabric. The disks acted as electrodes, enabling voltage measurements using in‐line 4‐probe technique, which minimises contact resistance between the electrodes and the material. Two different configurations of electrode network were employed to scan voltage change in the entire composite panel. The networks included evenly spaced (3 in. for inner ones) electrodes that spanned the surface of the panel. To further investigate influence of electrodes distribution, finite element simulations were used to solve the electrical potential distribution in the panel for various damage sizes and location. Predamage and postdamage voltage field was used as gauge in sensing the damage and its extent for quantification. The finite element method simulation results matched the experimental data closely. The results indicate that there is a consistent behaviour that can be correlated to the size and location of the damage. As spacing between electrodes is increased, they become less responsive to smaller damages. Forty‐eight electrodes (out of 64) were actively used and were enough to confirm that the method can be used as an alternative to electrical tomography method where fewer (boundary) electrodes per area are employed but at a higher cost of computational cost. One important aspect of this study with embedded and distributed electrodes is the fact that the method can be applied to larger panels increasing its utility in practical applications.
EVOLUTION OF RELIGIOUS CAPACITY IN THE GENUS HOMO: TRAIT COMPLEXITY IN ACTION THROUGH COMPASSION
Authors: Rappaport Margaret Boone , Corbally Christopher 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn this third and last article on the evolution of religious capacity, the authors focus on compassion, one of religious expression's common companions. They explore the various meanings of compassion, using Biblical and early related documents, and derive general cognitive components before an evolutionary analysis of compassion using their model. Then, in taking on neural reuse theory, they adapt a model from linguistics theory to understand how neural reuse could have operated to fix religious capacity in the human genome. They present a teaching tool on “Religious Capacity in Action,” and develop an example of compassionate decision making in very earlyHomo sapiensin North Africa. They round out their analysis of compassion by exploring theory in neuroscience on a standard decision‐making model, and investigate what goes on in the human brain when a values‐based decision is made.
ISLAMIC MODERNITY AND THE CHALLENGES FOR SECULAR LIBERALISM
Authors: Blancke Stefaan 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn his recent book Islam Evolving: Radicalism, Reformation, and the Uneasy Relationship with the Secular West, Taner Edis discusses Islamic responses to the modern world and how the West deals and should deal with them. He argues convincingly that the biggest threat to secular liberalism is not fundamentalism but an Islamic form of modernity. He attributes some of the latter's success to Western neoliberalism and to the failure of secular liberals to come up with persuasive arguments. He thus puts part of the blame on the West. However, although self‐criticism is an essential aspect of a well‐functioning democracy, we should not take it too far. Instead, there exist convincing reasons why a secular liberal society is strongly preferable to a religious conservative one.
Self-Paced Cycling Improves Cognition on Institutionalized Older Adults Without Known Cognitive Impairment: A 15-Month Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Varela Silvia , Cancela José M. , Seijo-Martinez Manuel , Ayán Carlos 
Published: February 2018

This study aimed at identifying the effects of self-paced cycling on the cognitive and functional status and fall risk on institutionalized older adults without cognitive impairment. A total of 39 individuals were randomly assigned to an exercise group or to a control group. The exercise group participants cycled at their self-selected intensity at least for 15 min daily during 15 months. The control group participants performed recreational activities. The Mini-Mental State Examination, Fuld object memory evaluation, and symbol digit modality test were used for cognitive assessments. The Katz index, the timed “Up & Go” test, and the World Health Organization questionnaire were used to assess functional independence, mobility, and fall risk. Significant improvements were observed in the exercise group for global cognition and attention, visual scanning, and processing speed. Long-term self-paced cycling training seems to have a protective effect on cognitive status and attention, visual scanning, and processing speed in older institutionalized individuals.
The Birth and Demise of the IS
Apl1
-
mcr-1
-IS
Apl1
Composite Transposon: the Vehicle for Transferable Colistin Resistance
Authors: Snesrud Erik , McGann Patrick , Chandler Michael 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

The origin and mobilization of the ~2,609-bp DNA segment containing the mobile colistin resistance gene
mcr-1
continue to be sources of uncertainty, but recent evidence suggests that the gene originated in
Moraxella
species. Moreover
mcr-1
can be mobilized as an IS
Apl1
-flanked composite transposon (Tn
6330
), but many sequences have been identified without IS
Apl1
or with just a single copy (single ended). To further clarify the origins and mobilization of
mcr-1
, we employed the Geneious R8 software suite to comprehensively analyze the genetic environment of every complete
mcr-1
structure deposited in GenBank as of this writing (September 2017) both with and without associated IS
Apl1
(
n
= 273). This revealed that the 2,609-bp
mcr-1
structure was likely mobilized from a close relative of a novel species of
Moraxella
containing a chromosomal region sharing >96% nucleotide identity with the canonical sequence. This chromosomal region is bounded by AT and CG dinucleotides, which have been described on the inside ends (IE) of all intact Tn
6330
described to date and represent the ancestral 2-bp target site duplications (TSDs) generated by IS
Apl1
transposition. We further demonstrate that all
mcr-1
structures with just one IS
Apl1
copy or with no IS
Apl1
copies were formed by deletion of IS
Apl1
from the ancestral Tn
6330
, likely by a process related to the “copy-out–paste-in” transposition mechanism. Finally, we show that only the rare examples of single-ended structures that have retained a portion of the excised downstream IS
Apl1
including the entire inverted right repeat might be capable of mobilization.

IMPORTANCE
A comprehensive analysis of all intact
mcr-1
sequences in GenBank was used to identify a region on the chromosome of a novel
Moraxella
species with remarkable homology to the canonical
mcr-1
structure and that likely represents the origin of this important gene. These data also demonstrate that all
mcr-1
structures lacking one or both flanking IS
Apl1
were formed from ancestral composite transposons that subsequently lost the insertion sequences by a process of abortive transposition. This observation conclusively shows that mobilization of
mcr-1
occurs as part of a composite transposon and that structures lacking the downstream IS
Apl1
are not capable of mobilization.