bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthetic Fatty Acids Prevent Plasmid-Mediated Horizontal Gene Transfer
Authors: Getino María , Sanabria-Ríos David J. , Fernández-López Raúl , Campos-Gómez Javier , Sánchez-López José M. , Fernández Antonio , Carballeira Néstor M. , de la Cruz Fernando 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Bacterial conjugation constitutes a major horizontal gene transfer mechanism for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes among human pathogens. Antibiotic resistance spread could be halted or diminished by molecules that interfere with the conjugation process. In this work, synthetic 2-alkynoic fatty acids were identified as a novel class of conjugation inhibitors. Their chemical properties were investigated by using the prototype 2-hexadecynoic acid and its derivatives. Essential features of effective inhibitors were the carboxylic group, an optimal long aliphatic chain of 16 carbon atoms, and one unsaturation. Chemical modification of these groups led to inactive or less-active derivatives. Conjugation inhibitors were found to act on the donor cell, affecting a wide number of pathogenic bacterial hosts, including
Escherichia
,
Salmonella
,
Pseudomonas
, and
Acinetobacter
spp. Conjugation inhibitors were active in inhibiting transfer of IncF, IncW, and IncH plasmids, moderately active against IncI, IncL/M, and IncX plasmids, and inactive against IncP and IncN plasmids. Importantly, the use of 2-hexadecynoic acid avoided the spread of a derepressed IncF plasmid into a recipient population, demonstrating the feasibility of abolishing the dissemination of antimicrobial resistances by blocking bacterial conjugation.

IMPORTANCE
Diseases caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are taking an important toll with respect to human morbidity and mortality. The most relevant antibiotic resistance genes come to human pathogens carried by plasmids, mainly using conjugation as a transmission mechanism. Here, we identified and characterized a series of compounds that were active against several plasmid groups of clinical relevance, in a wide variety of bacterial hosts. These inhibitors might be used for fighting antibiotic-resistance dissemination by inhibiting conjugation. Potential inhibitors could be used in specific settings (e.g., farm, fish factory, or even clinical settings) to investigate their effect in the eradication of undesired resistances.
Evolution of Fortune Brand Communications of Adani Wilmar
Authors: Vyas Preeta , Bhatt Falgun 
Published: September 2015

In early 2011, CEO of Adani Wilmar Ltd. (AWL) arranged a meeting with COO (Chief Operating Officer) and his team to review Fortune brand communication strategy. The multimedia campaign, designed and proposed by its advertising agency, was a major shift from past communications. With a tagline “Joy of Eating”, the company wanted to craft a unique value proposition for the brand. Earlier the “Thoda aur chalega” (little more will do) campaign was continued since its introduction for the variants under the brand “Fortune”. The case describes the taglines and product portfolio of the “Fortune” brand as well as the characteristics of the edible oil industry and competition within the industry. It featured the proposed brand portfolio and communication strategy for the “Fortune” brand. The brand had maintained its market leadership for last 7 years in organized (packaged edible refined oil) market and hoped to further strengthen its market share with this repositioning. The team was to analyze the market and chart out the future road map for communications of the brand in a competitive edible oil market in India.
Key Performance Indicators of Tubes and Foam-Filled Tubes Used as Energy Absorbers
Authors: Xiang Yanfei , Wang Min , Yu Tongxi , Yang Liming 
Published: August 2015

Based on a systematic investigation on the experimental, theoretical and numerical results on various tubes under axial compression/impact including our own tests, a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing and comparing the energy absorbing performance of tubular structures with various configurations is proposed, so as to guide the design of energy absorbers whilst to facilitate parameter optimization. The five KPIs proposed on the basis of mechanical analyses are effective stroke ratio (ESR), nondimensional load-carrying capacity (NLC), specific energy absorption (SEA), effectiveness of energy absorption (EEA) and undulation of load-carrying capacity (ULC). Moreover, by considering the influence of foam filling, these five KPIs are also modified and extended to the foam-filled tubes. The paper presents a series of diagrams to compare the energy absorbing performance of various tubes in terms of the five KPIs as described above. It transpires that the energy absorption performance of circular tubes is superior to that of square tubes. It is also confirmed that the mass of foam fillers results in reductions of SEA and EEA, though foam fillers will greatly improve the NLC of empty tubes. The novelty of the present study is displayed on the following aspects: (1) uniquely defining the effective stroke by the maximum point of "energy efficiency" f so as to avoid ambiguity which appeared in the literature; (2) instead of a single indicator such as SEA, proposing a set of five KPIs to comprehensively assess the performance of energy absorbers and (3) validating the usefulness of the proposed KPIs by comparing the performance of various tubular structures used as energy absorbers.
Heterochromatin Protein HP1γ Promotes Colorectal Cancer Progression and Is Regulated by miR-30a
Authors: Liu Ming , Huang Feifei , Zhang Dan , Ju Junyi , Wu Xiao-Bin , Wang Ying , Wang Yadong , Wu Yupeng , Nie Min , Li Zhuchen , Ma Chi , Chen Xi , Zhou Jin-Yong , Tan Renxiang , Yang Bo-Lin , Zen Ke , Zhang Chen-Yu , Chen Yu-Gen , Zhao Quan 
Published: September 2015

Abstract
Colorectal cancer pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Here, we report that the heterochromatin protein HP1γ is upregulated commonly in human colorectal cancer, where it promotes cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Gene-expression and promoter-binding experiments demonstrated that HP1γ directly regulated CDKN1A (p21Waf1/Cip1) in a manner associated with methylation of histone H3K9 on its promoter. We identified miR-30a as a tumor-suppressive microRNA that targets HP1γ in vitro and in vivo to specifically suppress the growth of colorectal cancer in mouse xenograft models. MiR-30a was widely downregulated in primary human colorectal cancer tissues, where its expression correlated inversely with high levels of HP1γ protein. Our results identify a new miR-30a/HP1γ/p21 regulatory axis controlling colorectal cancer development, which may offer prognostic and therapeutic opportunities. Cancer Res; 75(21); 4593–604. ©2015 AACR.
Effects of Switching to Electronic Cigarettes with and without Concurrent Smoking on Exposure to Nicotine, Carbon Monoxide, and Acrolein
Authors: McRobbie Hayden , Phillips Anna , Goniewicz Maciej L. , Smith Katie Myers , Knight-West Oliver , Przulj Dunja , Hajek Peter 
Published: September 2015

Abstract
Concern has been raised about the presence of toxicants in electronic cigarette (EC) aerosol, particularly carbonyl compounds (e.g., acrolein) that can be produced by heating glycerol and glycols used in e-liquids. We investigated exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine (by measuring cotinine in urine), and to acrolein (by measuring its primary metabolite, S-(3-hydroxypropyl)mercapturic acid (3-HPMA) in urine) before and after 4 weeks of EC (green smoke, a “cig-a-like” EC, labeled 2.4% nicotine by volume) use, in 40 smokers. Thirty-three participants were using EC at 4 weeks after quitting, 16 (48%) were abstinent (CO-validated) from smoking during the previous week (EC only users), and 17 (52%) were “dual users.” A significant reduction in CO was observed in EC-only users [–12 ppm, 95% confidence interval (CI), –16 to –7, 80% decrease) and dual users (–12 ppm, 95%CI, –19 to –6, 52% decrease). Cotinine levels also declined, but to a lesser extent (EC-only users: –184 ng/mg creatinine; 95% CI, –733 to –365, 17% decrease; and dual users: –976 ng/mg creatinine; 95%CI, –1,682 to –270, 44% decrease). Mean 3-HPMA levels had decreased at 4 weeks by 1,280 ng/mg creatinine (95%CI, –1,699 to –861, 79% decrease) in EC-only users and by 1,474 ng/mg creatinine (95%CI, –2,101 to –847, 60% decrease) in dual users. In dual users, EC use significantly reduced exposure to CO and acrolein because of a reduction in smoke intake. EC may reduce harm even in smokers who continue to smoke, but long-term follow-up studies are needed to confirm this. Cancer Prev Res; 8(9); 873–8. ©2015 AACR.
The Continuum of Wintertime Southern Hemisphere Atmospheric Teleconnection Patterns*,+
Authors: Chang Chueh-Hsin , Johnson Nathaniel C. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThis study uses the method of self-organizing maps (SOMs) to categorize the June–August atmospheric teleconnections in the 500-hPa geopotential height field of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) extratropics. This approach yields 12 SOM patterns that provide a discretized representation of the continuum of SH teleconnection patterns from 1979 to 2012. These 12 patterns are large in spatial scale, exhibiting a mix of annular mode characteristics and wave trains of zonal wavenumber varying from 2 to 4. All patterns vary with intrinsic time scales of about 5–10 days, but some patterns exhibit quasi-oscillatory behavior over a period of 20–30 days, whereas still others exhibit statistically significant enhanced and suppressed frequencies up to about four weeks in association with the Madden–Julian oscillation. Two patterns are significantly influenced by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on interannual time scales. All 12 patterns have strong influences on surface air temperature and sea ice concentrations, with the sea ice response occurring over a time scale of about 2–4 weeks. The austral winter has featured a positive frequency trend in patterns that project onto the negative phase of the southern annular mode (SAM) and a negative frequency trend in positive SAM-like patterns. Such atmospheric circulation trends over 34 yr may arise through atmospheric internal variability alone, and, unlike other seasons in the SH, it is not necessary to invoke external forcing as a dominant source of circulation trends.
Hip Strength Is Greater in Athletes Who Subsequently Develop Patellofemoral Pain
Authors: Herbst Kristen A. , Barber Foss Kim D. , Fader Lauren , Hewett Timothy E. , Witvrouw Erik , Stanfield Denver , Myer Gregory D. 
Published: September 2015

Background: Hip and knee strength abnormalities have been implicated in patellofemoral pain (PFP) in multiple studies. However, the relationship is unclear, as many of these studies have been retrospective. Purpose: To compare prospective hip and knee isokinetic strength in young female athletes who subsequently went on to develop PFP relative to their uninjured, healthy peers. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Adolescent female athletes (N = 329) were tested for isokinetic strength of the knee (flexion and extension) and hip (abduction) and screened for the prevalence of PFP before their basketball seasons. After exclusion based on current PFP symptoms, 255 participants were prospectively enrolled in the study. A 1-way analysis of variance was used to determine between-group differences in incident PFP and the referent (no incident PFP) participants. Results: The cumulative incidence rate for the development of PFP was 0.97 per 1000 athlete-exposures. Female athletes who developed PFP demonstrated increased normalized hip abduction strength (normalized torque, 0.013 ± 0.003) relative to the referent control group (normalized torque, 0.011 ± 0.003) ( P < .05). Unlike hip strength, normalized knee extension and knee flexion strength were not different between the 2 groups ( P > .05). Conclusion: The findings in this study indicate that young female athletes with greater hip abduction strength may be at an increased risk for the development of PFP. Previous studies that have looked at biomechanics indicated that those with PFP have greater hip adduction dynamic mechanics. Clinical Relevance: Combining the study data with previous literature, we theorize that greater hip abduction strength may be a resultant symptom of increased eccentric loading of the hip abductors associated with increased dynamic valgus biomechanics, demonstrated to underlie increased PFP incidence. Further research is needed to verify the proposed mechanistic link to the incidence of PFP.
Predictors of Topical Use in Psoriasis Patients in the REFINE Study
Authors: Gooderham Melinda J. , Poulin-Costello Melanie , Shelton Jennifer , Bayan Nabil , Papp Kim A. 
Published: September 2015

Background: The factors influencing the use of topical agents in combination with biologic therapies for the treatment of plaque psoriasis (PsO) are not well understood. Objective: To examine potential predictors of topical use in patients with moderate to severe plaque PsO receiving etanercept (ETN). Methods: Post hoc descriptive analyses and a multinomial regression of the REFINE study data were used to examine associations between topical agent potency and covariates, including Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, study site, and province. Results: Not achieving PASI 90 at week 12 predicted topical use, with a lower PASI 90 rate in patients who used high-potency topical agents post randomization ( P = .003). Additionally, statistically significant differences were found in patterns of topical use among Canadian provinces ( P = .007), with the use of high-potency topical agents being greater in Ontario and Quebec than the rest of Canada. Conclusion: This analysis revealed that region and PASI 90 status at week 12 predict topical use.
Modulatory role of inhibition during language switching: Evidence from evoked and induced oscillatory activity
Authors: Liu Huanhuan , Liang Lijuan , Zhang Li , Lu Yao , Chen Baoguo 
Published: August 2015

Aims: The present study adopted the electroencephalogram (EEG) technique to investigate whether inhibition advantage could modulate different language switches, regardless of the time spent on second language learning. Design: The inhibitory control (IC) ability of 80 low-proficient Chinese (L1)-English (L2) bilinguals was assessed by the Simon task. Half of these bilinguals were then subdivided into 20 high- and 20 low-IC participants to perform switching between L1 and L2 (L1–L2 switching), and the other half were subdivided into 20 high- and 20 low-IC participants to conduct switching between L1 and Lnew (L1–Lnew switching). All participants were required to name pictures (picture naming task) in their L1 and L2/Lnew in language switching task. Data and analysis: Both response latencies and EEG data were obtained, and then evoked and induced oscillations were calculated using time–frequency analysis. Findings: The results of language switching showed similar naming latencies for L1 and L2/Lnew switch trials in the high-IC group, whereas the low-IC group showed larger naming latencies for L1 switch trials than L2/Lnew switch trials. In contrast, the high-IC group exhibited larger theta evoked and induced power for L2/Lnew switch trials than L1 switch trials at the lexical selection level, whereas the low-IC group did not. These findings indicate that inhibition advantage helps the high-IC group to suppress effectively the non-target word via recruiting bottom-up (evoked oscillation) and top-down (induced oscillation) processes. Innovation: The present study was a first attempt to provide evidence that theta oscillation indicates cross-language interference at the lexical selection level. Significance: Inhibition plays a modulatory role in language switching, which is independent of the time spent on second language learning, and such role involves bottom-up (i.e., evoked oscillation) and top-down (i.e., induced oscillation) processes which were mainly evident at the lexical selection level.
Prediction of high- and low-risk multiple myeloma based on gene expression and the International Staging System
Authors: Kuiper Rowan , van Duin Mark , van Vliet Martin H. , Broijl Annemiek , van der Holt Bronno , el Jarari Laila , van Beers Erik H. , Mulligan George , Avet-Loiseau Hervé , Gregory Walter M. , Morgan Gareth , Goldschmidt Hartmut , Lokhorst Henk M. , Sonneveld Pieter 
Published: September 2015

Key PointsCombination of ISS and the EMC92 gene classifier is a novel clinically applicable risk classification for survival in multiple myeloma. ISS has clear independent additive prognostic value in combination with GEP classifiers or FISH markers.
The origins of mural painting in Ancient Peru: archaeometric preliminary study of the Ventarrón mural paintings, Valle de Lambayeque
Authors: Wright Véronique , Meneses Ignacio Alva , Laval Éric 
Published: September 2015

Abstract

Background
Since 2007, the research led on the Huaca Ventarrón site has allowed investigators to discover outstanding wall paintings. These murals are one of the oldest examples of this artistic expression in the Andean area and American continent (4000 BP). Analyses have given indications on the materials and techniques used by the first painters, ancestors of a long pictorial tradition.

Results
Thanks to an archaeometric approach, combining observations and analysis (Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)), it was possible to characterize the colorant materials used in the two constructive sampled phases. These materials are mineral pigments, iron oxides, clays and natural earth, mixed in order to create a wide chromatic scale.

Conclusions
Through this research we were able to obtain the first analytical data concerning such ancient mural paintings. It was very useful to comprehend the emergence of this artistic expression in Peru. These results open new research perspectives as well about the origins of Prehispanic pictorial technology as about conservation of wall-paintings in earthen architecture.
Source separation for simultaneous towed-streamer marine acquisition — A compressed sensing approach
Authors: Kumar Rajiv , Wason Haneet , Herrmann Felix J. 
Published: September 2015

Simultaneous marine acquisition is an economic way to sample seismic data and speed up acquisition, wherein single or multiple source vessels fire sources at near-simultaneous or slightly random times, resulting in overlapping shot records. The current paradigm for simultaneous towed-streamer marine acquisition incorporates “low variability” in source firing times, i.e., [Formula: see text] or 2 s because the sources and receivers are moving. This results in a low degree of randomness in simultaneous data, which is challenging to separate (into its constituent sources) using compressed-sensing-based separation techniques because randomization is key to successful recovery via compressed sensing. We have addressed the challenge of source separation for simultaneous towed-streamer acquisitions via two compressed-sensing-based approaches, i.e., sparsity promotion and rank minimization. We have evaluated the performance of the sparsity-promotion- and rank-minimization-based techniques by simulating two simultaneous towed-streamer acquisition scenarios, i.e., over/under and simultaneous long offset. A field data example from the Gulf of Suez for the over/under acquisition scenario was also developed. We observed that the proposed approaches gave good and comparable recovery qualities of the separated sources, but the rank-minimization technique outperformed the sparsity-promoting technique in terms of the computational time and memory. We also compared these two techniques with the normal-moveout-based median-filtering-type approach, which had comparable results.
Jumping mechanisms in adult caddis flies (Insecta, Trichoptera)
Authors: Burrows Malcolm , Dorosenko Marina 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT
To understand the jumping mechanisms and strategies of adult caddis flies, leg morphology and movements were analysed in three species with mean masses of 3.9 to 38 mg. Two distinct jumping strategies were found. First (67% of 90 jumps), take-off was propelled solely by the middle and hind legs while the wings remained closed. Second (33% of jumps), the same leg movements were combined with wing movements before take-off. The hind legs were 70% and the middle legs were 50% longer than the front legs and represented 105% and 88%, respectively, of body length. Both hind and middle trochantera were depressed together, approximately 15 ms before take-off. The front legs apparently did not contribute to thrust in either strategy and were the first to be lifted from the ground. The hind legs were the next to lose contact, so that the middle legs alone provided the final thrust before take-off. Jumping performance did not differ significantly in the two jumping strategies or between species, in acceleration times (range of means for the three species 14.5–15.4 ms), take-off velocities (range 0.7–1 m s−1) and trajectory angles. A significant difference in jumps propelled only by the legs was the lower angle (9.3±1.9 deg) of the body relative to the horizontal at take-off compared with jumps involving wing movements (35.3±2.5 deg). Calculations from the kinematics indicated that jumps were produced by direct muscle contractions and did not require power amplification or energy storage.
High Tonnage Harvesting and Skidding for Loblolly Pine Energy Plantations
Authors: Jernigan Patrick , Gallagher Tom , Mitchell Dana , Smidt Mathew , Teeter Larry 
Published: September 2015

Abstract
The southeastern United States has a promising source for renewable energy in the form of woody biomass. To meet the energy needs, energy plantations will likely be utilized. These plantations will contain a high density of small-stem pine trees. Since the stems are relatively small when compared with traditional product removal, the harvesting costs will increase. The purpose of this research was to evaluate specialized harvesting and skidding equipment that would harvest these small stems cost efficiently. The feller-buncher utilized was a Tigercat 845D with a specialized biomass shear head. The skidder was a Tigercat 630D equipped with an oversized grapple. This equipment was evaluated in a 4-hectare stand with characteristics of a southern pine energy plantation. During the study, the feller-buncher achieved an average production rate of 47 green tonnes/productive machine hour (gt/PMH) and the skidder had an average production rate of 112 gt/PMH. A before-tax cash-flow model was used to determine a cost per ton for each machine. The feller-buncher costs were $3.85/gt over a 10-year life span, whereas the skidder costs were $1.95/gt over the same 10-year life. The results suggested that the current system working in a southern pine energy plantation could harvest and skid small stems for approximately $5.80/gt.