bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transcriptomic Characterization of Soybean Roots in Response toBradyrhizobiumInfection by RNA Sequencing
Authors: He Qingyuan , Hongyan Yang , Wu Ping , Li Zhengpeng , Wang Songhua , Zhu Changwei 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACTLegumes interact withrhizobiumconvert N2into ammonia for plant use. To investigate the plant basal nitrogen fixation mechanisms induced in response toBradyrhizobium, differential gene expression in root of inoculated and mock-inoculated soybean was analysed by RNA-Seq. A total of 55787 transcripts were aligned to soybean genome reference sequences, 280 and 316 transcripts were found to be up-and down-regulated, respectively, in inoculated relative to mock-inoculated soybean’s root at V1 stage. Gene ontology (GO) analyses detected 104, 182 and 178 genes associated with cell component category, molecular function category and biological process category, respectively. Pathway analysis revealed that 98 differentiallly expressed genes (115 transcripts) involved in 169 biological pathways. We selected 19 differentially expressed genes and analyzed their expressions in mock-inoculated, inoculated USDA110 and CCBAU45436 using qRT-PCR. The results were consistent with those obtained fromrhizobiainfected RNA-Seq data. These showed that the results of RNA-Seq have reliability and universality. Additionally, this study showed some novel genes associated with nitrogen fixation process comparison with the previously identified QTLs.
The rediscovery ofStrix butleri(Hume, 1878) in Oman and Iran, with molecular resolution of the identity ofStrix omanensisRobb, van den Berg and Constantine, 2013
Authors: Robb Magnus S , Sangster George , Aliabadian Mansour , van den Berg Arnoud B , Constantine Mark , Irestedt Martin , Khani Ali , Musavi Seyed Babak , Nunes João M G , Willson Maïa Sarrouf , Walsh Alyn J 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACTBackgroundMost species of owls (Strigidae) represent cryptic species and their taxonomic study is in flux. In recent years, two new species of owls of the genusStrixhave been described from the Arabian peninsula by different research teams. It has been suggested that one of these species,S. omanensis, is not a valid species but taxonomic comparisons have been hampered by the lack of specimens ofS. omanensis, and the poor state of the holotype ofS. butleri.MethodsHere we use new DNA sequence data to clarify the taxonomy and nomenclature of theS. butlericomplex. We also report the capture of a singleS. butleriin Mashhad, Iran.ResultsA cytochrome b sequence ofS. omanensiswas found to be identical to that of the holotype ofS. butleri, indicating that the nameS. omanensisis best regarded as a junior synonym ofS. butleri. The identity of theS. butlericaptured in Mashhad, Iran, was confirmed using DNA sequence data. This represents a major (1,400 km) range extension of this species.ConclusionsThe population discovered in Oman in 2013 and originally named ‘S. omanensis’actually represents the rediscovery ofS. butleri,which was known from a single specimen and had not been recorded since 1878. The range ofS. butleriextends into northeast Iran. Our study augments the body of evidence for the recognition ofS. butleriandS. hadoramias separate species and highlights the importance of using multiple evidence to study cryptic owl species.
Tissue-specific tagging of endogenous loci inDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Koles Kate , Yeh Anna R. , Rodal Avital A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractFluorescent protein tags have revolutionized cell and developmental biology, and in combination with binary expression systems they enable diverse tissue-specific studies of protein function. However these binary expression systems often do not recapitulate endogenous protein expression levels, localization, binding partners, and developmental windows of gene expression. To address these limitations, we have developed a method called T-STEP (Tissue-SpecificTagging ofEndogenousProteins) that allows endogenous loci to be tagged in a tissue specific manner. T-STEP uses a combination of efficient gene targeting and tissue-specific recombinase-mediated tag swapping to temporally and spatially label endogenous proteins. We have employed this method to GFP tag OCRL (a phosphoinositide-5-phosphatase in the endocytic pathway) and Vps35 (a Parkinson's disease-implicated component of the endosomal retromer complex) in diverseDrosophilatissues including neurons, glia, muscles, and hemocytes. Selective tagging of endogenous proteins allows for the first time cell type-specific live imaging and proteomics in complex tissues.
The site-frequency spectrum associated with Ξ-coalescents
Authors: Blath Jochen , Cronjäger Mathias Christensen , Eldon Bjarki , Hammer Matthias 
Published: August 2015

AbstractWe give recursions for the expected site-frequency spectrum associated with so-calledXi-coalescents, that is exchangeable coalescents which admitsimultaneous multiple mergersof ancestral lineages. Xi-coalescents arise, for example, in association with population models of skewed offspring distributions with diploidy, recurrent advantageous mutations, or strong bottlenecks. In contrast, the simplerLambda-coalescentsadmit multiple mergers of lineages, but at most one such merger each time. Xi-coalescents, as well as Lambda-coalescents, can predict an excess of singletons, compared to the Kingman coalescent. We compare estimates of coalescent parameters when Xi-coalescents are applied to data generated by Lambda-coalescents, and vice versa. In general, Xi-coalescents predict fewer singletons than corresponding Lambda-coalescents, but a higher count of mutations of size larger than singletons. We fit examples of Xi-coalescents to unfolded site-frequency spectra obtained for autosomal loci of the diploid Atlantic cod, and obtain different coalescent parameter estimates than obtained with corresponding Lambda-coalescents. Our results provide new inference tools, and suggest that for autosomal population genetic data from diploid or polyploid highly fecund populations who may have skewed offspring distributions, one should not apply Lambda-coalescents, but Xi-coalescents.
Moderating effect of perceived inflation on dual commitment to organization and professional association
Authors: Akoto Edward Osei , Stammerjohan Claire Allison 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to draw upon exchange theory to test the moderating effect of perceived inflation on dual commitment among a sample of health professionals in Ghana. The authors test this effect on the unilateral contributions of commitment to the organization and commitment to the professional association.Design/methodology/approach– Survey questionnaires were used to elicit responses from 141 health professionals in Ghana. Least square moderated regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesized relationships.Findings– The authors found that respondents do exhibit dual commitment to the organization and the professional association. The findings also supported the hypothesized moderating effect of perceived inflation on the contribution of the unilateral commitments to dual loyalty. Perceived inflation alters the contributions from the predictors, hence, reducing dual commitment.Research limitations/implications– The study sampled only public sector employees, but the authors do not consider this a fatal flaw since the public sector in Ghana employs a large percentage (51 percent) of the workforce. Future research should focus on the private sector to increase the generalizability of the perceived inflation construct.Practical implications– Perceived inflation can have adverse effects on workplace attitudes, including dual loyalty to the organization and to the union. But the finding also suggests that, in periods of inflationary pressures, high affective commitment can benefit the organization. The perceived reduction in the value of the economic exchange clearly has implications for compensation policy for the public sector in Ghana.Originality/value– Researchers have examined the perception of inflation on consumer behavior, but none has investigated the inflationary influence on workplace attitudes. This study extends the conceptualization of the index of perceived inflation and the psychology of inflation to the management literature. This study is the first to investigate the effect of perceived inflation on commitment.
Customers’ service quality perception in automotive repair
Authors: Izogo Ernest Emeka 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– This purpose of this paper is to investigate the diagnostic abilities and dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL scale within a non-western automotive repair services setting.Design/methodology/approach– Data collected from a randomly generated sample of 555 participants that produced a 50.63 percent response rate was factor analyzed and tested for internal scale consistency. A one samplet-test and a median ranking statistics of component extractions were also conducted.Findings– This study reveals that the SERVQUAL scale is a valid and reliable measure of service quality within the automotive repair services setting in a non-western context. Further outcomes from the assessment show that, even though the original five dimensional SERVQUAL structure was successfully replicated, there were definite differences in items assignment. Empathy also emerged as the most important dimension of service quality.Research limitations/implications– The outcomes of this study cannot be generalized. As such, the SERVQUAL scale should receive more rigorous research in non-western contexts in two directions. First, the scale should be tested across other services fields to further confirm its diagnostic abilities and dimensional structure. Second, more multi-sectoral as well as cross-cultural studies tested across larger data sets is equally required to enhance generalizability of findings across other non-western environments.Originality/value– This study demonstrated that the SERVQUAL scale is a valid and reliable measure of service quality within the automotive repair services setting in a non-western context with empathy emerging as the most significant dimension of service quality.
What could be an institutional framework for Liberia’s petroleum sector?
Authors: Horace John N 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– Reformers in many developing countries with significant hydrocarbon reserves have been drawn to the attention of designing the right policies for their oil sectors. With the right institutional arrangement, benefits from petroleum activities and minimization of transaction costs could be realized. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approach– This work examines six oil producing countries that have used different methods in managing their hydrocarbon sectors. Their experiences are harnessed to serve as options that Liberia could consider. It therefore uses the Norwegian model of petroleum sector management as lead indicator.Findings– Liberia is a developing economy with limited experience and low institutional capacity with respect to managing her oil sector, and as such, this paper renders the conclusion that Liberia develops her human talents in petroleum activities and should initially have one manager to oversee the petroleum sector until the right institutions are installed and human capacity develops.Originality/value– Using the Norwegian model as the basis for the investigation, the researcher looks at intriguing issues on why this model has worked in some countries and fails to exist in others.
Chinese single-listed ADRs: returns and volatility
Authors: Rodríguez Javier , Toledo Wilfredo 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– Single-listed American depositary receipts (ADRs) are traded in US markets, while their underlying share is not listed in the firm’s home market. The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the factors affecting the returns and volatility of a sample of Chinese single-listed ADRs, in comparison with traditional Chinese ADRs.

Design/methodology/approach
– The methods used in this paper are similar to those used in the examination of traditional or dual-listed Chinese ADRs. However, motivated by the very nature of single-listed ADRs, the authors estimate a base model which includes factors from the two presumably most important markets for single-listed Chinese ADRs (i.e. the Chinese and US markets). In all of the estimations, the authors follow a two-step procedure. First, the authors estimate a GARCH(1,1) model with the mean equation modeled as an AR(p) process and from those models estimate GARCH (conditional) variances.

Findings
– In line with the evidence on traditional Chinese ADRs, the authors find that both the Chinese and the US markets are important predictors of single-listed ADR returns. The results are robust to variations in the model specifications.

Originality/value
– Single-listed ADR return behavior is still an under-researched topic. In this paper, the authors contribute to the literature on Chinese single-listed ADRs by empirically examining the determinants of their mean return and volatility.
The challenge of the visual: making medieval seals accessible in the digital age
Authors: McEwan John Alexander 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present and evaluate an innovative classification system for medieval seals that was created as part of the Seals in Medieval Wales (SiMeW) project, funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The classification system developed in response to the cataloguing challenges associated with rapidly gathering sigillographic information on about 2,500 medieval seals from a number of collections in several UK repositories.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper outlines the challenges involved in recording and classifying medieval seals from the British Isles, and describes existing systems for organizing sigillographic information. The SiMeW system is explained as a response to the limitations of existing systems.

Findings
– Designers of systems for recording seals need to take into account the physical characteristics of seal impressions, matrices, and casts, the strength and limitations of digital media, as well as the need of cataloguers and users.

Originality/value
– In recent years scholars have systematically investigated the problems associated with text-based image indexing and retrieval. Nonetheless, medieval seals have been largely overlooked, even though they are common in UK repositories. SiMeW’s system offers cataloguers an example of an approach that they can use in new and existing seal catalogues, to generate metadata that can help make seals, which are a key component of the cultural legacy of the Middle Ages, more accessible to users.
Documentary credit fraud against banks: analysis of Korean cases
Authors: Han Chang-Ryung , Nelen Hans , Joo Matthew Youngho 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to explore the feature and mechanism of a new type of documentary credit fraud that victimizes banks’ issuing letters of credit (L/C), harming neither the importer nor the exporter and seeks to suggest possible measures to tackle it.

Design/methodology/approach
– This study analyzed 30 cases of documentary credit fraud against banks that were detected by the Korea Customs Service (KCS) and interviewed three key customs investigators to interpret the case reports more accurately and gain a deeper understanding into the mechanisms governing the fraud. This study draws on routine activity theory and crime pattern theory to analyze the opportunity structures of this fraud.

Findings
– This study found that the importer that engaged in the fraud cases had established a solid business relationship with the exporter and had established trust with the victimized banks; the banks, despite the fact that they had their own risk management systems to screen out unqualified L/C applicants, were defrauded by the offending importers and exporters. Unlike ordinary documentary credit fraud, fraud against banks can be tackled by customs because the offender and the victim typically operate in the same jurisdiction, and this type of fraud often results in trade-based capital flight and money laundering, which is the target of customs enforcement.

Research limitations/implications
– As this paper is based on case reports of the KCS, it is inappropriate to generalize the findings or to apply the findings to other contexts. Nevertheless, the opportunity structure elaborated upon in the course of this paper may prove useful in devising measures to tackle this type of fraud elsewhere.

Originality/value
– Documentary credit fraud against banks is relatively unexplored, in particular from criminological perspective. This study can contribute to a refinement of the application of opportunity perspective to white-collar crime.
Psoriasis‐like lesions in a patient with familial Mediterranean fever
Authors: Ashida Miwa , Koike Yuta , Kuwatsuka Sayaka , Ichinose Kunihiro , Migita Kiyoshi , Sano Shigetoshi , Utani Atsushi 
Published: September 2015

AbstractFamilial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a rare hereditary autoinflammatory disorder that is caused by pyrin gene mutation associated with aberrance of the interleukin (IL)‐1β pathway and characterized by recurrent, self‐limiting attacks of fever and other inflammatory symptoms. We report a case of FMF with annular erythema and psoriasis‐like lesions, the latter of which demonstrated parakeratosis with neutrophil microabscesses and mild inflammatory mononuclear cell infiltration in the upper dermis. Immunofluorescence staining showed IL‐17‐positive T‐cells. Skin eruption with neutrophil migration in the epidermis may be provoked by T‐helper 17 cell activation through the abnormal IL‐1β cascade in FMF.
Metabolism correlates with variation in post‐natal growth rate among songbirds at three latitudes
Authors: Ton Riccardo , Martin Thomas E. 
Published: September 2015

Summary

Variation in post‐natal growth rates is substantial among organisms and especially strong among latitudes because tropical and south temperate species typically have slower growth than north temperate relatives. Metabolic rate is thought to be a critical mechanism underlying growth rates after accounting for allometric effects of body mass. However, comparative tests on a large spatial scale are lacking, and the importance of metabolism for growth rates remains unclear both within and particularly across latitudes.

Songbirds exhibit strong interspecific variation in growth rates across geographic space, although within latitudes an association between metabolic rate and growth rate has not always been observed. Moreover, the hypothesis that differences in growth rates across latitudes reflect underlying differences in metabolism is untested. Here, we investigate these possibilities across north temperate, south temperate and tropical study sites.

Phylogenetic analyses showed that, for a given body mass, metabolic rates of north temperate nestlings were higher than tropical and south temperate species. Metabolic rates controlled for body mass correlated with post‐natal growth rates both within and among latitudes. Offspring body mass explained substantial residual variation in growth rates as expected under classic allometric theory.

Our results suggest that variation in metabolic rates has an important influence on broad patterns of avian growth rates at a global scale. We suggest further studies that address the ecological and physiological costs and consequences of variation in metabolism and growth rates.
Multiple mating reveals complex patterns of assortative mating by personality and body size
Authors: Montiglio Pierre‐Olivier , Wey Tina W. , Chang Ann T. , Fogarty Sean , Sih Andrew 
Published: September 2015

Summary

Understanding patterns of non‐random mating is central to predicting the consequences of sexual selection. Most studies quantifying assortative mating focus on testing for correlations among partners' phenotypes in mated pairs. Few studies have distinguished between assortative mating arising from preferences for similar partners (expressed by all or a subset of the population) vs. from phenotypic segregation in the environment. Also, few studies have assessed the robustness of assortative mating against temporal changes in social conditions.

We tracked multiple matings by stream water striders (Aquarius remigis) across variable social conditions to investigate mating patterns by both body size and behavioural type (personality). We documented temporal changes in partner availability and used a mixed model approach to analyse individual behaviours and changes in mating status recorded on an hourly basis. We assessed whether all or only a subset of individuals in the population expressed a tendency to mate with similar phenotypes. Our analyses took into account variation in the level of competition and in the phenotypes of available partners.

Males and females exhibited significant assortative mating by body size: the largest males and females, and the smallest males and females mated together more often than random. However, individuals of intermediate size were equally likely to mate with small, intermediate or large partners. Individuals also displayed two contrasting patterns of assortative mating by personality (activity level). Individuals generally mated preferentially with partners of similar activity level. However, beyond that general trend, individuals with more extreme personalities tended to exhibit disassortative mating: the most active males mated disproportionately with less active females and the least active males tended to mate with more active females.

Our analyses thus revealed multiple, distinct patterns of nonrandom mating. These mating patterns did not arise from differences in partner availability among individuals and were robust to temporal changes in social conditions. Hence, mating patterns likely reflect mate preferences or arise from male–male competition coupled with sexual conflict. Our study also stresses the importance of accounting for variation in partner availability and demonstrates the influence of behavioural variation on mating patterns.