bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combining mutations at genes encoding key enzymes involved in starch synthesis affects the amylose content, carbohydrate allocation and hardness in the wheat grain
Authors: Botticella Ermelinda , Sestili Francesco , Sparla Francesca , Moscatello Stefano , Marri Lucia , Cuesta‐Seijo Jose A. , Falini Giuseppe , Battistelli Alberto , Trost Paolo , Lafiandra Domenico 
Published: March 2018

SummaryModifications to the composition of starch, the major component of wheat flour, can have a profound effect on the nutritional and technological characteristics of the flour's end products. The starch synthesized in the grain of conventional wheats (Triticum aestivum) is a 3:1 mixture of the two polysaccharides amylopectin and amylose. Altering the activity of certain key starch synthesis enzymes (GBSSI, SSIIa and SBEIIa) has succeeded in generating starches containing a different polysaccharide ratio. Here, mutagenesis, followed by a conventional marker‐assisted breeding exercise, has been used to generate three mutant lines that produce starch with an amylose contents of 0%, 46% and 79%. The direct and pleiotropic effects of the multiple mutation lines were identified at both the biochemical and molecular levels. Both the structure and composition of the starch were materially altered, changes which affected the functionality of the starch. An analysis of sugar and nonstarch polysaccharide content in the endosperm suggested an impact of the mutations on the carbon allocation process, suggesting the existence of cross‐talk between the starch and carbohydrate synthesis pathways.
Leaf and canopy photosynthesis of a chlorophyll deficient soybean mutant
Authors: Sakowska Karolina , Alberti Giorgio , Genesio Lorenzo , Peressotti Alessandro , Delle Vedove Gemini , Gianelle Damiano , Colombo Roberto , Rodeghiero Mirco , Panigada Cinzia , Juszczak Radosław , Celesti Marco , Rossini Micol , Haworth Matthew , Campbell Benjamin W. , Mevy Jean‐Philippe , Vescovo Loris , Cendrero‐Mateo M. Pilar , Rascher Uwe , Miglietta Franco 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe photosynthetic, optical, and morphological characteristics of a chlorophyll‐deficient (Chl‐deficient) “yellow” soybean mutant (MinnGold) were examined in comparison with 2 green varieties (MN0095 and Eiko). Despite the large difference in Chl content, similar leaf photosynthesis rates were maintained in the Chl‐deficient mutant by offsetting the reduced absorption of red photons by a small increase in photochemical efficiency and lower non‐photochemical quenching. When grown in the field, at full canopy cover, the mutants reflected a significantly larger proportion of incoming shortwave radiation, but the total canopy light absorption was only slightly reduced, most likely due to a deeper penetration of light into the canopy space. As a consequence, canopy‐scale gross primary production and ecosystem respiration were comparable between the Chl‐deficient mutant and the green variety. However, total biomass production was lower in the mutant, which indicates that processes other than steady state photosynthesis caused a reduction in biomass accumulation over time. Analysis of non‐photochemical quenching relaxation and gas exchange in Chl‐deficient and green leaves after transitions from high to low light conditions suggested that dynamic photosynthesis might be responsible for the reduced biomass production in the Chl‐deficient mutant under field conditions.
Arabidopsis nonresponding to oxylipins locus NOXY7 encodes a yeast GCN1 homolog that mediates noncanonical translation regulation and stress adaptation
Authors: Izquierdo Yovanny , Kulasekaran Satish , Benito Pablo , López Bran , Marcos Ruth , Cascón Tomás , Hamberg Mats , Castresana Carmen 
Published: March 2018

AbstractStress adaptation and translational regulation was studied using noxy7 (nonresponding to oxylipins7) from a series of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. We identified the noxy7 mutation in At1g64790, which encodes a homolog of the yeast translational regulator General Control Nonderepressible1 (GCN1) that activates the GCN2 kinase; GCN2 in turn phosphorylates the α subunit of the translation initiation factor eIF2. This regulatory circuit is conserved in yeast and mammals, in which phosphorylated eIF2α (P‐eIF2α) facilitates stress adaptation by inhibiting protein synthesis. In phenotypic and de novo protein synthesis studies with Arabidopsis mutants, we found that NOXY7/GCN1 and GCN2 mediate P‐eIF2α formation and adaptation to amino acid deprivation; however, P‐eIF2α formation is not linked to general protein synthesis arrest. Additional evidence suggested that NOXY7/GCN1 but not GCN2 regulates adaptation to mitochondrial dysfunction, high boron concentration, and activation of plant immunity to infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst). In these responses, NOXY7/GCN1 acts with GCN20 to regulate translation in a noncanonical pathway independently of GCN2 and P‐eIF2α. These results show the lesser functional relevance of GCN2 and P‐eIF2α in plants relative to other eukaryotes and highlight the prominent role of NOXY7/GCN1 and GCN20 in regulation of translation and stress adaptation in plants.
Macrocephaly diagnosed during well child visits
Authors: Yılmazbaş Pınar , Gökçay Gülbin , Eren Tijen , Karapınar Esra , Kural Bahar 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe measurement of head circumference (HC) provides valuable anthropometric data for a child's growth during well child visits. There are few studies on the characteristics of macrocephaly (MC) diagnosed during well child visits. The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of children with MC diagnosed during the well‐child visits.MethodsThis descriptive clinical study was carried out in the well child unit of a medical faculty hospital. The health records of all children who were followed up between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed. The records of children with the diagnosis of MC were evaluated. All children with MC had cranial ultrasonography, measurement of parental HC, and biochemistry. The HC measurements were carried out until 3 years of age in the unit.ResultsNinety of 9,758 children (0.9%) had the diagnosis of MC. Of these children, 61% were male. Mean age at diagnosis was 2.7 months. The majority of children (63.3%) had familial MC. The other leading findings were isolated MC and hydrocephalus: two of eight children with hydrocephalus had delayed neuromotor development.ConclusionMC was not rare in the present well child unit population. The evaluation of parental HC and cranial ultrasonography might be important for the differential diagnosis.
Complications in pediatric intestine transplantation in the absence of peri‐operative donor or recipient bowel decontamination
Authors: Clouse Jared W. , Kubal Chandrashekhar A. , Fridell Jonathan A. , Mangus Richard S. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis study reports the clinical complication and infection rates of an active pediatric IT program that has never utilized bowel decontamination in either the donor or the recipient. All patients undergoing IT from 2003 to 2015 at a single pediatric IT center were reviewed. Post‐transplant surgical, infectious, and immunosuppressive complications are reported. There were 52 patients who underwent IT during the study period. Among these patients, 4% developed a postoperative abscess, one developed an enteric fistula (2%), and one had an enteric or anastomotic leak (2%). The rate of any bacterial infection was 90% in the first year, with a wound infection rate of 23%. Any fungal infection occurred in 25% of patients. Any viral infection occurred in 75% of patients. Gastrointestinal viruses were diagnosed in 52% of patients, and cytomegalovirus infections occurred in 17%. Rejection rates were 39% at any time post‐transplant (isolated 44% and 35% for multivisceral patients). At this center in which no bowel decontamination was used, rates of surgical complications, infections, and rejection were similar to those reported by other centers. These findings suggest bowel decontamination may provide no significant benefit in this population of high‐risk transplant patients.
Evidence of early defence to Ascochyta lentis within the recently identified Lens orientalis resistance source ILWL180
Authors: Dadu R. H. R. , Ford R. , Sambasivam P. , Gupta D. 
Published: March 2018

In plant–pathogen interactions, strong structural and biochemical barriers may induce a cascade of reactions in planta, leading to host resistance. The kinetic speed and amplitudes of these defence mechanisms may discriminate resistance from susceptibility to necrotrophic fungi. The infection processes of two Ascochyta lentis isolates (FT13037 and F13082) on the recently identified ascochyta blight (AB)‐resistant Lens orientalis genotype ILWL180 and two cultivated genotypes, ILL7537 (resistant) and ILL6002 (susceptible), were assessed. Using histopathological methods, significant differences in early behaviour of the isolates and the subsequent differential defence responses of the hosts were revealed. Irrespective of virulence, both isolates had significantly lower germination, shorter germ tubes and delayed appressorium formation on the resistant genotypes (ILWL180 and ILL7537) compared to the susceptible genotype (ILL6002); furthermore, these were more pronounced on genotype ILWL180 than on genotype ILL7537. Subsequently, host perception of pathogen entry led to the faster accumulation and notably higher amounts of reactive oxygen species and phenolic compounds at the penetration sites of the resistance genotypes ILWL180 and ILL7537. In contrast, genotype ILL6002 responded slowly to the A. lentis infection and reaffirmed previous gross disease symptomology reports as highly susceptible. Interestingly, quantification of H2O2 was markedly higher in ILWL180 particularly at 12 h post‐inoculation compared to ILL7537, potentially indicative of its superior resistance capability. Faster recognition of A. lentis is likely to be a major contribution to the superior resistance observed in genotype ILWL180 to the highly aggressive isolates of A. lentis assessed.
Cardiac measures of nuclear power plant operator stress during simulated incident and accident scenarios
Authors: Pakarinen Satu , Korpela Jussi , Torniainen Jari , Laarni Jari , Karvonen Hannu 
Published: March 2018

AbstractMaintaining optimal performance in demanding situations is challenged by stress‐induced alterations in performance. Here, we quantified the stress of nuclear power plant (NPP) operators (N = 20) during a full‐scale simulator training for incident and accident scenarios. We compared the ambulatory electrocardiography measurements of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), and self‐reported stress during baselines and simulated scenarios. Perceived (scale 0–10) and physiologically measured stress were low during baseline after the scenarios and normal NPP operation (means 1.8–2.2, mean HR 75–80 bpm). During a cognitively challenging scenario simulating a sensor malfunction, the operators' stress was mild to moderate (mean 3.4; HR + 12% from baseline). During simulations of severe accidents of fire and radioactive steam leakage, the experienced stress and cardiac activity were on a moderate to high level (means 4.2 and 4.6; HR + 23% and + 14% from baseline, respectively). Cardiac activity paralleled the self‐reported stress: correlation of self‐reported stress to HR was 0.61 (p < .001) and to HRV features RMSSD, HF, LF/HF, SD1, and SD1/SD2 were −0.26, −0.28, 0.35, −0.40, and −0.39 (p < .01), respectively. The low shared variance (22%) between HR and physical activity further support the interpretation that the cardiac activity was strongly linked to the experience of stress and not accountable by operators' movement within the simulator. Cardiac measurements in naturalistic settings can thus reveal relevant information on acute stress with the benefit of not interrupting the primary task.
Visualizing Rate of Change: An Application to Age-specific Fertility Rates
Authors: Shang Han Lin 
Published: March 2018

SummaryVisualization methods help in the discovery of characteristics that might not have been apparent by using mathematical models and summary statistics. However, visualization methods have not received much attention in demography, with the exceptions of scatter plots and Lexis surfaces. We utilize a phase plane plot to visualize the rate of change, obtained from derivatives of a continuous function. The phase plane plot bears a resemblance to hysteresis loops, isogrowth curves and solutions to differential equations. Using Australian and Chilean fertility, we present phase plane plots. Similarly to the scatter plot and Lexis surface, the phase plane plot identifies the age with maximum fertility rate and displays skewness of the fertility distribution. Unlike the scatter plot and Lexis surface, the phase plane plot identifies the age with maximum positive or negative velocity (i.e. the trend) and can compare the magnitude of the rate of change between any two years on the basis of the size of the radius of circles. The phase plane plot enables visualization of dynamic changes in fertility for a given age over the years and is potentially useful for visualizing dynamic changes in birth cohort fertility. Via the animate package in LATEX, a dynamic phase plane plot is also proposed to visualize changes in fertility over age or year.
Auxiliary Gradient-Based Sampling Algorithms
Authors: Titsias Michalis K. , Papaspiliopoulos Omiros 
Published: March 2018

SummaryWe introduce a new family of Markov chain Monte Carlo samplers that combine auxiliary variables, Gibbs sampling and Taylor expansions of the target density. Our approach permits the marginalization over the auxiliary variables, yielding marginal samplers, or the augmentation of the auxiliary variables, yielding auxiliary samplers. The well-known Metropolis-adjusted Langevin algorithm MALA and preconditioned Crank–Nicolson–Langevin algorithm pCNL are shown to be special cases. We prove that marginal samplers are superior in terms of asymptotic variance and demonstrate cases where they are slower in computing time compared with auxiliary samplers. In the context of latent Gaussian models we propose new auxiliary and marginal samplers whose implementation requires a single tuning parameter, which can be found automatically during the transient phase. Extensive experimentation shows that the increase in efficiency (measured as the effective sample size per unit of computing time) relative to (optimized implementations of) pCNL, elliptical slice sampling and MALA ranges from tenfold in binary classification problems to 25 fold in log-Gaussian Cox processes to 100 fold in Gaussian process regression, and it is on a par with Riemann manifold Hamiltonian Monte Carlo sampling in an example where that algorithm has the same complexity as the aforementioned algorithms. We explain this remarkable improvement in terms of the way that alternative samplers try to approximate the eigenvalues of the target. We introduce a novel Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling scheme for hyperparameter learning that builds on the auxiliary samplers. The MATLAB code for reproducing the experiments in the paper is publicly available and an on-line supplement to this paper contains additional experiments and implementation details.
Sociophonetics: The Role of Words, the Role of Context, and the Role of Words in Context
Authors: Hay Jennifer 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis paper synthesizes a wide range of literature from sociolinguistics and cognitive psychology, to argue for a central role for the “word” as a vehicle of language variation and change. Three crucially interlinked strands of research are reviewed—the role of context in associative learning, the word‐level storage of phonetic and contextual detail, and the phonetic consequences of skewed distributions of words across different contexts. I argue that the human capacity for associative learning, combined with attention to fine‐phonetic detail at the level of the word, plays a significant role in predicting a range of subtle but systematically robust observed socioindexical patterns in speech production and perception.
Abstract Concepts and Pictures of Real‐World Situations Activate One Another
Authors: McRae Ken , Nedjadrasul Daniel , Pau Raymond , Lo Bethany Pui‐Hei , King Lisa 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAbstract concepts typically are defined in terms of lacking physical or perceptual referents. We argue instead that they are not devoid of perceptual information because knowledge of real‐world situations is an important component of learning and using many abstract concepts. Although the relationship between perceptual information and abstract concepts is less straightforward than for concrete concepts, situation‐based perceptual knowledge is part of many abstract concepts. In Experiment 1, participants made lexical decisions to abstract words that were preceded by related and unrelated pictures of situations. For example, share was preceded by a picture of two girls sharing a cob of corn. When pictures were presented for 500 ms, latencies did not differ. However, when pictures were presented for 1,000 ms, decision latencies were significantly shorter for abstract words preceded by related versus unrelated pictures. Because the abstract concepts corresponded to the pictured situation as a whole, rather than a single concrete object or entity, the necessary relational processing takes time. In Experiment 2, on each trial, an abstract word was presented for 250 ms, immediately followed by a picture. Participants indicated whether or not the picture showed a normal situation. Decision latencies were significantly shorter for pictures preceded by related versus unrelated abstract words. Our experiments provide evidence that knowledge of events and situations is important for learning and using at least some types of abstract concepts. That is, abstract concepts are grounded in situations, but in a more complex manner than for concrete concepts. Although people's understanding of abstract concepts certainly includes knowledge gained from language describing situations and events for which those concepts are relevant, sensory and motor information experienced during real‐life events is important as well.
Red blood cells treated with the amustaline (S‐303) pathogen reduction system: a transfusion study in cardiac surgery
Authors: Brixner Veronika , Kiessling Arndt‐Holger , Madlener Katharina , Müller Markus M. , Leibacher Johannes , Dombos Sarah , Weber Iuliia , Pfeiffer Hans‐Ulrich , Geisen Christof , Schmidt Michael , Henschler Reinhard , North Anne , Huang Norman , Mufti Nina , Erickson Anna , Ernst Christine , Rico Salvador , Benjamin Richard J. , Corash Laurence M. , Seifried Erhard 
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUNDNucleic acid–targeted pathogen inactivation technology using amustaline (S‐303) and glutathione (GSH) was developed to reduce the risk of transfusion‐transmitted infectious disease and transfusion‐associated graft‐versus‐host disease with red blood cell (RBC) transfusion.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA randomized, double‐blind, controlled study was performed to assess the in vitro characteristics of amustaline‐treated RBCs (test) compared with conventional (control) RBCs and to evaluate safety and efficacy of transfusion during and after cardiac surgery. The primary device efficacy endpoint was the postproduction hemoglobin (Hb) content of RBCs. Exploratory clinical outcomes included renal and hepatic failure, the 6‐minute walk test (a surrogate for cardiopulmonary function), adverse events (AEs), and the immune response to amustaline‐treated RBCs.RESULTSA total of 774 RBC unis were produced. Mean treatment difference in Hb content was –2.27 g/unit (95% confidence interval, –2.61 to –1.92 g/unit), within the prespecified equivalence margins (±5 g/unit) to declare noninferiority. Amustaline‐treated RBCs met European guidelines for Hb content, hematocrit, and hemolysis. Fifty‐one (25 test and 26 control) patients received study RBCs. There were no significant differences in RBC usage or other clinical outcomes. Observed AEs were within the spectrum expected for patients of similar age undergoing cardiovascular surgery requiring RBCs transfusion. No patients exhibited an immune response specific to amustaline‐treated RBCs.CONCLUSIONAmustaline‐treated RBCs demonstrated equivalence to control RBCs for Hb content, have appropriate characteristics for transfusion, and were well tolerated when transfused in support of acute anemia. Renal impairment was characterized as a potential efficacy endpoint for pivotal studies of RBC transfusion in cardiac surgery.
A preliminary study of serum IgE against cross‐reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCD) in client‐owned atopic dogs
Authors: Levy Britt J. , DeBoer Douglas J. 
Published: March 2018

BackgroundCross‐reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCD) are defined carbohydrate portions of glycoprotein cell surface molecules common to many plant and insect species. Mammalian species recognize CCD as foreign antigens and can mount humoral immune responses against them. Approximately 20–37% of grass and venom allergic people possess circulating IgE against CCD; these antibodies are generally considered clinically irrelevant. Anti‐CCD IgE is, however, recognized as a cause of false positive, clinically incongruent serum allergen test results in people; this phenomenon has not been investigated in animals.ObjectiveTo determine if anti‐CCD IgE could be detected in sera of client‐owned atopic dogs and how frequently it is found.AnimalsSera from 38 dogs with a clinical diagnosis of atopic dermatitis and prior serological evidence of IgE antibodies, defined as a positive result to at least one mite and pollen (of any type).MethodsSera were analysed for IgE against CCD and environmental allergens with a commercially available multiplex enzyme‐labelled allergen‐specific IgE assay.ResultsAnti‐CCD IgE was detected in nine of 38 (24%) of atopic dog sera. As with their human counterparts, all dogs with anti‐CCD IgE had strong serological reactivity to grass pollens.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceAnti‐CCD IgE can confound serological allergen testing in people; the same might be true in dogs. Further studies are warranted to investigate the clinical implications of anti‐CCD IgE in dogs, including the potential for these antibodies to affect serum allergen‐specific IgE assays used for clinical diagnosis, and whether they are relevant to clinical disease.
Surveillance of Circulating Bordetella pertussis Strains in Europe during 1998 to 2015
Authors: Barkoff Alex-Mikael , Mertsola Jussi , Pierard Denis , Dalby Tine , Hoegh Silje Vermedal , Guillot Sophie , Stefanelli Paola , van Gent Marjolein , Berbers Guy , Vestrheim Didrik F. , Greve-Isdahl Margrethe , Wehlin Lena , Ljungman Margaretha , Fry Norman K. , Markey Kevin , Auranen Kari , He Qiushui 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACT

One reason for increased pertussis incidence is the adaptation of
Bordetella pertussis
to vaccine-induced immunity by modulating its genomic structure. This study, EUpert IV, includes 265 isolates collected from nine European countries during 2012 to 2015 (
n
= 265) and compares the results to previous EUpert I to III studies (1998 to 2009). The analyses included genotyping, serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Genotyping results showed only small variations among the common virulence genes of
B. pertussis
. The frequencies of serotypes Fim2 and Fim3 varied among the four collections. Genomic analyses showed that MLVA type 27 increased to 80% between the periods of 1998 to 2001 and 2012 to 2015. Two PFGE profiles, BpSR3 (29.4%) and BpSR10 (27.2%), constituted more than 50% of the circulating isolates in the present collection. Our study indicates that the European
B. pertussis
population is changing and became more homogenous after the introduction of acellular pertussis vaccines.