bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Proteomics of the organohalide-respiring Epsilonproteobacterium Sulfurospirillum multivorans adapted to tetrachloroethene and other energy substrates
Authors: Goris Tobias , Schiffmann Christian L. , Gadkari Jennifer , Schubert Torsten , Seifert Jana , Jehmlich Nico , von Bergen Martin , Diekert Gabriele 
Published: September 2015

AbstractOrganohalide respiration is an environmentally important but poorly characterized type of anaerobic respiration. We compared the global proteome of the versatile organohalide-respiring Epsilonproteobacterium Sulfurospirillum multivorans grown with different electron acceptors (fumarate, nitrate, or tetrachloroethene [PCE]). The most significant differences in protein abundance were found for gene products of the organohalide respiration region. This genomic region encodes the corrinoid and FeS cluster containing PCE reductive dehalogenase PceA and other proteins putatively involved in PCE metabolism such as those involved in corrinoid biosynthesis. The latter gene products as well as PceA and a putative quinol dehydrogenase were almost exclusively detected in cells grown with PCE. This finding suggests an electron flow from the electron donor such as formate or pyruvate via the quinone pool and a quinol dehydrogenase to PceA and the terminal electron acceptor PCE. Two putative accessory proteins, an IscU-like protein and a peroxidase-like protein, were detected with PCE only and might be involved in PceA maturation. The proteome of cells grown with pyruvate instead of formate as electron donor indicates a route of electrons from reduced ferredoxin via an Epsilonproteobacterial complex I and the quinone pool to PCE.
Gene expression profiling of pre-eclamptic placentae by RNA sequencing
Authors: Kaartokallio Tea , Cervera Alejandra , Kyllönen Anjuska , Laivuori Krista , Kere Juha , Laivuori Hannele ,   The FINNPEC Core Investigator Group, Laivuori Hannele , Heinonen Seppo , Kajantie Eero , Kere Juha , Kivinen Katja , Pouta Anneli 
Published: September 2015

AbstractPre-eclampsia is a common and complex pregnancy disorder that often involves impaired placental development. In order to identify altered gene expression in pre-eclamptic placenta, we sequenced placental transcriptomes of nine pre-eclamptic and nine healthy pregnant women in pools of three. The differential gene expression was tested both by including all the pools in the analysis and by excluding some of the pools based on phenotypic characteristics. From these analyses, we identified altogether 53 differently expressed genes, a subset of which was validated by qPCR in 20 cases and 19 controls. Furthermore, we conducted pathway and functional analyses which revealed disturbed vascular function and immunological balance in pre-eclamptic placenta. Some of the genes identified in our study have been reported by numerous microarray studies (BHLHE40, FSTL3, HK2, HTRA4, LEP, PVRL4, SASH1, SIGLEC6), but many have been implicated in only few studies or have not previously been linked to pre-eclampsia (ARMS2, BTNL9, CCSAP, DIO2, FER1L4, HPSE, LOC100129345, LYN, MYO7B, NCMAP, NDRG1, NRIP1, PLIN2, SBSPON, SERPINB9, SH3BP5, TET3, TPBG, ZNF175). Several of the molecules produced by these genes may have a role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and some could qualify as biomarkers for prediction or detection of this pregnancy complication.
Organization and evolution of Gorilla centromeric DNA from old strategies to new approaches
Authors: Catacchio C. R. , Ragone R. , Chiatante G. , Ventura M. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe centromere/kinetochore interaction is responsible for the pairing and segregation of replicated chromosomes in eukaryotes. Centromere DNA is portrayed as scarcely conserved, repetitive in nature, quickly evolving and protein-binding competent. Among primates, the major class of centromeric DNA is the pancentromeric α-satellite, made of arrays of 171 bp monomers, repeated in a head-to-tail pattern. α-satellite sequences can either form tandem heterogeneous monomeric arrays or assemble in higher-order repeats (HORs). Gorilla centromere DNA has barely been characterized and data are mainly based on hybridizations of human alphoid sequences. We isolated and finely characterized gorilla α-satellite sequences and revealed relevant structure and chromosomal distribution similarities with other great apes as well as gorilla-specific features, such as the uniquely octameric structure of the suprachromosomal family-2 (SF2). We demonstrated for the first time the orthologous localization of alphoid suprachromosomal families-1 and −2 (SF1 and SF2) between human and gorilla in contrast to chimpanzee centromeres. Finally, the discovery of a new 189 bp monomer type in gorilla centromeres unravels clues to the role of the centromere protein B, paving the way to solve the significance of the centromere DNA’s essential repetitive nature in association with its function and the peculiar evolution of the α-satellite sequence.
A psittacosaurid-like basal neoceratopsian from the Upper Cretaceous of central China and its implications for basal ceratopsian evolution
Authors: Zheng Wenjie , Jin Xingsheng , Xu Xing 
Published: September 2015

AbstractPsittacosauridae (parrot-beaked dinosaurs) represents the first major radiation of ceratopsians (horned dinosaurs). However, psittacosaurids are divergent from the general morphology found in other ceratopsians and this has resulted in their uncertain systematic position among ceratopsians. Here we describe a new basal neoceratopsian dinosaur, Mosaiceratops azumai gen. et sp. nov. based on a partial semi-articulated skeleton recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Xiaguan Formation of Neixiang County, Henan Province, China. Although our phylogenetic analysis supports this taxon as the most basal neoceratopsian, Mosaiceratops exhibits many features previously considered unique to the Psittacosauridae among the basal Ceratopsia. These include a relatively highly positioned external naris, a proportionally large premaxilla, the nasal extending ventral to the external naris, slender postorbital and temporal bars, a large notch between the basal tubera and the edentulous premaxilla. Thus, the discovery of Mosaiceratops reduces the morphological disparity between the Psittacosauridae and other basal ceratopsians. Character optimization suggests that basal neoceratopsians have re-evolved premaxillary teeth; a major reversal previously unknown in any dinosaur clade. The new specimen also highlights the mosaic nature of evolution among early ceratopsians and supports the phylogenetic hypothesis that the Psittacosauridae is a relatively derived clade, rather than the most basal group of the Ceratopsia.
Marble Algorithm: a solution to estimating ecological niches from presence-only records
Authors: Qiao Huijie , Lin Congtian , Jiang Zhigang , Ji Liqiang 
Published: September 2015

AbstractWe describe an algorithm that helps to predict potential distributional areas for species using presence-only records. The Marble Algorithm is a density-based clustering program based on Hutchinson’s concept of ecological niches as multidimensional hypervolumes in environmental space. The algorithm characterizes this niche space using the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm. When MA is provided with a set of occurrence points in environmental space, the algorithm determines two parameters that allow the points to be grouped into several clusters. These clusters are used as reference sets describing the ecological niche, which can then be mapped onto geographic space and used as the potential distribution of the species. We used both virtual species and ten empirical datasets to compare MA with other distribution-modeling tools, including Bioclimate Analysis and Prediction System, Environmental Niche Factor Analysis, the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Production, Maximum Entropy Modeling, Artificial Neural Networks, Climate Space Models, Classification Tree Analysis, Generalised Additive Models, Generalised Boosted Models, Generalised Linear Models, Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines and Random Forests. Results indicate that MA predicts potential distributional areas with high accuracy, moderate robustness and above-average transferability on all datasets, particularly when dealing with small numbers of occurrences.
Earliest evidence of pollution by heavy metals in archaeological sites
Authors: Monge Guadalupe , Jimenez-Espejo Francisco J. , García-Alix Antonio , Martínez-Ruiz Francisca , Mattielli Nadine , Finlayson Clive , Ohkouchi Naohiko , Sánchez Miguel Cortés , de Castro Jose María Bermúdez , Blasco Ruth , Rosell Jordi , Carrión José , Rodríguez-Vidal Joaquín , Finlayson Geraldine 
Published: September 2015

AbstractHomospecies were exposed to a new biogeochemical environment when they began to occupy caves. Here we report the first evidence of palaeopollution through geochemical analyses of heavy metals in four renowned archaeological caves of the Iberian Peninsula spanning the last million years of human evolution. Heavy metal contents reached high values due to natural (guano deposition) and anthropogenic factors (e.g. combustion) in restricted cave environments. The earliest anthropogenic pollution evidence is related to Neanderthal hearths from Gorham's Cave (Gibraltar), being one of the first milestones in the so-called “Anthropocene”. According to its heavy metal concentration, these sediments meet the present-day standards of “contaminated soil”. Together with the former, the Gibraltar Vanguard Cave, shows Zn and Cu pollution ubiquitous across highly anthropic levels pointing to these elements as potential proxies for human activities. Pb concentrations in Magdalenian and Bronze age levels at El Pirulejo site can be similarly interpreted. Despite these high pollution levels, the contaminated soils might not have posed a major threat toHomopopulations. Altogether, the data presented here indicate a long-term exposure ofHomoto these elements, via fires, fumes and their ashes, which could have played certain role in environmental-pollution tolerance, a hitherto neglected influence.
Long term prevention of disturbance induces the collapse of a dominant species without altering ecosystem function
Authors: Yu Qiang , Wu Honghui , Wang Zhengwen , Flynn Dan F. B. , Yang Hao , Lü Fumei , Smith Melinda , Han Xingguo 
Published: September 2015

AbstractLimitation of disturbances, such as grazing and fire, is a key tool for nature reserve management and ecological restoration. While the role of these disturbances in shaping ecosystem structure and functioning has been intensively studied, less is known about the consequences of long-term prevention of grazing and fire. Based on a 31-year study, we show that relative biomass of the dominant grass, Leymus chinensis, of grasslands in northern China declined dramatically, but only after 21 years of exclusion of fire and grazing. However, aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) did not decline accordingly due to compensatory responses of several subdominant grass species. The decline in dominance of L. chinensis was not related to gradually changing climate during the same period, whereas experimentally imposed litter removal (simulating fire), mowing (simulating grazing), fire and moderate grazing enhanced dominance of L. chinensis significantly. Thus, our findings show that disturbances can be critical to maintain the dominance of key grass species in semiarid grassland, but that the collapse of a dominant species does not necessarily result in significant change in ANPP if there are species in the community capable of compensating for loss of a dominant.
The panacea of culture: the changing fortunes and careers of China’sDongbapriests
Authors: Xie Zheng , Altman Yochanan 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– On the background of China’s turn to a market economy and a consumer-driven society, the purpose of this paper is to recount the fortunes of the age-old religion of the Naxi people and their farmer-priests, thedongba.Design/methodology/approach– Detailed ethnography, including participant observation, the collection of life histories and interviews.Findings– The might of the tourist industry dominates the changes in the profession of thedongbapriests, from a faith-based practice to a tourist-driven service; aided by a confluence of interests of relevant stakeholders: the Chinese state, the provincial governments, the Naxi elite. At the core is the transformation, in Chinese terms, from a superstitious religion to culture heritage.Research limitations/implications– Like all case studies and common to ethnographic-based research, the small scale of the research poses questions of generalizability.Practical implications– Shedding light on a little known aspect of the world’s largest economy is of high relevance to business and management scholars.Social implications– The transformation of thedongbademonstrates how major societal changes that happen within a couple of decades affect a society and its economy and a central career track within it.Originality/value– The case study testifies to the encounter of a major modern industry: tourism, with an archaic religion in a remote corner of China, and the transformation of the latter as result.
Feasibility study of automatically performing the concrete delivery dispatching through machine learning techniques
Authors: Maghrebi Mojtaba , Sammut Claude , Waller S. Travis 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation of machine learning (ML) techniques in order to automatically measure the feasibility of performing ready mixed concrete (RMC) dispatching jobs.Design/methodology/approach– Six ML techniques were selected and tested on data that was extracted from a developed simulation model and answered by a human expert.Findings– The results show that the performance of most of selected algorithms were the same and achieved an accuracy of around 80 per cent in terms of accuracy for the examined cases.Practical implications– This approach can be applied in practice to match experts’ decisions.Originality/value– In this paper the feasibility of handling complex concrete delivery problems by ML techniques is studied. Currently, most of the concrete mixing process is done by machines. However, RMC dispatching still relies on human resources to complete many tasks. In this paper the authors are addressing to reconstruct experts’ decisions as only practical solution.
Obesity, obesity health risks, resilience, and acculturation in black African immigrants
Authors: Frisillo Vander Veen Dana 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– Obesity and obesity-related health problems are a growing concern for many immigrants in the USA. The literature that examines the linkages between acculturation, resilience, obesity health risks, and obesity outcomes among Black African immigrants is sparse. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain whether the predictor variable of acculturation showed a significant association with two criterion variables, obesity health risk symptoms, and obesity; and whether resilience acted as a moderator between acculturation, obesity health risk symptoms, and obesity among Black African immigrants living in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach
– The study consisted of a quantitative correlational survey research design. Participants of the study were 55 Black African immigrants residing in three metropolitan areas of the USA.

Findings
– Higher levels of acculturation were associated with fewer obesity health risks. Higher levels of resilience were associated with the fewest obesity health risks when the participant also had high-acculturation levels. Resilience moderated between acculturation and obesity health risk symptoms. Neither acculturation nor resilience significantly predicted obesity. Furthermore, resilience did not moderate between acculturation and obesity.

Research limitations/implications
– A primary limitation was the very small sample size of the study. Future research would be needed to examine the overall determinants of obesity among immigrant populations. Furthermore, one limitation is that some of the questions on the Weight-Related Symptom Measure (Patrick et al., 2004) were sensitive in nature, and participants might have felt uncomfortable providing information about their weight. As a result, while self-reporting, they could have underestimated their body mass index status. For example, individuals who were already overweight or obese might have reported their body weights with lower accuracy than those who were of normal weight, thereby creating error in the dependent variable.

Practical implications
– Results from this study will help to promote health initiatives in Black African immigrant communities to link individuals to needed healthcare services.

Originality/value
– The literature that examines the linkages between acculturation, resilience, obesity health risks, and obesity outcomes among Black African immigrants is sparse. This study is the first to use the Reserve Capacity Model for a sample of Black African immigrants.
Non-linear modelling of market cycles in South Africa
Authors: Seetharam Yudhvir , Britten James 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to expand on the sparse literature on non-linear modelling in South Africa and test for non-linearity of the market cycle on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with specific focus on a particular non-linear model – a Smooth Transition Auto-Regressive (STAR) model.Design/methodology/approach– Non-linear estimation methods are used to describe the market cycle, as defined by equity prices, for the period 1998-2010.Findings– In applying the STAR model to daily, weekly and monthly returns data, it was found that the fit of this family of models differs heavily based on the frequency of data used. The daily Logarithmic STAR (LSTAR) model was found to be the best fit relative to other data frequencies. Indeed, the weekly LSTAR model, while still appropriate to use, was less apt at forecasting than its daily counterpart. Monthly return data indicated that a linear AR model was more appropriate than a non-linear one.Practical implications– The results assist in understanding the cyclical nature of emerging markets as well contributing to the understanding of creating a portfolio consisting of international securities. If one can show that equity returns in a particular emerging market follow non-linear behaviour, expanding this hypothesis to other emerging markets enables a minimum variance portfolio to be constructed that is informed by returns changing over time.Originality/value– The findings can be used for further research into share price modelling, portfolio management and perhaps as an avenue into the reasoning behind the formation of market cycles.
Relevance of fair value of Brazilian banks securities in the financial crisis
Authors: Chiqueto Fernando , Silva Ricardo Luiz Menezes , Colossal Guilherme , Carvalho L. Nelson G. 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to seek to clarify whether the fair value (FV) of Brazilian banks securities is relevant for investors in times of crisis.Design/methodology/approach– The information gathered for 14 quarters, 2007-2010, of a cross-sectional sample of banks was used for the purpose of explaining the value of shares based on amortized cost and the FV of securities, the book value of equity and the financial crisis. The return on shares was regressed based on the realized and unrealized gains and losses on securities, adjusted income and the crisis.Findings– The results indicated that the FV is relevant. The results also corroborated the hypothesis that, during the crisis, there was a decrease in the relevance of the FV of securities since the accounting practices adopted in Brazil did not specify how to estimate FV, as required by SFAS 157, neither did they require disclosure of the FV hierarchy, as established International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 7. It was concluded that FV has incremental explanatory power over equity, but not over amortized cost. Furthermore it possible to conclude that quarterly unrealized gains and losses on securities are not relevant, which could be explained by possible tax planning practices, since, in Brazil, the mark-to-market adjustment of securities is only deductible, or taxable, when settled. However, the realized and unrealized gains and losses are value-relevant during the period of financial crisis.Originality/value– This study provides empirical evidence about the relevance of FV during the financial crisis in Brazil.
Should youth disclose their mental health challenges? Perspectives from students, parents, and school professionals
Authors: Buchholz Blythe , Aylward Stephanie , McKenzie Sue , Corrigan Patrick 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– Disclosure seems to be a useful strategy for adults to deal with both the public and self-stigma of mental illness. However, youth may face a different set of risks when coming out with their experiences. The purpose of this paper is to examine youth, parent, and teacher perspectives on the costs and benefits of disclosure by middle- and high school-aged youth to better understand these risks.

Design/methodology/approach
– Focus groups were conducted with questions framed to elicit the different ways mental health challenges are discussed in schools and families.

Findings
– Surprisingly, the benefits of disclosure seemed to far outweigh the costs across groups. Benefits included ways to deal with stigma, reducing isolation, and “differentness,” as well as the pursuit of mental health services if needed. Costs included harsh responses to disclosure by peers and family members. Participants shared strategies used to minimize risk, including where and with whom youth might share their stories.

Social implications
– The results suggest many youth have disclosed their experiences with mental health challenges and have received mixed responses; these reactions often serve as the barometer for future disclosure decisions. Other youth are considering disclosure in a variety of settings, but are unsure how to go about it safely. Implications for addressing stigma are discussed.

Originality/value
– To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative research study conducted with youth about disclosure of mental illness experiences. These results will help guide modification of programming that could be beneficial in aiding disclosure decisions and reducing disclosure-related risks for youth who come out.