bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Belonging, idealized self and wellbeing
Authors: Palmieri Cristiana 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
This paper presents the findings from a study that examines the motivations of adult Australians of non-Italian origin to learn Italian in continuing education contexts in Sydney. The study embraces a view of motivation as a multifaceted phenomenon that is produced in a social environment through the interaction between the second language learners and the context in which they operate. The findings reveal that in the Australian multicultural context, the motivation to learn Italian is influenced by a process of negotiation of identity, triggered by both the presence of a well-established Italian migrant community, and the exposure to Italian cultural elements. Thus, the ‘investment’ of students in learning Italian may be generated by the desire to acquire some forms of symbolic capital rather than material resources, as in the case of other more ‘global’ languages (e.g., English). The willingness to invest in the acquisition of elements of symbolic capital indicates learners’ desire to achieve goals related to self-growth and identity development, which in turn generates greater gains in wellbeing. Interviews with the participants also reveal that intrinsic factors, such as affiliation (with the target language speaking community, as well as with the community of learners in Sydney), and self-realization (correspondence with the ideal self-image of a competent language speaker), are key motivators for this group of students. The desire to belong to a community, of either speakers of Italian or like-minded people involved in the same learning trajectory, highlights the importance of cultivating meaningful relationships to increase individuals’ wellbeing and to nurture a sense of attachment and affiliation.
Suppression of phenotype of Escherichia coli mutant defective in farnesyl diphosphate synthase by overexpression of gene for octaprenyl diphosphate synthase
Authors: Takahashi Hiroshi , Aihara Yuta , Ogawa Yukihiro , Murata Yoshimitsu , Nakajima Ken-ichi , Iida Maiko , Shirai Miyako , Fujisaki Shingo 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
We investigated suppression of the slow growth of an Escherichia coli ispA null mutant lacking farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase (i.e. IspA) by plasmids carrying prenyl diphosphate synthase genes. The growth rates of ispA mutant-transformants harboring a medium-copy number plasmid that carries ispA or ispB were almost the same as that of the wild-type strain. Although the level of FPP in the transformant with the ispA plasmid was almost the same as that in the wild-type strain, the level in the transformant with the ispB plasmid was as low as that in the ispA mutant. Purified octaprenyl diphosphate synthase (IspB) could condense isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) with dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) to form octaprenyl diphosphate and nonaprenyl diphosphate. It is possible that suppression of the slow growth of the ispA mutant by ispB was due to condensation of IPP not only with FPP but also with DMAPP by octaprenyl diphosphate synthase.
Schizosaccharomyces japonicus has low levels of CoQ10 synthesis, respiration deficiency, and efficient ethanol production
Authors: Kaino Tomohiro , Tonoko Kai , Mochizuki Shiomi , Takashima Yuriko , Kawamukai Makoto 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is essential for mitochondrial respiration and as a cofactor for sulfide quinone reductase. Schizosaccharomyces pombe produces a human-type CoQ10. Here, we analyzed CoQ in other fission yeast species. S. cryophilus and S. octosporus produce CoQ9. S. japonicus produces low levels of CoQ10, although all necessary genes for CoQ synthesis have been identified in its genome. We expressed three genes (dps1, dlp1, and ppt1) for CoQ synthesis from S. japonicus in the corresponding S. pombe mutants, and confirmed that they were functional. S. japonicus had very low levels of oxygen consumption and was essentially respiration defective, probably due to mitochondrial dysfunction. S. japonicus grows well on minimal medium during anaerobic culture, indicating that it acquires sufficient energy by fermentation. S. japonicus produces comparable levels of ethanol under both normal and elevated temperature (42 °C) conditions, at which S. pombe is not able to grow.
A modern purification method for volatile sesquiterpenes produced by recombinant Escherichia coli carrying terpene synthase genes
Authors: Shindo Kazutoshi 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Most volatile sesquiterpenes had been purified from plants using distillation and preparative gas chromatography, which is not applicable to many laboratories that do not possess a needed facility. Thus, this review focuses on a modern purification method for volatile sesquiterpenes using Escherichia coli cells that functionally express terpene synthase (Tps) genes. It was recently developed that recombinant E. coli cells carrying Tps genes were cultured in two-layer media (n-octane/TB medium) without harming the cells, and the volatile hydrophobic compounds trapped in the n-octane were purified by two-phase partition (alkane/alkaline 50% MeOH), silica gel column chromatography, and reversed-phase preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (if necessary). Consequently, it was found that the volatile sesquiterpenes are easily purified, the structures of which can then be determined by nuclear magnetic resonance, [α]D and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses. The antioxidant activities of several volatile sesquiterpenes are also presented in this review.
The delaying effect of alpha-glycerophosphocholine on senescence, transthyretin deposition, and osteoarthritis in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 mice
Authors: Matsubara Kiminori , Okuda Mayumi , Shibata Sachi , Miyaki Shigeru , Ohkubo Takeshi , Izu Hanae , Fujii Tsutomu 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Administration of alpha-glycerophosphocholine (GPC), a choline compound in food, is expected to contribute to human health. In this study, we evaluated its effect on aging in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. Male SAMP8 mice had free access to a commercial stock diet and drinking water with or without GPC (0.07 mg/ml). Mice in the GPC group had significantly lower total senescence grading score than that of the control group at 36 weeks of age. Administration of GPC decreased the deposition of transthyretin (TTR), an amyloidogenic protein, in the brain. Aggregated TTR activated microglia and led to neuroinflammation. Thus, GPC would protect the brain by reducing TTR deposition and preventing neuroinflammation. In a histological study of knee joints, it was found that SAMP8 mice administered GPC showed decreased joint degeneration. These results suggest that GPC delays the aging process and may be a useful compound in anti-aging functional food development.
A radio spectral index map and catalogue at 147–1400 MHz covering 80 per cent of the sky
Authors: de Gasperin F , Intema H T , Frail D A 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
The radio spectral index is a powerful probe for classifying cosmic radio sources and understanding the origin of the radio emission. Combining data at 147 MHz and 1.4 GHz from the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS) and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS), we produced a large-area radio spectral index map of ∼80 per cent of the sky (Dec. &gt; − 40 deg), as well as a radio spectral index catalogue containing 1396 515 sources, of which 503 647 are not upper or lower limits. Almost every TGSS source has a detected counterpart, while this is true only for 36 per cent of NVSS sources. We released both the map and the catalogue to the astronomical community. The catalogue is analysed to discover systematic behaviours in the cosmic radio population. We find a differential spectral behaviour between faint and bright sources as well as between compact and extended sources. These trends are explained in terms of radio galaxy evolution. We also confirm earlier reports of an excess of steep-spectrum sources along the galactic plane. This corresponds to 86 compact and steep-spectrum source in excess compared to expectations. The properties of this excess are consistent with normal non-recycled pulsars, which may have been missed by pulsation searches due to larger than average scattering along the line of sight.
Impact of sustained virologic response on short-term clinical outcomes in hepatitis C-related cirrhosis
Authors: Bashir Muhammad H. , Fazili Javid , Madhoun Mohammad F. , Kanagala Rajesh , Chen Sixia , Nusrat Salman 
Published: December 2017

Background
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common cause of cirrhosis, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Treatment of the underlying etiology has been shown to improve fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Aim
We sought to evaluate the impact of a sustained virologic response on liver chemistries, model for end stage liver disease (MELD) score, Child–Pugh–Turcotte score (CPT), and fibrosis 4 score (FIB4) in patients with liver cirrhosis secondary to HCV with portal hypertension, with or without decompensation.

Methods
Patients with HCV seen in our transplant clinic between June 2013 and September 2015 were identified using ICD-9 code 573.3. Charts were reviewed retrospectively.

Results
We collected data from 92 patients with a mean pretreatment MELD score of 9.16±2.98. The most common genotype was Ia, n=79 (86%). The mean duration of follow-up was 7.52±2.25 months. Transaminitis improved significantly at follow-up versus pretreatment [mean aspartate transaminase from 81.2±62.9 to 32.4±12.0 (P<0.0001); alanine transaminase 74.7±77.8 to 27.7±19.4 (P<0.0001)]. Albumin, bilirubin, and α-fetoprotein improved significantly. MELD scores improved in patients with pretreatment scores greater than 10 (P<0.0003), but not in patients with pretreatment scores less than 10 (P=0.501). The CPT score decreased from 6.1±0.9 to 5.8±0.9 (P<0.0024). The FIB4 score improved significantly in patients with baseline FIB4 more than 3.24, but not with higher baseline FIB4.

Conclusion
Use of direct antivirals in patients with decompensated cirrhosis because of HCV leads to improved MELD, FIB4, and CPT scores.
Employee job satisfaction and organizational performance: The role of conflict management
Authors: Coggburn Jerrell D. , Battaglio R. Paul , Bradbury Mark D. 
Published: December 2017

Organizational conflict is often thought of as a malady to be avoided or quickly resolved. Such views neglect the potential value of conflict—that is, the constructive management of conflict—to organizational outcomes. Managerial practices resulting in too little conflict may shape and reflect an organization hypersensitive to discord, dissent, and innovation. But management practices promoting excessive conflict may overload an organization with information, rendering it incapable of reaching timely decisions, generating animosity, or creating other unproductive outcomes. This paper examines constructive conflict management, which gives employees voice and encourages authentic participation in decision-making. We hypothesize that such an approach is positively related to employee job satisfaction and organizational performance. However, given the potential for “too much of a good thing” when it encouraging conflict, we also test for a curvilinear relationships between conflict management and organizational outcomes.
“To work in an organization is to be in conflict. To take advantage of joint work requires conflict management” (Tjosvold, 2008, p. 19).
A denitrifying community associated with a major, marine nitrogen fixer
Authors: Coates Christopher J. , Wyman Michael 
Published: December 2017

SummaryThe diazotrophic cyanobacterium, Trichodesmium, is an integral component of the marine nitrogen cycle and contributes significant amounts of new nitrogen to oligotrophic, tropical/subtropical ocean surface waters. Trichodesmium forms macroscopic, fusiform (tufts), spherical (puffs) and raft‐like colonies that provide a pseudobenthic habitat for a host of other organisms including marine invertebrates, microeukaryotes and numerous other microbes. The diversity and activity of denitrifying bacteria found in association with the colonies was interrogated using a series of molecular‐based methodologies targeting the gene encoding the terminal step in the denitrification pathway, nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ). Trichodesmium spp. sampled from geographically isolated ocean provinces (the Atlantic Ocean, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean) were shown to harbor highly similar, taxonomically related communities of denitrifiers whose members are affiliated with the Roseobacter clade within the Rhodobacteraceae (Alphaproteobacteria). These organisms were actively expressing nosZ in samples taken from the mid‐Atlantic Ocean and Red Sea implying that Trichodesmium colonies are potential sites of nitrous oxide consumption and perhaps earlier steps in the denitrification pathway also. It is proposed that coupled nitrification of newly fixed N is the most likely source of nitrogen oxides supporting nitrous oxide cycling within Trichodesmium colonies.
Tracking active groundwater microbes with D2O labelling to understand their ecosystem function
Authors: Taubert Martin , Stöckel Stephan , Geesink Patricia , Girnus Sophie , Jehmlich Nico , von Bergen Martin , Rösch Petra , Popp Jürgen , Küsel Kirsten 
Published: December 2017

SummaryMicrobial activity is key in understanding the contribution of microbial communities to ecosystem functions. Metabolic labelling with heavy water (D2O) leads to the formation of carbon–deuterium bonds in active microorganisms. We illustrated how D2O labelling allows monitoring of metabolic activity combined with a functional characterization of active populations in complex microbial communities. First, we demonstrated by single cell Raman microspectroscopy that all measured bacterial cells from groundwater isolates growing in complex medium with D2O were labelled. Next, we conducted a labelling approach with the total groundwater microbiome in D2O amended microcosms. Deuterium was incorporated in most measured cells, indicating metabolic activity in the oligotrophic groundwater. Moreover, we spiked the groundwater microbiome with organic model compounds. We discovered that heterotrophs assimilating veratric acid, a lignin derivative, showed higher labelling than heterotrophs assimilating methylamine, a degradation product of biomass. This difference can be explained by dilution of the deuterium through hydrogen from the organic compounds. Metaproteomics identified Sphingomonadaceae and Microbacteriaceae as key players in veratric acid degradation, and the metabolic pathways employed. Methylamine, in contrast, stimulated various proteobacterial genera. We propose this combined approach of Raman microspectroscopy and metaproteomics for elucidating the complex metabolic response of microbial populations to different stimuli.
An illustrated prehistory of the Jubbah oasis: Reconstructing Holocene occupation patterns in north‐western Saudi Arabia from rock art and inscriptions
Authors: Guagnin Maria , Shipton Ceri , al‐Rashid Moudhy , Moussa Fares , El‐Dossary Sarah , Sleimah Mona Bin , Alsharekh Abdullah , Petraglia Michael 
Published: December 2017

AbstractA systematic survey of rock art and associated archaeological features in the Jubbah oasis provides evidence of Holocene occupation from the early Holocene to the present. In total 1249 panels with rock art and inscriptions, and 159 archaeological sites, were recorded on twelve different jebels. Analyses of rock art content and engraving stratigraphy indicate that the iconic Jubbah style had a long tradition among pre‐pastoral hunters and continued to be used by early herders. We also identify a distinct body of rock art that pre‐dates the Jubbah style and may be associated with a nearby Epipalaeolithic site. Our systematic dataset identifies a body of Bronze Age rock art that is further supported by the material culture and radiocarbon dates obtained from the remains of disturbed cairns. The rock art in Jubbah appears to have been created throughout the Holocene occupation of the oasis and similarities in the representation of animals, choice of location and content of rock art scenes are evident from the Bronze Age to the early modern period, and perhaps into the twentieth century. Moreover, rock art and epigraphy suggest that occupation phases in Jubbah were sustained long enough for the repeated development of unique local characteristics throughout the Holocene.
Oman and late Sasanian imperialism
Authors: Munt Harry 
Published: December 2017

AbstractArguments about the nature of late Sasanian imperial involvement in Oman have become quite polarised over the past few decades. Historians and archaeologists have used their different caches of evidence to suggest quite variant conclusions concerning the extent of the Sasanians’ imperial involvement in south‐east Arabia and the impact that this involvement may have had on the prosperity of Omani local agriculture and the economy there. This article, however, seeks to demonstrate that the evidence of literary sources for the late pre‐Islamic history of south‐east Arabia, written primarily in Arabic by Muslims several centuries after the events being described, can be placed alongside other written evidence for the late Sasanian empire to suggest a picture of late Sasanian imperial involvement in Oman that is not all that far removed from the conclusions reached by many archaeologists working in the region. The article demonstrates that late Sasanian imperial interest in Oman may not have led to the intense settlement and agricultural development of the coastal plain sometimes suggested, but that there was nonetheless a significant place for Oman within Ērānšahr, the territory of the king of kings.
Retracted: Is immunosuppression, induced by neonatal thymectomy, compatible with poor reproductive performance in adult male rats?
Authors: Ommati M. M. , Tanideh N. , Rezakhaniha B. , Wang J. , Sabouri S. , Vahedi M. , Dormanesh B. , Koohi Hosseinabadi O. , Rahmanifar F. , Moosapour S. , Akhlaghi A. , Heidari R. , Zamiri M. J. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryWith increasing knowledge that the immune system has a major impact on reproductive ‎health, the potential for cells arising in organs such as the thymus to alleviate oxidative stress ‎has been revealed. This study addresses the impact of neonatal thymectomy on male ‎reproductive function in pubertal and adult animals. Neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were allotted to four treatments consisting of fully thymectomized, partially thymectomized, intact, and sham‐operated rats. Half of the rats in each treatment were sacrificed at 40 and the other half at 80 days of age. Testicular volume, ventral prostate and spleen weight, several sperm attributes (concentration, motility, livability, membrane integrity, sperm penetration into mucus, total antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity), plasma superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and testosterone level as well as fertility decreased in thymectomized rats. Adrenal gland weight, sperm malondialdehyde level, indices of oxidative stress, sperm abnormality, testicular and sperm lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and sperm reactive oxygen species generation increased in thymectomized rats. In thymectomized rats, the testes contained high levels of malondialdehyde but low levels of glutathione and ferric‐reducing antioxidant power. Epididymal sperm reactive oxygen species, blood lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress indices ‎‎in blood and spermatozoa were highest in fully thymectomized, intermediate ‎in partially thymectomized, and lowest in both pubertal and mature control rats. Blood levels of superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation indices, and ‎testosterone, and mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate and ‎dehydrogenase activities in epididymal spermatozoa were lowest in fully thymectomized, ‎intermediate in partially thymectomized, and highest in both pubertal and mature control rats.‎ The data indicated that increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction might play a role in the mechanism of immunosuppression‐induced testicular and sperm abnormalities.
Initial steps in defining the environment of the prepuce of the bull by measuring pH and temperature
Authors: Koziol JH , Fraser NS , Passler T , Wolfe DF 
Published: December 2017

ObjectiveTo determine the baseline pH and temperature of the preputial cavity of bulls.MethodsWe enrolled 55 bulls ranging in age from 15 to 84 months. The preputial temperature and pH were measured by insertion of temperature and pH probes, respectively, into the preputial orifice prior to routine breeding soundness examinations. Information was obtained from owners regarding the diet of each bull and categorised as one of three categories: forage only, grain supplemented or silage supplemented.ResultsThe average temperature of the prepuce was 37.81°C ± 1.76 and the median pH of the prepuce was 8.45 (6.35–9.46). Preputial temperatures of the bull weakly correlated with ambient temperatures (rs = −0.29, P = 0.028). The preputial pH of silage‐fed bulls was significantly lower than that of bulls fed forage only (P = 0.025) or grain‐supplemented diets (P = 0.002). The median preputial pH of bulls fed a silage‐based diet was 7.6 (6.3–8.9) compared with a median pH 8.7 (7.8–9.1) for bulls fed forage‐based diets or a median of 8.5 (7.7–9.4) for those given grain‐supplemented diets.ConclusionDiet and ambient temperature can, respectively, affect pH and the temperature in the prepuce. Further studies to describe and understand the microbiota of the prepuce and penis may assist in developing treatments for diseases of the genital tract in bulls.
Isolation of [Actinobacillus] rossii from an aborted piglet
Authors: Holyoake PK , Thompson A 
Published: December 2017

Case reportThis report describes an investigation into the cause of abortions on a commercial pig farm in Victoria in October 2015 in which six sows aborted over a 2‐month period. Four of the abortions occurred in the 3 weeks prior to the sows’ anticipated farrowing dates and the other two occurred in the second trimester of pregnancy. An analysis of farm data showed that the abortion rate in the previous 12 months (2014–15) was more than twice that of the previous 2 years (1.2% vs 0.5%). Parity appeared not to be a risk factor for abortions. There were no other indicators of reproductive failure on the farm and there were no obvious clinical signs of disease in affected sows. Placenta and aborted fetuses for postmortem analysis were collected while one of the sows was aborting. The only gross abnormality detected in piglets was reddening over the skin. On gross examination the surfaces of the placentas appeared diffusely thickened and ‘furry’. Histological examination of fixed placenta from one of two piglets showed a severe, acute, multifocal, necrosuppurative placentitis. Gram staining of a histological section of the placenta revealed abundant Gram‐negative short bacilli, consistent with Pasteurella–Actinobacillus spp. A sample of stomach contents from one piglet yielded a profuse predominant growth of bacteria described as Pseudomonas‐like. This organism was subsequently identified using 16sRNA sequencing to have 98% homology with [Actinobacillus] rossii.ConclusionThis is the first reported case of [A.] rossii isolated from an aborted pig’s stomach in Australia.