bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthetic lethal screening in the mammalian central nervous system identifies Gpx6 as a modulator of Huntington’s disease
Authors: Shema Reut , Kulicke Ruth , Cowley Glenn S. , Stein Rachael , Root David E. , Heiman Myriam 
Published: December 2014

Significance
We describe here the application of genetic synthetic lethal screening to the mammalian central nervous system. The principle of synthetic lethality is that factors that are dispensable in a healthy cell are rendered essential in a diseased cell; these factors thus define the pathways responsible for increased cellular vulnerability in that disease. Our synthetic lethality screening in mouse models of Huntington’s disease (HD) reveals that a glutathione peroxidase, Gpx6, can regulate the emergence of HD model symptoms in mice.
Gracility of the modernHomo sapiensskeleton is the result of decreased biomechanical loading
Authors: Ryan Timothy M. , Shaw Colin N. 
Published: December 2014

SignificanceCompared with other primates and earlier human species, contemporary humans possess relatively lightly built skeletons. Previous studies suggest that skeletal gracility results from a lack of physical activity because of increased reliance on culture, is a biomechanical consequence of bipedal locomotion, or reflects systemic physiological differences between modern humans and other primates. We found that bone strength in the hip joint of human foragers is comparable to similarly sized nonhuman primates, and is significantly more robust than sedentary agriculturalists. These results conclusively demonstrate the utility of trabecular bone structure for differentiating activity and mobility patterns among prehistoric hominins and reveal that low levels of physical activity contribute to reduced bone strength, and consequently increased fracture risk, in contemporary human populations.
Stabilization of morphine tolerance with long-term dosing: Association with selective upregulation of mu-opioid receptor splice variant mRNAs
Authors: Xu Jin , Faskowitz Andrew J. , Rossi Grace C. , Xu Mingming , Lu Zhigang , Pan Ying-Xian , Pasternak Gavril W. 
Published: December 2014

Significance
Many assume that morphine tolerance is a continually progressive response, based mainly upon preclinical studies typically lasting a week or less. Yet, clinicians have long appreciated the ability to manage cancer pain in patients with stable opioid doses for months, implying that extended dosing may eventually stabilize the level of tolerance. To reconcile these differences, we examined tolerance over 6 wk and show that extended morphine dosing leads to progressive tolerance for 3 wk that then stabilizes for up to 6 wk and is associated with increases in the abundance of mu opioid receptor splice variant mRNA levels of as much as 300-fold.
Evolutionary meandering of intermolecular interactions along the drift barrier
Authors: Lynch Michael , Hagner Kyle 
Published: December 2014

Significance
Many cellular functions depend on highly specific intermolecular interactions, with mutational changes in each component of the interaction imposing coevolutionary pressure on the remaining members (e.g., a transcription factor and its DNA binding sites). The conflict between mutation pressure toward reduced affinity and selective pressure for greater interaction results in an evolutionary equilibrium distribution for the affinity between interacting partners. Nevertheless, conditional on the maintenance of a critical level of molecular recognition, the sites containing the key residues of binding interfaces are free to evolve. The theory developed suggests that most such evolution is a simple consequence of random genetic drift and not an outcome of adaptive fine tuning.
Hooking She3p onto She2p for myosin-mediated cytoplasmic mRNA transport
Authors: Singh Nimisha , Blobel Günter , Shi Hang 
Published: December 2014

Significance
After export from the nucleus, distinct mRNAs are further transported to specific locales in the cytoplasm. In yeast, a subset of mRNAs targeted to the daughter cells carry zipcodes, which are recognized by two distinct binding proteins, one of which also binds to myosin. The assembled myosin motor walks with its mRNA cargo, like a ropewalker, on an actin filament. To avoid futile movement, motor assembly is strictly controlled. We show that a striking hook-like structure of one zipcode-binding protein connects to a pocket of the other zipcode-binding protein. Hooking is proposed to align the zipcode-binding sites of the two proteins to create a composite site for high-affinity zipcode binding.
Sodium Excretion and Cardiovascular Structure and Function in the Nonhypertensive Population: The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study
Authors: Lee Seung Ku , Kim Jin-Seok , Kim Seong Hwan , Kim Yong Hyun , Lim Hong Euy , Kim Eung Ju , Park Chang Gyu , Cho Goo-Yeong , Kim Jinyoung , Baik Inkyung , Park Juri , Lee Jung Bok , Shin Chol 
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND
The effect of sodium intake on the cardiovascular system remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation between sodium intake and cardiovascular structure and function in the nonhypertensive population.

METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional analysis in 1,586 nonhypertensive subjects who participated in the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (2007–2008). Sodium intake was assessed by estimating the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion from a spot urine sample. Changes in cardiovascular structure and function were assessed by using tissue Doppler echocardiography, the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

RESULTS
Systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased with increasing tertiles of estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion. In multivariate analyses adjusting for covariates, there were stepwise decreases in the baPWV (P = 0.003) and CIMT (P = 0.001) values as the estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion increased, whereas no significant differences in left ventricular (LV) structural and functional parameters were observed across the tertiles of estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion was independently and inversely associated with baPWV (P &lt; 0.001) and CIMT (P = 0.001), but not with LV parameters.

CONCLUSIONS
In the nonhypertensive population, urinary sodium excretion was inversely related to baPWV and CIMT. However, there were no associations between urinary sodium excretion and LV structure or function.
Assessing marine biosecurity risks when data are limited: bioregion pathway and species-based exposure analyses
Authors: Azmi Fauziah , Primo Carmen , Hewitt Chad L. , Campbell Marnie L. 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
We evaluated two risk models (bioregion pathway and species-based exposure), with the aim to determine an effective strategy to implement marine biosecurity risk management in regions/countries where biological data are limited. We used the Port of Tanjung Priok, Jakarta Bay, Indonesia, as a case study to test both models. The bioregion pathway model illustrates that Tanjung Priok is highly connected to the East Asian Sea (∼91%), and the Northwest Pacific, Mediterranean, and Australia & New Zealand bioregions (“Very Low” risk), with other bioregions posing “Negligible” risk, highlighting the importance of understanding regional port linkages. The bioregion pathway model strength is grounded by using readily available shipping data; however, it does not classify species into threat categories but considers a larger number of species as an increasing threat. The species exposure model found that 51 species pose a theoretical risk (10 “Moderate”, 20 “High”, and 21 “Extreme” risks) to Tanjung Priok. These 51 species can be used as a “watch list” for this port. If biosecurity measures for this port were restricted to the outcomes of the bioregion pathway model only 4 of the 51 species highlighted by the species exposure model would have been captured. The species model was data intensive, requiring extensive species datasets and consequently may be unsuitable when data are limited.
A new isolated dSph galaxy near the Local Group
Authors: Karachentsev I. D. , Makarova L. N. , Makarov D. I. , Tully R. B. , Rizzi L. 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Observations of the highly isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxy KKs 3 = [KK2000] 03 with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys are presented. We measured the galaxy distance of 2.12 ± 0.07 Mpc using the tip of red giant branch method. The total blue absolute magnitude of the galaxy is estimated as MB = −10.8 mag. We briefly discuss the star formation history of KKs 3 derived from its colour–magnitude diagram. According to our calculation, the total stellar mass of the galaxy is 2.3 × 107 M⊙, and most stars (74 per cent) were formed at an early epoch more than 12 Gyr ago. A full description of the properties of the colour–magnitude diagram requires some extension of star formation in metallicity and age.
Directional dispersal has not evolved during the cane toad invasion
Authors: Brown Gregory P. , Phillips Benjamin L. , Shine Richard 
Published: December 2014

Summary

The ability to disperse along a consistent compass heading strongly affects the rate and efficiency of an animal's displacement, and thus is under selection at the expanding edge of a biological invasion.

We used radiotelemetry to assess whether the dispersal direction of cane toads (Rhinella marina) changed as a function of time since invasion, by comparing (i) toads at a single site monitored annually for 10 years subsequent to toad arrival; (ii) toads collected from sites across the species' invaded range in Australia, and radiotracked at a common site; and (iii) the offspring of those transported toads that were reared in captivity under common‐garden conditions.

The first of these data sets showed non‐random directionality, indicating strong spatial sorting operating on this trait: toads moved in a north‐westerly direction for the first 6 years post‐invasion, but in random directions thereafter. Despite the evidence for trait sorting, no consistent directionality was seen in toads relocated from populations with different invasion histories nor in their offspring. Why do we see no evolutionary shifts?

Dispersal directionality of the offspring was not correlated with that of their parents, arguing against a genetic basis to this behavioural trait. Thus, while an expanding invasion front creates an evolutionary pressure for animals to move in a specific direction, evolution of this trait has not occurred in this system because directionality is not heritable.

The observed north‐westerly movements of toads at the invasion front were due to simple density differentials: in the first few years, most toads arriving at our study site originated from earlier‐colonized (and hence denser) populations to the south‐east.
Seismic envelope inversion: reduction of local minima and noise resistance
Authors: Luo Jingrui , Wu Ru‐Shan 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACTWaveform inversion met severe challenge in retrieving long‐wavelength background structure. We have proposed to use envelope inversion to recover the large‐scale component of the model. Using the large‐scale background recovered by envelope inversion as new starting model, we can get much better result than the conventional full waveform inversion. By comparing the configurations of the misfit functional between the envelope inversion and the conventional waveform inversion, we show that envelope inversion can greatly reduce the local minimum problem. The combination of envelope inversion and waveform inversion can deliver more faithful and accurate final result with almost no extra computation cost compared to the conventional full waveform inversion. We also tested the noise resistance ability of envelope inversion to Gaussian noise and seismic interference noise. The results showed that envelope inversion is insensitive to Gaussian noise and, to a certain extent, insensitive to seismic interference noise. This indicates the robustness of this method and its potential use for noisy data.
Ricker‐compliant deconvolution
Authors: Claerbout Jon , Guitton Antoine 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACTRicker‐compliant deconvolution spikes at the center lobe of the Ricker wavelet. It enables deconvolution to preserve and enhance seismogram polarities. Expressing the phase spectrum as a function of lag, it works by suppressing the phase at small lags. A by‐product of this decon is a pseudo‐unitary (very clean) debubble filter where bubbles are lifted off the data while onset waveforms (usually Ricker) are untouched.
A conifer–angiosperm divergence in the growth vs. shade tolerance trade‐off underlies the dynamics of a New Zealand warm‐temperate rain forest
Authors: Lusk Christopher H. , Jorgensen Murray A. , Bellingham Peter J. 
Published: December 2014

Summary

A central tenet of forest ecology is that succession and regeneration dynamics are driven by an interspecific trade‐off between juvenile growth rates in high light and shade tolerance. There is evidence, however, that a single trade‐off axis may fail to explain the dynamics of mixed conifer–angiosperm rain forests in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in New Zealand.

We tested for growth vs. shade tolerance trade‐offs by measuring juvenile growth of five podocarps and five broadleaved canopy angiosperms across a wide range of light environments in a New Zealand warm‐temperate rain forest. The light compensation point of growth was used as a measure of species light requirements, which we then compared with height growth in 10% light, approximating the environments encountered beneath small treefall gaps.

Despite considerable overlap between the ranges of both growth rates and compensation points found in the two lineages, major axis tests showed that the growth vs. shade tolerance trade‐off differed significantly between podocarp and angiosperm species. At a common compensation point, angiosperms were faster growing than podocarps in 10% light. However, juveniles of these angiosperm species were notably scarce in the more open environments associated with forest margins.

Synthesis. A conifer–angiosperm divergence in the growth vs. shade tolerance trade‐off may explain long‐standing problems of the dynamics of these forests. Although juveniles of most lowland podocarps can tolerate considerable shade, the more vigorous response of broadleaved angiosperms to small canopy openings enables them to out‐compete podocarps in old‐growth stands. The greater abundance of podocarp juveniles on forest margins cannot be attributed to them out‐competing angiosperm species where light is abundant and is likely to reflect superior resistance to frost and/or drought. The drivers of the dynamics of New Zealand's podocarp–broadleaved forests therefore differ appreciably from those ascribed to tropical and north‐temperate forests.
Corruption in Public Procurement Market
Authors: Mizoguchi Tetsuro , Van Quyen Nguyen 
Published: December 2014

AbstractThe paper presents a model of public procurement in which the contracting officer is corrupt and extracts bribes from the bidding firms. The firms submit multidimensional bids, which consist of the quality and the price of the project that they propose to realize. The firms differ in their costs of realizing the project at a given quality, and these costs are private information. The contracting official, in exchange for a bribe, abuses the power of his or her public office by distorting the quality ranking of the bids and by giving the favoured firm an opportunity to readjust its bid to undercut its rivals. Our analysis suggests that when the firms serve only the internal market, the public project is realized at low quality and inflated prices. However, when the firms are also allowed to sell the product they develop for the internal market in a foreign market, the auction is ex post efficient.
Vertical and Horizontal Segregation: Spatial Class Divisions in Oslo, 1970–2003
Authors: Ljunggren Jørn , Andersen Patrick Lie 
Published: December 2014

AbstractA direct focus on social class has largely disappeared from questions concerning spatial divisions. Instead, studies on residential segregation usually focus on ethnicity, education or income; seemingly the common perception is that people are now divided by such factors and that class divisions belong to the past. Although the structures of inequality have changed in recent times, little is known about how they affect spatial divisions. Here, we investigate these issues by analysing the developments of class segregation in Norway's capital, Oslo, during a period of great societal change and welfare state expansion. We analyse both vertical segregation, between the upper class and the working class, and horizontal segregation, between class factions possessing a high level of mainly cultural or economic capital. We apply a Bourdieu‐inspired classification scheme to capture data on the parents of full cohorts of children aged 13–15 years in 1970, 1980 and 2003. The results support the idea of a changed class structure, with segregation levels between the upper and working classes having increased during this period. Moreover, there are also moderate and slightly increasing levels of horizontal segregation between top class factions based on cultural and economic capital.
Measuring acoustic habitats
Authors: Merchant Nathan D. , Fristrup Kurt M. , Johnson Mark P. , Tyack Peter L. , Witt Matthew J. , Blondel Philippe , Parks Susan E. 
Published: December 2014

Summary

Many organisms depend on sound for communication, predator/prey detection and navigation. The acoustic environment can therefore play an important role in ecosystem dynamics and evolution. A growing number of studies are documenting acoustic habitats and their influences on animal development, behaviour, physiology and spatial ecology, which has led to increasing demand for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) expertise in the life sciences. However, as yet, there has been no synthesis of data processing methods for acoustic habitat monitoring, which presents an unnecessary obstacle to would‐be PAM analysts.

Here, we review the signal processing techniques needed to produce calibrated measurements of terrestrial and aquatic acoustic habitats. We include a supplemental tutorial and template computer codes in matlab and r, which give detailed guidance on how to produce calibrated spectrograms and statistical analyses of sound levels. Key metrics and terminology for the characterisation of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic sound are covered, and their application to relevant monitoring scenarios is illustrated through example data sets. To inform study design and hardware selection, we also include an up‐to‐date overview of terrestrial and aquatic PAM instruments.

Monitoring of acoustic habitats at large spatiotemporal scales is becoming possible through recent advances in PAM technology. This will enhance our understanding of the role of sound in the spatial ecology of acoustically sensitive species and inform spatial planning to mitigate the rising influence of anthropogenic noise in these ecosystems. As we demonstrate in this work, progress in these areas will depend upon the application of consistent and appropriate PAM methodologies.
Chemoradiotherapy in elderly patients with advanced head and neck cancer under intensive nutritional support
Authors: Chang Pei‐Hung , Yeh Kun‐Yun , Huang Jen‐Seng , Chen Eric Yen‐Chao , Yang Shih‐Wei , Wang Cheng‐Hsu 
Published: December 2014

AbstractAimTo evaluate treatment tolerance, toxicities and survival in elderly patients with advanced head and neck cancer who received inpatient‐based intensive nutritional support with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in comparison with younger patients undergoing the same treatment.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the records of 126 stage III, IVA and IVB head and neck cancer patients who were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy between 2007 and 2009 under an inpatient‐based nutritional support program. The clinical characteristics, treatment tolerance, toxicities and survival of patients older than 65 years were compared with those of identically treated patients younger than 65 years.ResultsThere were 21 patients older than 65 years and 105 patients younger than 65 years. Clinical characteristics and treatment toxicities were similar between the groups, except that the elderly were less likely to tolerate cisplatin, experienced more weight loss, required more feeding tube support and tended to have >grade 3 hematological toxicities and to develop sepsis during the period of chemoradiotherapy. The 1‐ and 2‐year disease‐free survival and disease‐specific survival rates were nearly identical.ConclusionAge alone should not be considered a contraindication to aggressive chemoradiotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer. Older patients require more careful multidisciplinary assessment of their supportive care needs to ensure successful completion of treatment and avoid further treatment‐related toxicity.
Differences in serum protein 2D gel electrophoresis patterns of Przewalski's (Mongolian wild horse) and thoroughbred horses
Authors: Barsuren Enkhbolor , Namkhai Bandi , Kong Hong Sik 
Published: December 2014

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess differences in serum protein expression profiles of Przewalski's (Mongolian wild horse) and thoroughbred horses using proteome analysis. The serum proteins were separated by two‐dimensional electrophoresis (2‐DE) and five different gene products were identified. Proteins represented by the five spots were identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization–time‐of‐flight (MALDI–TOF) mass spectrometry (MS)/MS technology. The identities of all proteins were deduced based on their similarity to proteins in the human plasma protein database. Three proteins (a haptoglobin‐2 alpha glycoprotein and two haptoglobin‐2beta glycoproteins with different accession numbers) were downregulated in Przewalski's horse sera compared to thoroughbred horse sera. Moreover, two proteins (tetraspanin‐18 and pM5) were upregulated in Przewalski's horses compared to thoroughbred horses. Haptoglobin‐2 alpha and haptoglobin‐2beta may serve as candidate molecules in future studies of inflammation, coagulation, immune modulation and pro‐oxidant and antioxidant activity with consequential effects on the entire metabolism of the horse.