bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maize Phyllosphere Microbial Community Niche Development Across Stages of Host Leaf Growth
Authors: Manching Heather C. , Carlson Kara , Kosowsky Sean , Smitherman C. Tyler , Stapleton Ann E. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe phyllosphere hosts a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, which can play a positive role in the success of the host plant. Bacterial communities in the phylloplane are influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors, including host plant surface topography and chemistry, which change in concert with microbial communities as the plant leaves develop and age. We examined howZea maysleaf microbial community structure changed with plant age. Ribosomal spacer length (ARISA) and scanning electron microscopic (size trait) imaging strategies were used to assess microbial community composition across maize plant ages, using a novel staggered experimental design. Significant changes in community composition were observed for both molecular and imaging analyses, and the two analysis methods provided complementary information about bacterial community structure within each leaf developmental stage. Both taxonomic and cell-size trait patterns provided evidence for niche-based contributions to microbial community development on leaves.
Overcoming insecticide resistance through computational inhibitor design
Authors: Correy Galen J. , Zaidman Daniel , Harmelin Alon , Carvalho Silvia , Mabbitt Peter D. , Calaora Viviane , James Peter J. , Kotze Andrew C. , London Nir , Jackson Colin J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractInsecticides allow control of agricultural pests and disease vectors and are vital for global food security and health. The evolution of resistance to insecticides, such as organophosphates (OPs), is a serious and growing concern. OP resistance often involves sequestration or hydrolysis of OPs by carboxylesterases. Inhibiting carboxylesterases could therefore restore the effectiveness of OPs for which resistance has evolved. Here, we use covalent computational design to produce nano/pico-molar boronic acid inhibitors of the carboxylesterase αE7 from the agricultural pestLucilia cuprina, as well as a common Gly137Asp αE7 mutant that confers OP resistance. These inhibitors, with high selectivity against human acetylcholinesterase, and low to no toxicity in human cells and mice, act synergistically with the OPs diazinon and malathion to reduce the amount of OP required to killL. cuprinaby up to 16-fold, and abolish resistance. The compounds exhibit broad utility in significantly potentiating another OP, chlorpyrifos against the common pest, the peach-potato aphid(Myzus persicae). These compounds represent a solution to OP resistance as well as to environmental concerns regarding overuse of OPs, allowing significant reduction of use without compromising efficacy.
De novo organelle biogenesis in the cyanobacterium TDX16 released from the green algaHaematococcus pluvialis
Authors: Dong Qing-lin , Xing Xiang-ying , Han Yang , Wei Xiao-lin , Zhang Shuo 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIt is believed that eukaryotes arise from prokaryotes, which means that organelles can form in the latter. Such events, however, had not been observed previously. Here, we report the biogenesis of organelles in the endosymbiotic cyanobacterium TDX16 that escaped from its senescent/necrotic host cell of green algaHaematococcus pluvialis. In brief, organelle biogenesis in TDX16 initiated with cytoplasm compartmentalization, followed by de-compartmentalization, DNA allocation, and re-compartmentalization, as such two composite organelles-the primitive chloroplast and primitive nucleus sequestering minor and major fractions of cellular DNA respectively were formed. Thereafter, the eukaryotic cytoplasmic matrix was built up from the matrix extruded from the primitive nucleus; mitochondria were assembled in and segregated from the primitive chloroplast, whereby the primitive nucleus and primitive chloroplast matured into nucleus and chloroplast respectively; while most mitochondria turned into double-membraned vacuoles after matrix degradation. Results of pigment analyses, 16S rRNA and genome sequencing revealed that TDX16 is a phycocyanin-containing cyanobacterium resemblingChroococcidiopsis thermalis, which had acquired 9,017,401bp DNAs with 10301 genes form its host. Therefore, organelle biogenesis in TDX16 was achieved by hybridizing the acquired eukaryotic DNAs with its own ones and expressing the hybrid genome.Organelle biogenesis in TDX16 results in its transition into a new eukaryotic alga TDX16-DE, which provides a reference to re-understand the development, structure, function and association of organelles in eukaryotes and the reasons behind them, and has implications on other sections of biology, particularly cancer biology and evolutionary biology: (1) the formation and maturation of the small organelle-less nascent cancer cells share striking similarities with TDX16 development and transition, so, it is most likely that cancer cells arise from bacteria; (2) organelle biogenesis in TDX16 uncovers a way of new organelle and new single-celled eukaryote formation, and in light of which, the ancestral organelles were likely formed in rather than transformed form the endosymbiotic prokaryotes that had acquired their hosts’ DNAs.
Toxicity of 2 pg ethynylestradiol in brown trout embryos (Salmo trutta)
Authors: da Cunha Lucas Marques , Uppal Anshu , Seddon Emily , Nusbaumer David , Vermeirssen Etienne L. M. , Wedekind Claus 
Published: July 2017

AbstractEndocrine disrupting chemicals are a threat to natural fish populations in the aquatic environment. Their toxicity is usually discussed relative to concentrations in the water the fish are exposed to. In the case of the synthetic compound 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2), a common and persistent estrogen, concentrations around 1 ng/L have repeatedly been found to induce toxic effects in fish. Here, we used brown trout (Salmo trutta) from a natural population to study EE2 take up and how it affects early life-history. We collected adults during the spawning season, produced 730 familiesin vitro(to control for potential maternal and paternal effects on embryo stress tolerance), and singly raised 7,300 embryos (in a 2 mL static system) that were either exposed to one dose of EE2 at 1 ng/L (i.e., 2 pg/embryo) or sham-treated. We found that EE2 concentration did not significantly change over a period of 3 months in control containers without embryos. Embryos took up most of the 2 pg EE2 within about 4 weeks at 4.6°C. EE2 treated embryos experienced higher mortality, delayed hatching of the survivors, and had reduced size at hatching. Our findings suggest that the toxicity of EE2 is often underestimated when discussed at the level of concentrations in water only.
Neurotropism of enterovirus D68 isolates is independent of sialic acid and is not a recently acquired phenotype
Authors: Rosenfeld Amy B , Warren Audrey L , Racaniello Vincent R 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAcute flaccid myelitis /acute flaccid paralysis (AFM/AFP) is a rare but serious illness of the nervous system, specifically affecting the grey matter of the spinal cord, motor controlling regions of the brain and the cranial nerve. Most cases of AFM/AFP are pathogen associated, typically with poliovirus and enterovirus infections, and occur in children under the age of 6 years old. Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was first isolated from children with pneumonia in 1962, but an association with AFM/AFP was not observed until the 2014 outbreak. Organotypic mouse brain slice cultures generated from postnatal day 1 to 10 mice were used to determine if neurotropism of EV-D68 is shared among virus isolates. Six of the seven EV-D68 isolates examined, including two from 1962 and four from the 2014 outbreak, replicated in neurons, and all replicated in astrocytes. Furthermore, a putative viral receptor, sialic acid, is not required for neurotropism of EV-D68, as both sialic acid dependent and independent viruses replicated within neurons. These observations demonstrate that EV-D68 is neurotropic independent of its genetic lineage, can infect both neurons and astrocytes, and that neurotropism is not a recently acquired characteristic as has been suggested.SignificanceRecently there has been an increase in the number of children infected with enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). Most infections are associated with mild flu-like symptoms, but neurological dysfunction may develop in a small number of children. How the biochemical and genetic differences among EV-D68 isolates relates to development of neurological disease remains an unanswered question. Assessing infection of multiple viral isolates in organotypic brain slice cultures from postnatal day 1 to 10 mice revealed that multiple isolates are neurotropic. Both neuraminidase sensitive and resistant viruses infected neurons, indicating that sialic acid binding does not play a role in EV-D68 neuropathogenesis. Establishment of a genetically and pharmacologically amenable system using organotypic brain slice cultures will provide insight into how EV-D68 neuropathologies develop.
A Synthetic Microbial Operational Amplifier
Authors: Zeng Ji , Kim Jaewook , Banerjee Areen , Sarpeshkar Rahul 
Published: July 2017

AbstractSynthetic biology has created oscillators, latches, logic gates, logarithmically linear circuits, and load drivers that have electronic analogs in living cells. The ubiquitous operational amplifier, which allows circuits to operate robustly and precisely has not been built with bio-molecular parts. As in electronics, a biological operational-amplifier could greatly improve the predictability of circuits despite noise and variability, a problem that all cellular circuits face. Here, we show how to create a synthetic 3-stage inducer-input operational amplifier with a differential transcription-factor stage, a CRISPR-based push-pull stage, and an enzymatic output stage with just 5 proteins including dCas9. Our ‘Bio-OpAmp’ expands the toolkit of fundamental circuits available to bioengineers or biologists, and may shed insight into biological systems that require robust and precise molecular homeostasis and regulation.One Sentence SummaryA synthetic bio-molecular operational amplifier that can enable robust, precise, and programmable homeostasis and regulation in living cells with just 5 protein parts is described.
Shimming design and optimal selection for non-uniform gaps in wing assembly
Authors: Wang Qing , Dou Yadong , Cheng Liang , Ke Yinglin 
Published: July 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to provide a shimming method based on scanned data and finite element analysis (FEA) for a wing box assembly involving non-uniform gaps. The effort of the present work is to deal with gap compensation problem using hybrid shims composed of solid and liquid forms.

Design/methodology/approach
First, the assembly gaps of the mating components are calculated based on the scanned surfaces. The local gap region is extracted by the seed point and region growth algorithm from the scattered point cloud. Second, with the constraints of hole margin, gap space and shim specification, the optional shimming schemes are designed by the exhaustive searching method. Finally, the three-dimensional model of the real component is reconstructed based on the reverse engineering techniques, such as section lines and sweeping. Using FEA software ABAQUS, the stress distribution and damage status of the joints under tensile load are obtained for optimal scheme selection.

Findings
With the scanned mating surfaces, the non-uniform gaps are digitally evaluated with accurate measurement and good visualization. By filling the hybrid shims in the assembly gaps, the joint structures possess similar load capacity but stronger initial stiffness compared to the custom-shimmed structures.

Practical implications
This method has been tested with the interface data of a wing tip, and the results have shown good efficiency and automation of the shimming process.

Originality/value
The proposed method can decrease the manufacturing cost of shims, shorten the shimming process cycle and improve the assembly efficiency.
Citizen engagement to sustaining community-based rural water supply in Indonesia
Authors: Kasri Rahmi Yetri , Wirutomo Paulus , Kusnoputranto Haryoto , Moersidik Setyo Sarwanto 
Published: July 2017

Purpose
This study aims to understand basic elements that form and influence citizen engagement to sustain service delivery of rural water in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach
Citizen engagement is elaborated through a sociological perspective of basic elements of social life that consist of structure, culture and process within the realm of a community’s living environment. Sustainability is explored through the life cycle of rural water supply service delivery by means of a strategic plan, financing and budget allocation, construction/expansion, operational and maintenance and support system for sustaining services. A case study was conducted in four Pamsimas villages in two districts with comparable natural environment and water system but with a contrast sustainability performance. Pamsimas is the biggest rural water supply program in Indonesia that was started in 2008 and implemented in 27,000 villages.

Findings
Through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the study found that appropriate citizen and government engagement since the implementation of the strategic plan throughout the rest of sub-cycles is key to sustainable service delivery. In the four aforementioned villages, sustainability is influenced more by structure elements such as government policy, program governance and source of water than by social and cultural elements.

Research limitations/implications
The study was done in four Pamsimas villages located in a mountainous area with a gravitation type of water system. The findings may be different in other locations or settings.

Originality/value
Lessons from this study will guide sector stakeholders to better define the engagement of citizens and the government and to create activities that trigger better engagement between citizens and the government, particularly the village government, so that citizens can avail the services.
Water, sanitation and hygiene in Jordan’s healthcare facilities
Authors: Khader Yousef Saleh 
Published: July 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine water availability, sanitation and hygiene (WSH) services, and healthcare waste management in Jordan healthcare facilities.

Design/methodology/approach
In total, 19 hospitals (15 public and four private) were selected. The WSH services were assessed in hospitals using the WSH in health facilities assessment tool developed for this purpose.

Findings
All hospitals (100 percent) had a safe water source and most (84.2 percent) had functional water sources to provide enough water for users’ needs. All hospitals had appropriate and sufficient gender separated toilets in the wards and 84.2 percent had the same in outpatient settings. Overall, 84.2 percent had sufficient and functioning handwashing basins with soap and water, and 79.0 percent had sufficient showers. Healthcare waste management was appropriately practiced in all hospitals.

Practical implications
Jordan hospital managers achieved major achievements providing access to drinking water and improved sanitation. However, there are still areas that need improvements, such as providing toilets for patients with special needs, establishing handwashing basins with water and soap near toilets, toilet maintenance and providing sufficient trolleys for collecting hazardous waste. Efforts are needed to integrate WSH service policies with existing national policies on environmental health in health facilities, establish national standards and targets for the various healthcare facilities to increase access and improve services.

Originality/value
There are limited WSH data on healthcare facilities and targets for basic coverage in healthcare facilities are also lacking. A new assessment tool was developed to generate core WSH indicators and to assess WSH services in Jordan’s healthcare facilities. This tool can be used by a non-WSH specialist to quickly assess healthcare facility-related WSH services and sanitary hazards in other countries. This tool identified some areas that need improvements.
How feasible is the West African eco currency union? An investigation using synchronicity and similarity measures
Authors: Miles William 
Published: July 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the proposed eco currency union has sufficient business cycle synchronization among its members to avoid problems such as those experienced in the last several years by countries in the eurozone. This monetary union would potentially include 18 countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo – which collectively have a GDP of over 744 billion dollars and a population of over 300 million people.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors will apply some recently created econometric tools that were developed specifically to investigate business cycle synchronization in the eurozone. These tools – denoted synchronicity and similarity – overcome some of the limitations of previous studies which have used vector autoregressions and suffered simultaneity bias as a result.

Findings
The different measures employed suggest that the potential members of the eco exhibit a very low level of synchronization. Nigeria in particular, which is heavily dependent on oil, as are some, but not all potential members, would be the largest member, and exhibits a very low level of synchronization with other prospective eco member nations. Finally, preliminary evidence from several countries which have joined the existing African currency unions does not indicate that the act of joining a currency union improves synchronization, and this result contradicts the “endogenous optimal currency area” hypothesis.

Research limitations/implications
Like previous studies on the topic, the authors rely on the available data. The number of observations is more limited than would be optimal.

Practical implications
The results would strongly caution against the creation of the eco currency union, as members appear even less ready for monetary integration than countries in the eurozone did.

Originality/value
This is the first study to apply the synchronicity and similarity tools to the prospective West African eco nations.
Labor mobility across the formal/informal divide in Turkey
Authors: Tansel Aysit , Acar Elif Öznur 
Published: July 2017

PurposeThis paper, the first one to use individual-level Turkish panel data, examines the labor market transitions in Turkey along the formal/informal employment divide. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the limited body of empirical evidence available on mobility and informality in the Turkish labor market.Design/methodology/approachToward this end, the authors use Turkish income and Living Conditions Survey panel data for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 to compute the Markov transition probabilities of individuals moving across six different labor market states: formal-salaried (FS), informal-salaried, formal self-employed, informal self-employed, unemployed and inactive. In order to examine the nature of mobility patterns in more detail, the authors then estimate six multinomial logit models individually for each transition adopting a number of individual and employment characteristics as explanatory variables.FindingsThe authors find evidence that mobility patterns are fairly similar across different time spans, the probability of remaining in initial state is higher than the probability of transition into another state for all the labor market states, except for unemployment, there is only very limited mobility into the FS state. Gender, education and sector of economic activity are observed to display significant effects on mobility patterns. The results reveal several relationships between the covariates and likelihood of variant transitions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a comprehensive and detailed diagnosis of the Turkish labor market. The market is observed to display a rather static structure throughout the period considered. The results indicate that a well recognition of underlying dynamics may help policy makers to produce various effective tools for addressing informality.Originality/valueFirst study to analyze labor market mobility across formal/informal sectors using newly available panel data.
Block copolymers of pyrrole and ethoxylated nonylphenol
Authors: Köken N. , Çamoglu M.E. , Güvel E.A. 
Published: July 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to synthesise block copolymers (PPy-b-ENP) of pyrrole (Py) and ethoxylated nonyl phenols (ENP) via redox systems in presence of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) at room temperature. The initiating radical was formed on reducing organic compound which in turn initiated polymerisation to give diblock copolymers containing chain ends of ENPs and polypyrrole (Ppy). The effects of the concentration of Ce+4 salt, ENPs and Py on both the yield and electrical conductivities of corresponding polymers were studied.

Design/methodology/approach
In total, 0.1 M stock solution of CAN:100 ml 1 M HNO3 was prepared freshly (7 ml HNO3 dissolved in 100 ml water) and used in 50 ml of 0.1 M CAN solution (2.7438 g CAN dissolved in 50 ml nitric acid solution). The reducing compound (Py) was dissolved in water. Py and ENP were added slowly to the flask with vigorous stirring. The content of the flask was flushed with oxygen-free nitrogen. The resulting copolymers were characterised with spectroscopic methods like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope.

Findings
In this study, DMSO-slightly soluble Py copolymers were produced with ENPs. The conductivities of copolymers were found to be in the range of 10-1 to 10-4 S/cm. Soluble and processable conductive polymers were developed.

Research limitations/implications
In this study, the water solubility of ENPs diminishes the conductivity of copolymer because of its surfactant structure. When the CAN/Py ratio was increased, PPys and copolymers with both higher yield and lower conductivity values were obtained. The results indicated that solubilities and the yield of the polymers synthesised in the presence of ENP have increased considerably. ENP caused degradative chain transfer reaction to become significant compared with bimolecular termination, so the yield decreased with increasing ENP concentration about 20 g/l. Results showed that yield of the copolymers strongly depends on Ce+4 concentrations while of copolymers were measured to be 10-3 S/cm.

Practical implications
PPy-b-ENP diblock copolymers were prepared with Ce+4 as an oxidation agent in a single step.

Social implications
These slightly soluble and conductive copolymers may overcome difficulties in the applications of PPy homopolymers and open new application areas.

Originality/value
PPy-b-ENPs of lightly soluble (in DMSO) and conductive (10-2 S/cm) copolymers have been synthesised in one step. The results indicate that the surface of the copolymer is composed of well-distributed nanospheres with an average particle diameter of 35-400 nm.