bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
T cells, teeth and tissue destruction – what do T cells do in periodontal disease?
Authors: Campbell L. , Millhouse E. , Malcolm J. , Culshaw S. 
Published: October 2015

SummaryThe microbial plaque biofilm resides adjacent to the tissue‐destructive inflammatory infiltrate in periodontitis. Although not sufficient, this biofilm is necessary for this inflammatory response. Patients with periodontitis generate antibodies specific for bacteria in the biofilm – although the role of these antibodies is not clear, there is, undoubtedly, an adaptive immune response in periodontitis. T lymphocytes are central to adaptive immunity, and provide help for B cells to generate specific antibodies. T‐cell receptor recognition of peptide antigen in the context of major histocompatibility complex can result in T‐cell activation. The activation and differentiation of the T‐cell can take many forms, and hence numerous types of T cells have been described. The role of adaptive immune responses, and the T‐cell component thereof, in periodontitis remains relatively poorly defined. This review aims to broadly summarize findings about T cells and their role in periodontitis, focusing primarily on studies of human disease with a short discussion of some animal studies.
Transcriptome‐wide sequencing provides insights into geocarpy in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Chen Xiaoping , Yang Qingli , Li Haifen , Li Heying , Hong Yanbin , Pan Lijuan , Chen Na , Zhu Fanghe , Chi Xiaoyuan , Zhu Wei , Chen Mingna , Liu Haiyan , Yang Zhen , Zhang Erhua , Wang Tong , Zhong Ni , Wang Mian , Liu Hong , Wen Shijie , Li Xingyu , Zhou Guiyuan , Li Shaoxiong , Wu Hong , Varshney Rajeev , Liang Xuanqiang , Yu Shanlin 
Published: October 2015

SummaryA characteristic feature of peanut is the subterranean fructification, geocarpy, in which the gynophore (‘peg’), a specialized organ that transitions from upward growth habit to downward outgrowth upon fertilization, drives the developing pod into the soil for subsequent development underground. As a step towards understanding this phenomenon, we explore the developmental dynamics of the peanut pod transcriptome at 11 successive stages. We identified 110 217 transcripts across developmental stages and quantified their abundance along a pod developmental gradient in pod wall. We found that the majority of transcripts were differentially expressed along the developmental gradient as well as identified temporal programs of gene expression, including hundreds of transcription factors. Thought to be an adaptation to particularly harsh subterranean environments, both up‐ and down‐regulated gene sets in pod wall were enriched for response to a broad array of stimuli, like gravity, light and subterranean environmental factors. We also identified hundreds of transcripts associated with gravitropism and photomorphogenesis, which may be involved in the geocarpy. Collectively, this study forms a transcriptional baseline for geocarpy in peanut as well as provides a considerable body of evidence that transcriptional regulation in peanut aerial and subterranean fruits is complex.
Engineered selective plant male sterility through pollen‐specific expression of theEcoRIrestriction endonuclease
Authors: Millwood Reginald J. , Moon Hong S. , Poovaiah Charleson R. , Muthukumar Balasubramaniam , Rice John Hollis , Abercrombie Jason M. , Abercrombie Laura L. , Green William Derek , Stewart Charles Neal 
Published: October 2015

SummaryUnintended gene flow from transgenic plants via pollen, seed and vegetative propagation is a regulatory concern because of potential admixture in food and crop systems, as well as hybridization and introgression to wild and weedy relatives. Bioconfinement of transgenic pollen would help address some of these concerns and enable transgenic plant production for several crops where gene flow is an issue. Here, we demonstrate the expression of the restriction endonucleaseEcoRIunder the control of the tomato pollen‐specificLAT52 promoter is an effective method for generating selective male sterility inNicotiana tabacum(tobacco). Of nine transgenic events recovered, four events had very high bioconfinement with tightly controlledEcoRIexpression in pollen and negligible‐to‐no expression other plant tissues. Transgenic plants had normal morphology wherein vegetative growth and reproductivity were similar to nontransgenic controls. In glasshouse experiments, transgenic lines were hand‐crossed to both male‐sterile and emasculated nontransgenic tobacco varieties. Progeny analysis of 16 000–40 000 seeds per transgenic line demonstrated five lines approached (>99.7%) or attained 100% bioconfinement for one or more generations. Bioconfinement was again demonstrated at or near 100% under field conditions where four transgenic lines were grown in close proximity to male‐sterile tobacco, and 900–2100 seeds per male‐sterile line were analysed for transgenes. Based upon these results, we concludeEcoRI‐driven selective male sterility holds practical potential as a safe and reliable transgene bioconfinement strategy. Given the mechanism of male sterility, this method could be applicable to any plant species.
Oligonucleotide‐directed mutagenesis for precision gene editing
Authors: Sauer Noel J. , Mozoruk Jerry , Miller Ryan B. , Warburg Zachary J. , Walker Keith A. , Beetham Peter R. , Schöpke Christian R. , Gocal Greg F. W. 
Published: October 2015

SummaryDifferences in gene sequences, many of which are single nucleotide polymorphisms, underlie some of the most important traits in plants. With humanity facing significant challenges to increase global agricultural productivity, there is an urgent need to accelerate the development of these traits in plants. oligonucleotide‐directed mutagenesis (ODM), one of the many tools of Cibus’ Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS™) technology, offers a rapid, precise and non‐transgenic breeding alternative for trait improvement in agriculture to address this urgent need. This review explores the application of ODM as a precision genome editing technology, with emphasis on using oligonucleotides to make targeted edits in plasmid, episomal and chromosomal DNA of bacterial, fungal, mammalian and plant systems. The process of employing ODM by way of RTDS technology has been improved in many ways by utilizing a fluorescence conversion system wherein a blue fluorescent protein (BFP) can be changed to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) by editing a single nucleotide of the BFP gene (CAC→TAC; H66 to Y66). For example, dependent on oligonucleotide length, applying oligonucleotide‐mediated technology to target the BFP transgene in Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts resulted in up to 0.05% precisely edited GFP loci. Here, the development of traits in commercially relevant plant varieties to improve crop performance by genome editing technologies such as ODM, and by extension RTDS, is reviewed.
Mixtures, Envelopes and Hierarchical Duality
Authors: Polson Nicholas G. , Scott James G. 
Published: October 2015

SummaryWe develop a connection between mixture and envelope representations of objective functions that arise frequently in statistics. We refer to this connection by using the term ‘hierarchical duality’. Our results suggest an interesting and previously underexploited relationship between marginalization and profiling, or equivalently between the Fenchel–Moreau theorem for convex functions and the Bernstein–Widder theorem for Laplace transforms. We give several different sets of conditions under which such a duality result obtains. We then extend existing work on envelope representations in several ways, including novel generalizations to variance–mean models and to multivariate Gaussian location models. This turns out to provide an elegant missing data interpretation of the proximal gradient method, which is a widely used algorithm in machine learning. We show several statistical applications in which the framework proposed leads to easily implemented algorithms, including a robust version of the fused lasso, non-linear quantile regression via trend filtering and the binomial fused double-Pareto model. Code for the examples is available on GitHub at https://github.com/jgscott/hierduals.
Generalized Additive and Index Models with Shape Constraints
Authors: Chen Yining , Samworth Richard J. 
Published: October 2015

Summary
We study generalized additive models, with shape restrictions (e.g. monotonicity, convexity and concavity) imposed on each component of the additive prediction function. We show that this framework facilitates a non-parametric estimator of each additive component, obtained by maximizing the likelihood. The procedure is free of tuning parameters and under mild conditions is proved to be uniformly consistent on compact intervals. More generally, our methodology can be applied to generalized additive index models. Here again, the procedure can be justified on theoretical grounds and, like the original algorithm, has highly competitive finite sample performance. Practical utility is illustrated through the use of these methods in the analysis of two real data sets. Our algorithms are publicly available in the R package scar, short for shape-constrained additive regression.
Group Contests with Internal Conflict and Power Asymmetry
Authors: Choi Jay Pil , Chowdhury Subhasish M. , Kim Jaesoo 
Published: October 2015

AbstractWe investigate simultaneous inter‐ and intra‐group conflict in the shadow of within‐group power asymmetry and complementarity in members' group‐conflict efforts. A more symmetric group faces a higher degree of internal conflict, and might expend more effort in external conflict when the group‐conflict effort technology is highly complementary. Depending on the degree of complementarity, the stronger player's relative contribution to external conflict might be higher in a more asymmetric group and, as a result, it is possible for the weaker player to earn a higher payoff. In the absence of any complementarity, the rent‐dissipation is non‐monotonic with the within‐group power asymmetry.
Household Formation, Female Labor Supply, and Savings
Authors: Fehr Hans , Kallweit Manuel , Kindermann Fabian 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we aim to quantify the impact of changing family structures on labor supply and savings in Western societies. Our dynamic general equilibrium model features both genders, and it takes into account changes in marital status as a stochastic process. The numerical results indicate that changes in household formation can partly explain the reallocation of male and female labor supply observed during the last decades in Germany. We also find a negative impact on capital accumulation, and we show that a combination of higher marital risk and a narrowing gender wage gap can explain the changes in hours ratios between single and married men and women.
Is There a Causal Effect of Working Part‐Time on Current and Future Wages?
Authors: Paul Marie 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn this paper, I study the causal effects of part‐time work on current and future wages. To estimate these effects, I use a random effects model with a wage equation capturing the employment history and a dynamic multinomial probit component for the choice of employment status. Exclusion restrictions from the institutional context are exploited to support identification. The results suggest that working part‐time with few hours has a large causal effect on current wages, but more extensive part‐time work does not reduce current wages. However, both types of part‐time work lead to negative long‐term wage effects.
Immigration, Conflict, and Redistribution
Authors: Sánchez‐Pagés Santiago , Solano García Ángel 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we analyze how the possibility of conflict between natives and immigrants shapes income redistribution in developed democracies. This possibility can generate income redistribution towards immigrants even if they have no voting rights. We show that the threat of conflict between natives and immigrants lowers vertical income redistribution (from the rich to the poor) as the level of immigration increases. The opposite holds for horizontal income redistribution (from natives to immigrants), which increases with the level of immigration. Income inequality weakens the negative effect of immigration on vertical redistribution, but it also reduces horizontal redistribution. These theoretical predictions are consistent with the results of our empirical analysis on data from 29 European countries: larger immigrant populations are associated with more redistribution towards immigrants and lower vertical redistribution.
The deletion of /t, d/ in Hong Kong English
Authors: EDWARDS JETTE G. HANSEN 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACTPrevious research on /t,d/ deletion, the omission of the final /t/ or /d/ sound in word‐final consonant clusters of two or more consonants (e.g. just pronounced as jus), indicates that it is pervasive in many varieties of English, including world Englishes such as Indian English, Singapore English, and Nigerian English. This study examines /t,d/ deletion in Hong Kong English in order to examine whether the finding that it occurs systematically across a wide range of Englishes can be extended to this new English. Conversational data were collected from 36 Hong Kong tertiary students; analysis of the data via both descriptive and inferential statistics found that /t,d/ deletion occurred for all the participants in the study, and was governed by linguistic factors and in particular, grammatical category and following linguistic environment.
Corticospinal axons make direct synaptic connections with spinal motoneurons innervating forearm muscles early during postnatal development in the rat
Authors: Maeda Hitoshi , Fukuda Satoshi , Kameda Hiroshi , Murabe Naoyuki , Isoo Noriko , Mizukami Hiroaki , Ozawa Keiya , Sakurai Masaki 
Published: October 2015

Key points
Direct connections between corticospinal (CS) axons and motoneurons (MNs) appear to be present only in higher primates, where they are essential for discrete movement of the digits. Their presence in adult rodents was once claimed but is now questioned.
We report that MNs innervating forearm muscles in infant rats receive monosynaptic input from CS axons, but MNs innervating proximal muscles do not, which is a pattern similar to that in primates.
Our experiments were carefully designed to show monosynaptic connections. This entailed selective electrical and optogenetic stimulation of CS axons and recording from MNs identified by retrograde labelling from innervated muscles. Morphological evidence was also obtained for rigorous identification of CS axons and MNs.
These connections would be transient and would regress later during development.
These results shed light on the development and evolution of direct CS–MN connections, which serve as the basis for dexterity in humans.
AbstractRecent evidence suggests there is no direct connection between corticospinal (CS) axons and spinal motoneurons (MNs) in adult rodents. We previously showed that CS synapses are present throughout the spinal cord for a time, but are eliminated from the ventral horn during development in rodents. This raises the possibility that CS axons transiently make direct connections with MNs located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. This was tested in the present study. Using cervical cord slices prepared from rats on postnatal days (P) 7–9, CS axons were stimulated and whole cell recordings were made from MNs retrogradely labelled with fluorescent cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) injected into selected groups of muscles. To selectively activate CS axons, electrical stimulation was carefully limited to the CS tract. In addition we employed optogenetic stimulation after injecting an adeno‐associated virus vector encoding channelrhodopsin‐2 (ChR2) into the sensorimotor cortex on P0. We were then able to record monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents from MNs innervating forearm muscles, but not from those innervating proximal muscles. We also showed close contacts between CTB‐labelled MNs and CS axons labelled through introduction of fluorescent protein‐conjugated synaptophysin or the ChR2 expression system. We confirmed that some of these contacts colocalized with postsynaptic density protein 95 in their partner dendrites. It is intriguing from both phylogenetic and ontogenetic viewpoints that direct and putatively transient CS–MN connections were found only on MNs innervating the forearm muscles in infant rats, as this is analogous to the connection pattern seen in adult primates.
Fundamental role for the KCNE4 ancillary subunit in Kv7.4 regulation of arterial tone
Authors: Jepps Thomas A. , Carr Georgina , Lundegaard Pia R. , Olesen Søren‐Peter , Greenwood Iain A. 
Published: October 2015

Key points
KCNE4 alters the biophysical properties and cellular localization of voltage‐gated potassium channel Kv7.4.
KCNE4 is expressed in a variety of arteries and, in mesenteric arteries, co‐localizes with Kv7.4, which is important in the control of vascular contractility.
Knockdown of KCNE4 leads to reduced Kv7.4 membrane abundance, a depolarized membrane potential and an augmented response to vasoconstrictors.
KCNE4 is a key regulator of the function and expression of Kv7.4 in vascular smooth muscle.
AbstractThe KCNE ancillary subunits (KCNE1–5) significantly alter the expression and function of voltage‐gated potassium channels; however, their role in the vasculature has yet to be determined. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and function of the KCNE4 subunit in rat mesenteric arteries and to determine whether it has a functional impact on the regulation of arterial tone by Kv7 channels. In HEK cells expressing Kv7.4, co‐expression of KCNE4 increased the membrane expression of Kv7.4 and significantly altered Kv7.4 current properties. Quantitative PCR analysis of different rat arteries found that the KCNE4 isoform predominated and proximity ligation experiments showed that KCNE4 co‐localized with Kv7.4 in mesenteric artery myocytes. Morpholino‐induced knockdown of KCNE4 depolarized mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells and resulted in their increased sensitivity to methoxamine being attenuated (mean ± SEM EC50 decreased from 5.7 ± 0.63 μm to 1.6 ± 0.23 μm), which coincided with impaired effects of Kv7 modulators. When KCNE4 expression was reduced, less Kv7.4 expression was found in the membrane of the mesenteric artery myocytes. These data show that KCNE4 is consistently expressed in a variety of arteries, and knockdown of the expression product leads to reduced Kv7.4 membrane abundance, a depolarized membrane potential and an augmented response to vasoconstrictors. The present study is the first to demonstrate an integral role of KCNE4 in regulating the function and expression of Kv7.4 in vascular smooth muscle.
Feasibility Study of Distributed Energy Generation at a Colorado Ski Resort
Authors: Krarti Moncef 
Published: October 2015

The ski industry in Colorado is the largest in the United States and makes up a significant portion of the state’s tourism revenue, but changes in the climate threaten the future of this highly weather-dependent business. In recent years, many ski resorts have taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to mitigate the effects shorter winters, less snowfall, and continued drought are having on the future viability of the industry. Energy efficiency and renewable energy projects are common strategies to reduce emissions; less common, however, are resort-wide analyses of distributed generation (DG) systems combining traditional and alternative energy sources. The intent of this study is to evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of a hybrid conventional-renewable DG system at Vail Resort.
Electrical and thermal loads for Vail’s mountain operations were used to analyze three DG technologies; combined heat and power (CHP), photovoltaics (PV), and horizontal axis wind turbines. Technologies were chosen based on a resource assessment as well as input from site managers and analyzed using the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER). The results indicate that the most cost-competitive DG system is a 700 kilowatt (kW) natural gas-fired CHP plant used to meet the site’s base load during the summer months. Although CHP systems are generally most effective at displacing conventional grid-based power for facilities with little seasonal load variation, the findings of this study align closely with an existing system at Snowbird Resort in Utah.
A small 700 kW CHP system could provide approximately 31% of annual electricity use and 24% of annual thermal energy needs based on the energy model used in this analysis. Furthermore, annual energy costs could be reduced by 3% and carbon emissions by 11%. Additional analyses are needed to more precisely determine the optimal system for Vail and the authors recommend that future studies include the energy use from base operations in addition to the mountain area considered in this analysis. The additional base area energy load during the summer could potentially make a larger CHP system more viable with subsequent cost and carbon emission savings. Additionally, site-specific resource data such as biomass production and ridge top wind speeds could aid in more definitively eliminating these technologies from consideration.
New Design of a Bimetallic Finned Tube for the Use in Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Units
Authors: Urschitz Georg , Brier Jens , Walter Heimo , Mertz Roland , Bleicher Friedrich , Haider Markus 
Published: October 2015

The use of finned tubes as enhancement method to increase the heat flow rate into a phase change material, which has in many cases a low thermal conductivity, is a common method. A highly efficient and easy-to-assemble solution for finned heat exchanger tubes is a key component for innovative thermal energy storage systems which play a key-role in electricity production and industrial heat management.
In the present article the results of the investigation for different designs of bimetallic heat exchanger tubes is presented. These tube designs are developed for the use in latent heat thermal energy storage systems (LHTES) at a medium temperature range. For the use in latent heat thermal energy storage systems, the probably high pressure of the heat transfer medium and the high temperature differences between the operating temperature and the ambient temperature are challenging. Therefore, the bimetallic finned heat exchanger tube consists of a steel tube, where the heat transfer fluid flows, and an aluminum tube with longitudinal fins, which should improve the heat transfer to the phase change material. Due to different thermal expansion coefficients, displacements of the tubes are given. To guarantee a high heat transfer rate between the two connected tubes the contact between aluminum and steel plays an important role.
In the present study 4 prototypes (including the new design) were designed, analyzed and compared on the connection strength. Long-term tests for simulating the application in a LHTES were done to determine the creep rupture properties of the compositions. All prototypes were tested successfully; the new design is convinced in many aspects of that challenge and is submitted to the Austrian patent office. Main advantages of the new design are the simple production and assembling compared to other analyzed prototypes. Furthermore, the new design shows the best results under the analyzed operation conditions and the layout of the geometry has a high optimization potential in terms of stresses.