bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Effects of 5.3 MeV Alpha Particles from 210Po Mouse Testes: Comparison with Internal Auger Emitters
Authors: Rao D.V. , Narra V.R. , Govelitz G.F. , Lanka V.K. , Howell R.W. , Sastry K.S.R. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Using spermatogenesis in the mouse testis as the experimental model, we have investigated the in vivo effects of 5.3 MeV a particles in the decay of 210Po localised in the organ. Spermatogonial cell killing and induction of abnormal shapes in epididymal sperm are the biological end points. The mean lethal dose (D37) to the organ at 37% survival of spermatogonia is 100 mGy, while a dose of 5 mGy doubles the fraction of abnormal sperm in the epididymis. In contrast to these findings with densely ionising a particles are our results for the sparsely ionising 477 keV photons from internal 7Be, with D37 = 670 mGy, and 250 mGy for a doubling of the abnormal sperm fraction. These results, and those obtained with several internal Auger emitters in the same model, are examined in terms of radionuclide localisation and radiation quality.
Network analysis of the hominin origin of Herpes Simplex virus 2 from fossil data
Authors: Underdown Simon , Kumar Krishna , Houldcroft Charlotte 
Published: February 2017

AbstractHerpes simplex virus 2 is a human herpesvirus found worldwide that causes genital lesions and more rarely causes encephalitis. This pathogen is most common in Africa, and particularly in central and east Africa, an area of particular significance for the evolution of modern humans. Unlike HSV1, HSV2 has not simply co-speciated with humans from their last common ancestor with primates. HSV2 jumped the species barrier between 1.4 and 3 MYA, most likely through intermediate but unknown hominin species.In this paper, we use probability-based network analysis to determine the most probable transmission route between intermediate hosts of HSV2, from the ancestors of chimpanzees to the ancestors of modern humans, using paleo-environmental data on the distribution of African tropical rainforest over the last 3 million years and data on the age and distribution of fossil species of hominin present in Africa between 1.4 and 3 MYA. Our model identifies Paranthropus bosses as the most likely intermediate host of HSV2, while Homo habilis may also have played a role in the initial transmission of HSV2 from the ancestors of chimpanzees to P boisei.
Genetic equidistance at the nucleotide level
Authors: Yuan Dejian , Huang Shi 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe genetic equidistance phenomenon was first discovered in 1963 by Margoliash and shows complex taxa to be all approximately equidistant to a less complex species in amino acid percentage identity. The result has been mis-interpretated by the ad hoc universal molecular clock hypothesis, and the much overlooked mystery was finally solved by the maximum genetic diversity hypothesis (MGD). Here, we studied 15 proteomes and their coding DNA sequences (CDS) to see if the equidistance phenomenon also holds at the CDS level. We performed DNA alignments for a total of 5 groups with 3 proteomes per group and found that in all cases the outgroup taxon was equidistant to the two more complex taxa species at the DNA level. Also, when two sister taxa (snake and bird) were compared to human as the outgroup, the more complex taxon bird was closer to human, confirming species complexity rather than time to be the primary determinant of MGD. Finally, we found the fraction of overlap sites where coincident substitutions occur to be inversely correlated with CDS conservation, indicating saturation to be more common in less conserved DNAs. These results establish the genetic equidistance phenomenon to be universal at the DNA level and provide additional evidence for the MGD theory.
Cinnamon hydro alcoholic extract increased expression level of UCP3 gene in skeletal muscle of obese male Wistar Rats
Authors: Golmohamadi Elham , Mahmazi Sanaz , Rahnema Medi 
Published: February 2017

abstractUCPs are the mitochondrial inner membrane proteins regulating basal metabolism. Ucp3 in muscle and adipose tissue helping metabolism and fat oxidation affecting thermogenesis, involve in fatty acid metabolism and energy homeostasis.42 adult rats divided into 6 groups including control group, the high-fat diet Obese group, experimental groups that in addition to the high-fat diet received 50,100,200 mgKg-1doses of cinnamon extract and the sham group with 200 mgKg-1extract treatment. RNA extracted from muscles, cDNA synthesized and Ucp3 gene expression level was examined by real-time PCR.In Obese rats’ muscle, significant decrease in UCP3 gene expression was observed but in exprimental groups there was significant increased level of UCP3 gene expression in 100, 50 mgKg-1dose of treatment.UCP3 might be a target for pharmacological up regulation in treatment of obesity. Cinnamon might influence UCP3 expression, in a dose dependent manner and low dose was more effective.
The rhythm of attentional stimulus selection during visual competition
Authors: Crouzet Sébastien M. , VanRullen Rufin 
Published: February 2017

AbstractRecent research indicates that attentional stimulus selection could in fact be a rhythmic process, operating as a sequence of successive cycles. When two items must be monitored, an intriguing corollary of this “blinking spotlight” notion could be that the successive cycles are directed alternately to each target; as a result, each item would effectively be selected at half the intrinsic rate of attentional selection. Here, we tested this prediction in two experiments. In an endogenous attention task, subjects covertly monitored one or two peripheral images in order to detect a brief contrast change. In the sustained occipital EEG power spectrum, selecting two vs. one item resulted in a relative increase around 4Hz and a relative decrease around 10–11Hz. In a second experiment, we tested if comparable oscillations could be observed in the stimulus-evoked EEG visual representational content. Subjects saw a first peripheral image displayed alone for 600ms, before a second one also appeared for the same duration, but at a different peripheral location. Using pattern analysis on EEG evoked-responses, we were able to create item selective classifiers that constantly indicated which stimulus was on the screen. The time-course of single-trial classifier decision values presented a relative spectral peak around 11Hz when only one object was present, and around 4–5Hz when two objects were on the screen. These results are both compatible with an attentional stimulus selection process sampling the visual field at around 10–11Hz, and resulting in a half-frequency effective sampling around 4–5Hz when there are two items to monitor.
Gene length as a regulator for ribosome recruitment and protein synthesis: theoretical insights
Authors: Fernandes Lucas Dias , de Moura Alessandro , Ciandrini Luca 
Published: February 2017

AbstractProtein synthesis rates are determined, at the translational level, by properties of the transcript’s sequence. The efficiency of an mRNA can be tuned by varying the ribosome binding sites controlling the recruitment of the ribosomes, or the codon usage establishing the speed of protein elongation. In this work we propose transcript length as a further key determinant of translation efficiency. Based on a physical model that considers the kinetics of ribosomes advancing on the mRNA and diffusing in its surrounding, as well as mRNA circularisation and ribosome drop-off, we explain how the transcript length may play a central role in establishing ribosome recruitment and the overall translation rate of an mRNA. We also demonstrate how this process may be involved in shaping the experimental ribosome density-gene length dependence. Finally, we argue that cells could exploit this mechanism to adjust and balance the usage of its ribosomal resources.
Unifying concepts of biological function from molecules to ecosystems
Authors: Farnsworth Keith D , Albantakis Larissa , Caruso Tancredi 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe concept of function arises at all levels of biological study and is often loosely and variously defined, especially within ecology. This has led to ambiguity, obscuring the common structure that unites levels of biological organisation, from molecules to ecosystems. Here we build on already successful ideas from molecular biology and complexity theory to create a precise definition of biological function which spans scales of biological organisation and can be quantified in the unifying currency of biomass, enabling comparisons of functional effectiveness (irrespective of the specific function) across the field of ecology. We give precise definitions of ecological and ecosystem function that bring clarity and precision to studies of biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships and questions of ecological redundancy. To illustrate the new concepts and their unifying power, we construct a simple community-level model with nutrient cycling and animal-plant mutualism, emphasising the importance of its network structure in determining overall functioning. This type of network structure is that of an autocatalytic set of functional relationships, which also appears at biochemical, cellular and organism levels of organisation, creating a nested hierarchy. This enables a common and unifying concept of function to apply from molecular interaction networks up to the global ecosystem.
ATLAS: Analysis Tools for Low-depth and Ancient Samples
Authors: Link Vivian , Kousathanas Athanasios , Veeramah Krishna , Sell Christian , Scheu Amelie , Wegmann Daniel 
Published: February 2017

AbstractSummaryPost-mortem damage (PMD) obstructs the proper analysis of ancient DNA samples and can currently only be addressed by removing or down-weighting potentially damaged data. Here we present ATLAS, a suite of methods to accurately genotype and estimate genetic diversity from ancient samples, while accounting for PMD. It works directly from raw BAM files and enables the building of complete and customized pipelines for the analysis of ancient and other low-depth samples in a very user-friendly way. Based on simulations we show that, in the presence of PMD, a dedicated pipeline of ATLAS calls genotypes more accurately than the state-of-the-art pipeline of GATK combined with mapDamage 2.0.AvailabilityATLAS is an open-source C++ program freely available athttps://bitbucket.org/phaentu/atlas.ContactDaniel.Wegmann@unifr.chSupplementary informationSupplementary data are available atBioinformatics online.
Two stochastic processes shape diverse senescence patterns in a single-cell organism
Authors: Steiner Ulrich K. , Lenart Adam , Ni Ming , Chen Peipei , Song Xiaohu , Taddei François , Lindner Ariel B. , Vaupel James W. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractDespite advances in aging research, a multitude of aging models, and empirical evidence for diverse senescence patterns, understanding is lacking of the biological processes that shape senescence, both for simple and complex organisms. We show that for a isogenicEscherichia colibacterial population senescence results from two stochastic processes. A primary random deterioration process within the cell, such as generated by random accumulation of damage, leads to an exponential increase in mortality early in life followed by a late age mortality plateau; a secondary process of stochastic asymmetric transmission of an unknown factor at cell fission influences mortality. This second process is required to explain the difference between the classical mortality plateaus detected for young mothers’ offspring and the near non-senescence of old mothers’ offspring as well as the lack of a mother offspring correlation in age at death. We observed that life span is predominantly determined by underlying stochastic stage dynamics. Our findings support models based on stage-specific actions of alleles for the evolution of senescence. This support might be surprising since these models that have not specifically been developed in the context of simple, single cell organisms. We call for exploration of similar stochastic influences beyond simple organisms.
“Speaking truth to power”: analysing shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting
Authors: Tregidga Helen 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the act of shadow reporting by a social movement organisation as a form of shadow accounting within a sustained campaign against a target corporation. Situated within a consideration of power relations, the rationales underlying the production of the shadow report, and the shadow reports perceived value and limits as a shadow accounting mechanism, are investigated.Design/methodology/approachA Foucauldian approach to power/knowledge and truth is drawn upon in the analysis of a single case study. Alongside a consideration of the shadow report itself, interviews with both the preparers of the report and senior management of the corporation targeted comprise the main data.FindingsThe paper provides an empirical investigation into shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting. While a range of insights are garnered into the preparation, dissemination and impact of the shadow report, key findings relate to a consideration of power relations. The perceived “truth” status of corporate accounts compared to accounts prepared by shadow accountants is problematised through a consideration of technologies of power and power/knowledge formations. Power relations are subsequently recognised as fundamental to the emancipatory potential of shadow reporting.Research limitations/implicationsResults from a single case study are presented. Furthermore, given the production of the shadow report occurred several years prior to the collection of data, participants were asked to reflect on past events. Findings are therefore based on those reflections.Originality/valueWhile previous studies have considered the preparation of shadow reports and their transformative potential, this study is, the author believes, the first to empirically analyse the preparation, dissemination and perceived impacts of shadow reporting from the perspectives of both the shadow report producers and the target corporation.
Accounting legislation, corporate governance codes and disclosure in Jordan: a review
Authors: Haddad Ayman E. , Sbeiti Wafaa M. , Qasim Amer 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe main aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the most influential economic changes and accounting legislation affecting financial reporting and disclosure practices in Jordan. It also provides an overview of disclosure studies conducted in Jordan covering the year(s) between 1986 and 2014 to investigate whether there is an improvement in disclosure practice in Jordan. This paper also investigates the most influential firm characteristics affecting disclosure practices in Jordan found in prior disclosure studies that were conducted in Jordan between 1986 and 2014. The paper also addresses the disclosure items required in Corporate Governance Codes that exist for listed shareholding companies, banks and insurance companies. Finally, the paper discusses the quality of accounting education in Jordan, as prior studies noted its impact on accounting practice.Design/methodology/approachBased on a review of prior disclosure studies conducted in Jordan between 1986 and 2014, this study compared the results of disclosure studies before and after 1998. In 1997, Jordan, as a result of economic changes, issued the Temporary Securities Law and its Directives of Disclosure, which came into effect in 1998. The law is considered as the turning point in the improvement of disclosure practice in Jordan. A trend line of disclosure practice is also used to investigate whether disclosure practice is improved after the issuance of this law. A descriptive analysis is also used to examine the factors affecting disclosure practice in Jordan.FindingsBased on a review of prior disclosure studies, it was concluded that disclosure practices have improved overtime. It was also observed that that firm size as a factor has always affected the level of disclosure in Jordan and is followed by external auditing, while liquidity is found to have the least effect. It was concluded that economic changes, agreement with international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), new regulations and financial market reforms have improved disclosure practice in Jordan. It was also found that there is a need for further studies in disclosure practice that are not sufficiently covered in Jordan.Originality/valueThe study is based on a review of disclosure studies conducted in Jordan between 1986 and 2014. We investigate whether mandatory, voluntary, corporate social and internet disclosure practice improved over the last three decades in Jordan. This study is the first to provide evidence on the improvement of disclosure practices based on a review of disclosure studies in Jordan. The paper is expected to be a reference for disclosure studies in developing countries, Jordan in particular, as it summarized and criticized the weaknesses on disclosure practice and accounting legislations in Jordan.
Escaping the corner of death? An eye-tracking study of reading direction influence on attention and memory
Authors: Hernandez Monica D. , Wang Yong , Sheng Hong , Kalliny Morris , Minor Michael 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The authors aim to examine the effect of location-driven logo placement on attention and memory on the web addressing differences between individuals that read unidirectionally (left-to-right [LTR]) versus bidirectionally (both right-to-left and LTR).

Design/methodology/approach
Using an eye-tracking approach combined with traditional verbal measures, the authors compared attention and memory measures from a sample composed of bidirectional (Arab/English) readers and unidirectional readers.

Findings
The findings reveal that unidirectional and bidirectional readers differ in attention patterns. Compared to bidirectional readers, unidirectional readers pay less attention to the logo on the bottom right corner of the webpage based on verbal measures. The eye-tracking data of the two groups further identify differences based on total hits and duration time. Unidirectional LTR readers demonstrate higher fluency in feature-based attention whereas bidirectional readers show higher fluency in spatial attention.

Originality/value
The authors expand on scarce research on reading direction bias effect on location-driven stimuli placement in online settings. They contribute to the understanding of the differences between unidirectional and bidirectional readers in their cognitive responses (attention and memory) to organization of marketing stimuli.
Between mission and revenue: measuring performance in a hybrid organization
Authors: Ponte Diego , Pesci Caterina , Camussone Pier Franco 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to the literature concerning performance measurement tools which allow a balanced control of both social goals and financial performances in a hybrid organization.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper shows the result of an action research project performed within a hybrid organization in Northern Italy. The tool and the main indicators it should reflect were selected cooperating with the management and stakeholders, and the project was brought on by following Lewin’s (1947) three-stage approach (freezing, moving and, unfreezing).

Findings
The paper shows how a useful tool for measuring social and financial performances has to be driven by the stakeholders’ needs and has to take into consideration the organizational mission.

Originality/value
The paper contributes to the performance evaluation literature, as it focuses on a hybrid organization with an action research approach which contributes to bridging the gap between research and practice.
The impact of clozapine on hospital use: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Land R. , Siskind D. , McArdle P. , Kisely S. , Winckel K. , Hollingworth S. A. 
Published: February 2017

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies reporting the impact of clozapine on hospital use in people with a psychotic illness.MethodPubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register were systematically searched from inception to 12 October 2016. We included all trials and observational studies, except case reports.ResultsThirty‐seven studies were included. Clozapine significantly reduced the proportion of people hospitalised compared to control medicines (RR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.69–0.80, P < 0.001, 22 studies, n = 44 718). There were significantly fewer bed days after clozapine treatment compared to before clozapine treatment in both controlled (MD = −34.41 days; 95% CI: −68.22 to −0.60 days, P = 0.046, n = 162) and uncontrolled studies (MD = −52.86 days; 95% CI: −79.86 days to −25.86 days, P < 0.001, n = 2917). Clozapine and control medicines had a similar time to rehospitalisation (−19.90 days; 95% CI: −62.42 to 22.63 days, P = 0.36).ConclusionClozapine treatment reduced the number of people hospitalised and the number of bed days after treatment compared with before treatment. Clozapine has the potential to reduce acute hospital use among people with treatment refractory schizophrenia.
Landscape‐scale effects of single‐ and multiple small wind turbines on bat activity
Authors: Minderman J. , Gillis M. H. , Daly H. F. , Park K. J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractWhile the effects of wind farms on bats are widely studied, effects of small wind turbines (SWTs, here <25 m hub height) remain understudied. SWTs are installed in a wider range of habitats compared to wind farms and their effect on wildlife can therefore be different. While single SWTs can adversely affect bat activity in their immediate vicinity, they are often installed in clusters, and to date, no data are available on whether installation of more than one turbine increases the likelihood of adverse effects on bats. Here, we test whether (1) SWT installations affect the activity of two species of bat (the common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus and soprano pipistrelle P. pygmaeus) on a landscape scale (here defined as up to 500 m from SWTs) and (2) such an effect is stronger when multiple (2–4) SWTs are installed. We show that, after accounting for potentially confounding effects (e.g. variation in habitat and weather), (1) mean P. pipistrellus activity is lower at 0–100 m compared to 200–500 m from SWTs and (2) the effect on P. pygmaeus activity tends to be similar and stronger in multiple SWT sites, although evidence for the latter is limited. We conclude that in some cases, adverse effects of SWTs on bat activity may be measurable over longer spatial scales (within 100 m) than previously thought. However, combined with earlier findings, it is likely that the bulk of such effects operate within relative close proximity of SWTs (<25 m). Moreover, although these effects may be species‐specific, with, for example, P. pygmaeus potentially more strongly affected by multiple SWT sites, this requires further data. These findings are highly relevant to decision‐making aimed at minimizing any adverse effects of wind turbines, specifically single‐ versus multiple SWT developments, on wildlife.