bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biochemical characteristics of cellulose and a green alga degradation by Gilvimarinus japonicas 12-2T, and its application potential for seaweed saccharification
Authors: Kouzuma Shousei , Fujii Katsuhiko 
Published: September 2018

ABSTRACT
Cellulose is one of the major constituents of seaweeds, but reports of mechanisms in microbial seaweed degradation in marine environment are limited, in contrast to the multitude of reports for lignocellulose degradation in terrestrial environment. We studied the biochemical characteristics for marine cellulolytic bacterium Gilvimarinus japonicas 12-2T in seaweed degradation. The bacterial strain was found to degrade green and red algae, but not brown algae. It was shown that the bacterial strain employs various polysaccharide hydrolases (endocellulase, agarase, carrageenanase, xylanase, and laminarinase) to degrade seaweed polysaccharides. Electrophoretic analysis and peptide sequencing showed that the major protein bands on the electrophoresis gel were homologous to known glucanases and glycoside hydrolases. A seaweed hydrolysate harvested from the bacterial culture was found useful as a substrate for yeasts to produce ethanol. These findings will provide insights into possible seaweed decomposition mechanisms of Gilvimarinus, and its biotechnological potential for ethanol production from inedible seaweeds.
Is sports science answering the call for interdisciplinary research? A systematic review
Authors: Piggott Ben , Müller Sean , Chivers Paola , Papaluca Carmen , Hoyne Gerard 
Published: September 2018

AbstractSports science research is traditionally monodisciplinary despite calls for an interdisciplinary focus. The primary purpose of this systematic review was to identify studies on talent identification, talent selection and competition performance to determine whether interdisciplinary research is being conducted. Thirty‐six studies met the selection criteria. These studies were critiqued relative to sport, skill level, sport science sub‐disciplines included, and whether the research was multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary. The secondary purpose of the review was to critique the level of analysis and level of representative task design in performance tests used in the studies. Twenty‐five studies were categorised as interdisciplinary, with 11 categorised as multidisciplinary. Thirteen sports were represented with soccer the most frequent followed by field hockey, Australian Rules football, handball and rugby league. Thirty‐two studies completed their analysis at a group level and four at an individual level. A total of 337 performance tests were rated for representative task design with 64 categorised as low, 123 as medium and 150 as high. The results pertaining to interdisciplinary studies and individual analyses are discussed in relation to constraints theory, which predicts that interacting variables can explain sport performance. Sports science research is beginning to fulfil the call for interdisciplinary research. Future research, however, needs to consider individual analyses and representative task design of tests to progress sports science knowledge.
Plague and Violence in Early Modern Italy
Authors: Rose Colin 
Published: September 2018

AbstractFollowing the plague of 1630, which struck Northern Italy particularly hard, the erosion of social norms and hierarchies led to an outbreak of homicidal violence in the city and province of Bologna. In particular, urban nobility resumed practices of vendetta and revenge as politics that had lain dormant for some decades; while in the countryside, the heightened stresses of endemic rural poverty led to homicides over resources such as land, food, and employment. This article examines that outbreak of violence in the context of natural disaster, employing a selection of seventy-seven homicide trials prosecuted by the Tribunale del Torrone, the criminal court of Bologna, in 1632.
Squeezing, Squirting, Spilling Milk: The Lactation of Saint Bernard and the FlemishMadonna Lactans(ca. 1430–1530)
Authors: Sperling Jutta 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe focus on three drops of milk issuing from the Virgin’s breast in “The Virgin in Front of a Fire Screen” was inspired by contemporary representations of the Lactation of Saint Bernard. This latter iconography provides the visual context for the vivid address of eroticized depictions of the Madonna’s “one bare breast” in Flemish art and shows the intricate connections between visuality and materiality in fifteenth-century Flemish religious art. Some depictions of Saint Bernard’s lactation transform the Madonna’s jets of milk into rays of light aiming for his eyes, stressing the interchangeability of materiality and visuality as modes that were expected to facilitate and/or authenticate miraculous appearances of the Madonna.
Investigating the impact of cigarette smoking behaviours on DNA methylation patterns in adolescence
Authors: Prince Claire , Hammerton Gemma , Taylor Amy E , Anderson Emma L , Timpson Nicholas J , Davey Smith George , Munafò Marcus R , Relton Caroline L , Richmond Rebecca C 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
Smoking usually begins in adolescence, and early onset of smoking has been linked to increased risk of later life disease. There is a need to better understand the biological impact of cigarette smoking behaviours in adolescence. DNA methylation profiles related to smoking behaviours and cessation in adulthood have been previously identified, but alterations arising from smoking initiation have not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to investigate DNA methylation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in relation to (1) different smoking measures, (2) time since smoking initiation and frequency of smoke exposure and (3) latent classes of smoking behaviour. Using 2620 CpG sites previously associated with cigarette smoking, we investigated DNA methylation change in relation to own smoking measures, smoke exposure duration and frequency, and using longitudinal latent class analysis of different smoking behaviour patterns in 968 adolescents. Eleven CpG sites located in seven gene regions were differentially methylated in relation to smoking in adolescence. While only AHRR (cg05575921) showed a robust pattern of methylation in relation to weekly smoking, several CpGs showed differences in methylation among individuals who had tried smoking compared with non-smokers. In relation to smoke exposure duration and frequency, cg05575921 showed a strong dose–response relationship, while there was evidence for more immediate methylation change at other sites. Our findings illustrate the impact of cigarette smoking behaviours on DNA methylation at some smoking-responsive CpG sites, even among individuals with a short smoking history.
Contextualizing selection bias in Mendelian randomization: how bad is it likely to be?
Authors: Gkatzionis Apostolos , Burgess Stephen 
Published: September 2018

Abstract

Background
Selection bias affects Mendelian randomization investigations when selection into the study sample depends on a collider between the genetic variant and confounders of the risk factor–outcome association. However, the relative importance of selection bias for Mendelian randomization compared with other potential biases is unclear.

Methods
We performed an extensive simulation study to assess the impact of selection bias on a typical Mendelian randomization investigation. We considered inverse probability weighting as a potential method for reducing selection bias. Finally, we investigated whether selection bias may explain a recently reported finding that lipoprotein(a) is not a causal risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in individuals with previous coronary heart disease.

Results
Selection bias had a severe impact on bias and Type 1 error rates in our simulation study, but only when selection effects were large. For moderate effects of the risk factor on selection, bias was generally small and Type 1 error rate inflation was not considerable. Inverse probability weighting ameliorated bias when the selection model was correctly specified, but increased bias when selection bias was moderate and the model was misspecified. In the example of lipoprotein(a), strong genetic associations and strong confounder effects on selection mean the reported null effect on cardiovascular mortality could plausibly be explained by selection bias.

Conclusions
Selection bias can adversely affect Mendelian randomization investigations, but its impact is likely to be less than other biases. Selection bias is substantial when the effects of the risk factor and confounders on selection are particularly large.
The structure behind the Galactic bar traced by red clump stars in the VVV survey
Authors: Gonzalez Oscar A , Minniti Dante , Valenti Elena , Alonso-García Javier , Debattista Victor P , Zoccali Manuela , Rejkuba Marina , Dias Bruno , Surot Francisco , Hempel Maren , Saito Roberto K 
Published: September 2018

ABSTRACT
Red clump stars are commonly used to map the reddening and morphology of the inner regions of the Milky Way. We use the new photometric catalogues of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey to achieve twice the spatial resolution of previous reddening maps for Galactic longitudes $\rm -10^{\circ }\lt l\lt 10^{\circ }$ and latitudes $\rm -1.5^{\circ }\lt b\lt 1.5^{\circ }$. We use these de-reddened catalogues to construct the $\rm K_{s}$ luminosity function around the red clump in the Galactic plane. We show that the secondary peak (fainter than the red clump) detected in these regions does not correspond to the bulge red-giant branch bump alone, as previously interpreted. Instead, this fainter clump corresponds largely to the over-density of red clump stars tracing the spiral arm structure behind the Galactic bar. This result suggests that studies aiming to characterize the bulge red-giant branch bump should avoid low galactic latitudes ($\rm |b|\lt 2^{\circ }$), where the background red clump population contributes significant contamination. It furthermore highlights the need to include this structural component in future modelling of the Galactic bar.
Safety of Delafloxacin: Focus on Adverse Events of Special Interest
Authors: Lodise Thomas , Corey Ralph , Hooper David , Cammarata Sue 
Published: September 2018

Abstract

Background
Fluoroquinolones have been widely used for a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative infections, and by 2002 they had become the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics for adults in the United States. With widespread use, the class has become associated with a range of adverse events. Delafloxacin is a fluoroquinolone approved in the United States for the treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs). Delafloxacin is differentiated from other fluoroquinolones due to structural differences and in its activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including quinolone-resistant strains. This paper reviews the safety profile of delafloxacin across clinical studies with an emphasis on the incidence of adverse events of special interest that are associated with fluoroquinolones.

Methods
Data from 2 completed phase III studies of delafloxacin for the treatment of ABSSSIs were pooled and are the primary focus of this paper. Additional support from the full safety analysis set (30 completed phase I to phase III clinical studies) is included where applicable.

Results
Fewer patients in the pooled delafloxacin group had AESIs than in the comparator group (7.0% vs 9.2%, respectively). Delafloxacin had a low rate of discontinuations due to treatment-related adverse events (&lt;1%). Serious adverse events occurred at similar rates in patients treated with delafloxacin vs comparators.

Conclusions
Serious adverse events occurred at similar rates in patients treated with delafloxacin vs nonquinolone comparators used to treat ABSSSIs.

Clinicaltrials.gov identifier
NCT01984684 and NCT01811732
CO observations of the molecular gas in the Galactic H ii region Sh2-48: Evidence for cloud–cloud collision as a trigger of high-mass star formation
Authors: Torii Kazufumi , Hattori Yusuke , Matsuo Mitsuhiro , Fujita Shinji , Nishimura Atsushi , Kohno Mikito , Kuriki Mika , Tsuda Yuya , Minamidani Tetsuhiro , Umemoto Tomofumi , Kuno Nario , Yoshiike Satoshi , Ohama Akio , Tachihara Kengo , Fukui Yasuo , Shima Kazuhiro , Habe Asao , Haworth Thomas J 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
Sh2-48 is a Galactic H ii region, 3.8 kpc distant, with an O9.5-type star identified at its center. As a part of the FOREST Unbiased Galactic plane Imaging survey using the Nobeyama 45 m telescope (FUGIN) project, we obtained a CO J = 1–0 data set for a large area of Sh2-48 at a spatial resolution of 21″ (∼0.4 pc), and used it to find a molecular cloud with a total molecular mass of ∼3.8 × 104 M⊙ associated with Sh2-48. The molecular cloud has a systematic velocity shift in a velocity range of ∼42–47 km s−1. On the lower-velocity side the CO emission spatially corresponds to the bright 8 μm filament at the western rim of Sh2-48; however, the CO emission with higher velocities separates into the eastern and western sides of the 8 μm filament. This velocity variation forms a V-shaped feature in the east–west direction on the position–velocity diagram. We found that these lower- and higher-velocity components are, unlike the infrared and radio-continuum data, physically associated with Sh2-48. To interpret the observed V-shaped velocity distribution, we assess a cloud–cloud collision scenario, and found, from a comparison between observations and simulations, that the velocity distribution is an expected outcome of a collision between a cylindrical cloud corresponding to the lower-velocity component and a spherical cloud, and that the two separate higher-velocity components are interpretable as collision-broken remnants of the spherical cloud. Based on the consistency between an estimated formation timescale of the H ii region, ∼1.3 Myr, and a timescale of the collision, we conclude that the high-mass star formation in Sh2-48 was triggered by the collision.
From head to tail: a neuromechanical model of forward locomotion inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Izquierdo Eduardo J. , Beer Randall D. 
Published: September 2018

With 302 neurons and a near-complete reconstruction of the neural and muscle anatomy at the cellular level,Caenorhabditis elegansis an ideal candidate organism to study the neuromechanical basis of behaviour. Yet despite the breadth of knowledge about the neurobiology, anatomy and physics ofC. elegans, there are still a number of unanswered questions about one of its most basic and fundamental behaviours: forward locomotion. How the rhythmic pattern is generated and propagated along the body is not yet well understood. We report on the development and analysis of a model of forward locomotion that integrates the neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and body mechanics of the worm. Our model is motivated by experimental analysis of the structure of the ventral cord circuitry and the effect of local body curvature on nearby motoneurons. We developed a neuroanatomically grounded model of the head motoneuron circuit and the ventral nerve cord circuit. We integrated the neural model with an existing biomechanical model of the worm's body, with updated musculature and stretch receptors. Unknown parameters were evolved using an evolutionary algorithm to match the speed of the worm on agar. We performed 100 evolutionary runs and consistently found electrophysiological configurations that reproduced realistic control of forward movement. The ensemble of successful solutions reproduced key experimental observations that they were not designed to fit, including the wavelength and frequency of the propagating wave. Analysis of the ensemble revealed that head motoneurons SMD and RMD are sufficient to drive dorsoventral undulations in the head and neck and that short-range posteriorly directed proprioceptive feedback is sufficient to propagate the wave along the rest of the body.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Connectome to behaviour: modellingC. elegansat cellular resolution’.
Powerful and interpretable behavioural features for quantitative phenotyping ofCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Javer Avelino , Ripoll-Sánchez Lidia , Brown André E.X. 
Published: September 2018

Behaviour is a sensitive and integrative readout of nervous system function and therefore an attractive measure for assessing the effects of mutation or drug treatment on animals. Video data provide a rich but high-dimensional representation of behaviour, and so the first step of analysis is often some form of tracking and feature extraction to reduce dimensionality while maintaining relevant information. Modern machine-learning methods are powerful but notoriously difficult to interpret, while handcrafted features are interpretable but do not always perform as well. Here, we report a new set of handcrafted features to compactly quantifyCaenorhabditis elegansbehaviour. The features are designed to be interpretable but to capture as much of the phenotypic differences between worms as possible. We show that the full feature set is more powerful than a previously defined feature set in classifying mutant strains. We then use a combination of automated and manual feature selection to define a core set of interpretable features that still provides sufficient power to detect behavioural differences between mutant strains and the wild-type. Finally, we apply the new features to detect time-resolved behavioural differences in a series of optogenetic experiments targeting different neural subsets.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Connectome to behaviour: modellingC. elegansat cellular resolution’.
Developing a unique medical-grade honey which maximizes glucose oxidase activity
Authors: Li Zhiyuan , Parikh Rohan 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIn the fight against cancer and infection, honey is a compelling solution by virtue of its unique chemical composition; however, current medical-grade honeys are expensive and limited in their scope. In this study, a novel medical-grade honey was developed by maximizing the activity of glucose oxidase (GOX), an enzyme in honey that synthesizes hydrogen peroxide; maximization was done by neutralizing the effects of catalase and methylglyoxal (MGO), compounds in honey that interfere with H2O2 accumulation. Expressed GOX activity was quantified via H2O2 accumulation in honey after catalase, MGO, or both were inhibited. Results indicate the honeys tested have significant quantities of H2O2 inhibitors, greatly affecting expressed GOX activity; neutralization resulted in at least a 100% increase in H2O2 accumulation in all honeys. Blueberry honey with catalase inhibition by EGCG saw a 938% increase in H2O2 accumulation, reaching nearly three times the H2O2 accumulation in current medical grade honey for a tenth of the cost. This research presents a novel and readily reproducible method for maximizing H2O2 accumulation in any honey through neutralization of GOX inhibitors. GOX activity enhancement, combined with honey’s diverse antioxidants, enables the emergence of global low-cost medical-grade honeys with immense potential to revolutionize cancer and infection treatment.This paper is based on work presented at the Regional Science and Engineering Fair on March 15, 2018 at Riverside High School (Loudoun County, Virginia), the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair on April 14, 2018 at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (Roanoke, Virginia).Author SummaryWith cancer and post-operative infections on the rise, a natural, low-cost alternative treatment is necessary. Honey is an ideal candidate due to its diverse antioxidants and glucose oxidase, an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide. The purpose of this research was to maximize glucose oxidase activity by neutralizing compounds that interfere with H2O2 accumulation. This research yielded medical-grade honeys that are economical and more effective than current ones, presenting a novel method that is reproducible on a large scale, scalable to different needs, and applicable to any honey to create low-cost medical-grade honeys that can revolutionize cancer and infection treatment globally.
Nuclear transcriptomes of the seven neuronal cell types that constitute theDrosophilamushroom bodies
Authors: Shih Meng-Fu Maxwell , Davis Fred P. , Henry Gilbert Lee , Dubnau Josh 
Published: September 2018

ABSTRACTThe insect mushroom body (MB) is a conserved brain structure that plays key roles in a diverse array of behaviors. TheDrosophila melanogasterMB is the primary invertebrate model of neural circuits related to memory formation and storage, and its development, morphology, wiring, and function has been extensively studied. MBs consist of intrinsic Kenyon Cells that are divided into three major neuron classes (γ, α’/β’ and α/β) and 7 cell subtypes (γd, γm, α’/β’ap, α’/β’m, α/βp, α/βs and α/βc) based on their birth order, morphology, and connectivity. These subtypes play distinct roles in memory processing, however the underlying transcriptional differences are unknown. Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to profile the nuclear transcriptomes of each MB neuronal cell subtypes. We identified 350 MB class- or subtype-specific genes, including the widely used α/β class markerFas2and the α’/β’ class markertrio. Immunostaining corroborates the RNA-seq measurements at the protein level for several cases. Importantly, our data provide a full accounting of the neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes, neuropeptides, and neuropeptide receptors expressed within each of these cell types. This high-quality, cell type-level transcriptome catalog for theDrosophilaMB provides a valuable resource for the fly neuroscience community.
Camouflaging of repetitive movements in autistic female and transgender adults
Authors: Wiskerke Joost , Stern Heléne , Igelström Kajsa 
Published: September 2018

AbstractRepetitive movements (RMs), colloquially called “stimming” among adult autistic people and “motor stereotypies” among scientists, are common in autism. These behaviors fall under the domain of restricted and repetitive behaviors in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). RMs can be socially disruptive or cause self-harm, but can also be experienced as cognitively or emotionally helpful and even enjoyable. Overt RMs are less common in females than in males, which could contribute to clinical difficulties in detecting their autism. In the social domain, autistic people with intact intelligence can often mask their social difficulties through various compensation strategies, and females appear especially skilled at it. Subjective report from verbally able adults may be useful as a first step in detecting potential camouflaging of RMs, and to provide a foundation for further studies. We founded an Internet-based outreach platform that became particularly successful in reaching female and transgender individuals. We recruited 342 individuals to an anonymous online questionnaire, collected data about self-reported RMs and probed for potential camouflaging. The cohort comprised 56% formally diagnosed participants and 44% who self-identified as autistic, and 17% of all participants reported non-cisgender identity. Thus, in addition to diagnosed women, we reached two populations that would normally be excluded from autism studies: transgender and undiagnosed participants. We found high rates of RMs in both diagnosed and self-identifying participants, and a striking prevalence of camouflaging. We suggest that camouflaging of RMs may contribute to underdiagnosis of autism, at least in females and transgender people, and that further studies on this topic are exceptionally important.