bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reactivity of sorbose dehydrogenase from Sinorhizobium sp. 97507 for 1,5-anhydro-d-glucitol
Authors: Araki Toshio , Nakatsuka Tomoko , Kobayashi Fuminao , Watanabe-Ishimaru Emi , Sanada Hirokazu , Tamura Takashi , Inagaki Kenji 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
Purified recombinant sorbose dehydrogenase from Sinorhizobium sp. 97507 exhibited high reactivity for 1,5-anhydro-d-glucitol (1,5-AG) and l-sorbose, but little activity for the other sugars or sugar alcohols tested. Kinetic analysis revealed that its catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) for l-sorbose and 1,5-AG is 1.8 × 102 and 1.5 × 102 s−1·M−1, respectively.
Assessing marine species vulnerability to projected warming on the Scotian Shelf, Canada
Authors: Stortini Christine H. , Shackell Nancy L. , Tyedmers Peter , Beazley Karen 
Published: February 2015

AbstractResource managers need climate adaptation tools. We build on a popular tool, the climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA), to identify vulnerable marine species. Only warming was considered, as warming is expected to have earlier impacts in the offshore than other climate drivers, and projections of other climate drivers are not well developed. For this reason, we coin our generalized, semi-quantitative method the “Vulnerability to Projected Warming Assessment” (VPWA) as opposed to using the broader term, CCVA. We refine the typical “exposure” component to be a function of gain/loss of thermal habitat at multiple life stages. We also build on the traditional logic approach of CCVAs. We produce scores for each species, and use a null distribution through Monte Carlo simulations to identify the most vulnerable species. We evaluate the vulnerability of 33 fish and invertebrate species, on the scale of the Scotian Shelf, Canada, to two warming scenarios, mild and severe, based on regional trends and projections. At smaller spatial scales, we evaluate populations of a subset of these species. Populations in the southwest portion of the domain are found to be more vulnerable than those in the northeast. Overall, our results indicate that 45% of populations may be vulnerable under a severe (+3°C) warming scenario, including currently endangered, threatened, and commercial populations (e.g. southwestern Atlantic cod, Smooth skate, Snow crab), while only one species has a relatively high vulnerability score under the mild (+0.7°C) scenario (Moustache sculpin). Populations triaged by relative vulnerability to regional warming should help managers prioritize resources and identify knowledge gaps. For this reason, and for its biological and ecological underpinnings, our method has broad relevance within the marine science and management field. As more information become available, our VPWA can be used as a stepping-stone in the continued development of CCVA methods.
Dimethyl fumarate suppresses Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease by modifying the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway
Authors: Kobayashi Kunitoshi , Tomiki Hiroki , Inaba Yuji , Ichikawa Motoki , Kim Byung S. , Koh Chang-Sung 
Published: February 2015

AbstractDimethyl fumarate (DMF) is a modifier of the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-2 (Nrf2)-kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) pathway. DMF treatment in the effector phase significantly suppressed the development of Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD) both clinically and histologically. DMF treatment leads to an enhanced Nrf2 antioxidant response in TMEV-IDD mice. DMF treatment in the effector phase significantly suppressed the level of IL-17A mRNA. DMF is known to inhibit differentiation of T helper 17 (Th17) cells via suppressing NF-κB. Taken together, our data suggest that DMF treatment in the effector phase may suppress TMEV-IDD not only via enhancing the antioxidant response but also via suppressing IL-17A.
Modelling astrophysical outflows via the unified dynamo–reverse dynamo mechanism
Authors: Lingam Manasvi , Mahajan Swadesh M. 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
The unified dynamo–reverse dynamo (Dy-RDy) mechanism, capable of simultaneously generating large-scale outflows and magnetic fields from an ambient microscopic reservoir, is explored in a broad astrophysical context. The Dy-RDy mechanism is derived via the Hall magnetohydrodynamics, which unifies the evolution of magnetic field and fluid vorticity. It also introduces an intrinsic length-scale, the ion skin depth, allowing for the proper normalization and categorization of microscopic and macroscopic scales. The large-scale Alfvén Mach number $\mathcal {M}_{{\rm A}}$, defining the relative ‘abundance’ of the flow field to the magnetic field is shown to be tied to a microscopic scalelength that reflects the characteristics of the ambient short-scale reservoir. The dynamo (Dy), preferentially producing the large-scale magnetic field, is the dominant mode when the ambient turbulence is mostly kinetic, while the outflow producing reverse dynamo (RDy) is the principal manifestation of a magnetically dominated turbulent reservoir. It is conjectured that an efficient RDy may be the source of many observed astrophysical outflows that have $\mathcal {M}_{{\rm A}} \gg 1$.
Association mapping reveals the role of mutation-selection balance in the maintenance of genomic variation for gene expression
Authors: Josephs Emily B. , Lee Young Wha , Stinchcombe John R. , Wright Stephen I. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe evolutionary forces that maintain genetic variation for quantitative traits within populations remain poorly understood. One hypothesis suggests that variation is maintained by a balance between new mutations and their removal by selection and drift. Theory predicts that this mutation-selection balance will result in an excess of low-frequency variants and a negative correlation between minor allele frequency and selection coefficients. Here, we test these predictions using the genetic loci associated with total expression variation (eQTLs) and allele-specific expression variation (aseQTLs) mapped within a single population of the plantCapsella grandiflora.In addition to finding eQTLs and aseQTLs for a large fraction of genes, we show that alleles at these loci are rarer than expected and exhibit a negative correlation between phenotypic effect size and frequency. Overall, our results show that the distribution of frequencies and effect sizes of the loci responsible for local expression variation within a single, outcrossing population are consistent with mutation-selection balance.SignificanceBiologists have long sought to explain why we see genetic variation for traits in populations despite the expectation that selection will remove most variation. We address this question by using gene expression as a model trait and identifying the genetic loci that affect gene expression in a single, large population of the plantCapsella grandiflora.Alleles at loci that affect expression were rarer than expected by chance and there was a negative correlation between phenotypic effect size and frequency of these alleles. These observations are consistent with mutation-selection balance, the hypothesis that variation is maintained by a balance between new mutations and their removal by selection and drift.
Histogenesis of pure and combined Merkel cell carcinomas: An immunohistochemical study of 14 cases
Authors: Narisawa Yutaka , Koba Shinichi , Inoue Takuya , Nagase Kotaro 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe histogenesis of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) has remained unresolved. Moreover, one of the questions is whether pure MCC and combined MCC represent the same histogenesis and entity. The existence of combined MCC suggests that MCC likely arise from pluripotent stem cells. Merkel cells (MC) localize within the bulge area, which is populated by hair follicle stem cells. We used hair follicle stem cell markers to investigate whether MCC share certain characteristics of these stem cells. Fourteen MCC specimens were examined histologically and immunohistochemically. There were six pure MCC and eight combined MCC. In six combined MCC, both MCC components and squamous components at least focally shared the expression of one or more of cytokeratin (CK)15, CK19 and CD200, which are hair follicle stem cell markers. On the other hand, four cases of pure MCC showed partially distinct CK19 expression, but did not show CK15 and/or CD200 expression. There was a distinct difference between pure MCC and combined MCC on the expression of hair follicle stem cell markers. The normal skin expressed CK15, CK19 and CD200 in the bulge area, whereas CK15 and CD200 were absent in the MC‐rich glabrous skin and touch domes. The results led us to hypothesize that combined MCC originate from the hair follicle stem cells. We postulate that combined MCC undergo multidirectional differentiation into squamous, glandular, mesenchymal and Merkel cells. Further investigation is warranted to confirm the histogenesis of pure MCC and combined MCC.
Outcomes of treatment targeting syntax production in people with Broca's‐type aphasia: evidence from psycholinguistic assessment tasks and everyday conversation
Authors: Carragher Marcella , Sage Karen , Conroy Paul 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBackgroundCapturing evidence of the effects of therapy within everyday communication is the holy grail of aphasia treatment design and evaluation. Whilst impaired sentence production is a predominant symptom of Broca's‐type aphasia, the effects of sentence production therapy on everyday conversation have not been investigated. Given the context‐sensitive nature of spoken production by people with aphasia, it is difficult to extrapolate implications for everyday conversation based on results from task‐based assessment (such as picture description, story retell or interview). Thus, there are strong theoretical and clinical motivations to investigate generalization from sentence production treatment to everyday conversation.AimsTo evaluate a theoretically driven treatment focused on the language production skills of participants with post‐stroke Broca's aphasia and to track outcomes from psycholinguistic assessment tasks to everyday conversation.Methods & ProceduresA case series design was utilized with pragmatic selection of participants with chronic aphasia undergoing the same assessment and treatment procedures. Nine participants with Broca's aphasia and their main conversation partners took part in the study. Treatment was implemented once weekly over 8 weeks and targeted production of basic syntax—two, three and four constituent constructions—through principles of mapping and reduced syntax treatment. Use of different possible exemplars for nouns, particularly pronouns, was trained together with use of both light and heavy verbs. Participants had the opportunity to ‘top‐up’ therapy practise by completely a homework task that mirrored the therapy task.Outcomes & ResultsSyntactic well‐formedness was assessed in samples of constrained sentence production, narrative retell and naturally occurring conversations at baseline, 1 week post‐treatment, and 1 month post‐treatment. Treatment showed strong direct effects in trained and untrained sentence construction tasks, with some generalization to narrative retell tasks. There was little evidence of change in everyday conversation.Conclusions & ImplicationsImprovement in language production in constrained assessment tasks may not impact on everyday conversations. Implications for further research are discussed, e.g. the need for bridging interventions between constrained and unconstrained contexts of language production. Clinical implications include the potential to streamline therapy planning and delivery by making use of rich, hybrid therapies to treat individuals with similar symptom profiles but with a range of underlying deficits.
Temporal information processing as a basis for auditory comprehension: clinical evidence from aphasic patients
Authors: Oron Anna , Szymaszek Aneta , Szelag Elzbieta 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBackgroundTemporal information processing (TIP) underlies many aspects of cognitive functions like language, motor control, learning, memory, attention, etc. Millisecond timing may be assessed by sequencing abilities, e.g. the perception of event order. It may be measured with auditory temporal‐order‐threshold (TOT), i.e. a minimum time gap separating two successive stimuli necessary for a subject to report their temporal order correctly, thus the relation ‘before–after’. Neuropsychological evidence has indicated elevated TOT values (corresponding to deteriorated time perception) in different clinical groups, such as aphasic patients, dyslexic subjects or children with specific language impairment.AimsTo test relationships between elevated TOT and declined cognitive functions in brain‐injured patients suffering from post‐stroke aphasia.Methods & ProceduresWe tested 30 aphasic patients (13 male, 17 female), aged between 50 and 81 years. TIP comprised assessment of TOT. Auditory comprehension was assessed with the selected language tests, i.e. Token Test, Phoneme Discrimination Test (PDT) and Voice‐Onset‐Time Test (VOT), while two aspects of attentional resources (i.e. alertness and vigilance) were measured using the Test of Attentional Performance (TAP) battery.Outcomes & ResultsSignificant correlations were indicated between elevated values of TOT and deteriorated performance on all applied language tests. Moreover, significant correlations were evidenced between elevated TOT and alertness. Finally, positive correlations were found between particular language tests, i.e. (1) Token Test and PDT; (2) Token Test and VOT Test; and (3) PDT and VOT Test, as well as between PDT and both attentional tasks.Conclusions & ImplicationsThese results provide further clinical evidence supporting the thesis that TIP constitutes the core process incorporated in both language and attentional resources. The novel value of the present study is the indication for the first time in Slavic language users a clear coexistence of the ‘timing–auditory comprehension–attention’ relationships.
‘The problem here is that they want to solve everything with pills’: medication use and identity among Mainland Puerto Ricans
Authors: Adams Wallis E. , Todorova Irina L. G. , Guzzardo Mariana T. , Falcón Luis M. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractTaking medications are complex symbolic acts, infused with diverse meanings regarding body and identity. This article focuses on the meanings of medications for older Puerto Ricans living on the United States mainland, a population experiencing stark health disparities. We aim to gain an understanding of the way multiple cultural and personal meanings of medications are related to and integrated in identity, and to understand how they are situated within Puerto Rican culture, history and circumstance on the US mainland. Data is drawn from thirty qualitative interviews, transcribed and translated, with older Puerto Ricans living on mainland United States. Thematic Analysis indicated four prevalent themes: embodiment of medication use; medications redefining self through the fabric of daily life; healthcare experience defined through medication; and medicine dividing the island and the mainland. While identity is impacted by experience of chronic illness, the experience of medication prescription and consumption is further related to the construction of the sense of self in distinct ways. For these individuals, medication use captures the dilemma of immigration. While cultural belonging and well‐being remains on the island of Puerto Rico, the mainland hosts both easier access to and excess reliance on medication.
Quantification of Visual Characteristics of Whipped Cream by Image Analysis and Machine Vision: Method Development
Authors: Liu Peng , Balaban Murat O. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe appearance (color, shine, surface roughness, bumpiness, view area, height) of whipped cream samples change with time. Quantitative methods based on image analysis were developed to measure these parameters in cream samples stored at 3 temperatures (room temperature, 10 °C and 2 °C) for up to 24 h. There was a small decrease in L* and a* values over time, and a significant increase in b* values. ΔE values suggest that these color changes are significant and observable (2.96 for room temperature, 9.46 for 10 °C, 12.6 for 2 °C). Difference between polarized and nonpolarized images was used to quantify shine. The length of a laser line over the cream sample was measured to quantify the change in bumpiness of the surface (33.8%, 41.78%, and 33.27% reduction in laser line length for room temperature, 10 °C, and 2 °C, respectively). For room temperature stored samples, most changes occurred during the first 5 min. For samples stored at 10 °C and 2 °C, most changes occurred during the first 30 min. Turn angles data did not provide useful information. The changes in view area depended on temperature: at room temperature the area increased over time, at 10 °C it increased first then decreased; at 2 °C the view area decreased over time. Correlation of the results of these methods with sensory evaluation can make the evaluation of the appearance of whipped cream more objective, repeatable, and quantitative.
Temporal distributions and environmental adaptations of two types of multicellular magnetotactic prokaryote in the sediments of Lake Yuehu, China
Authors: Du Hai‐jian , Chen Yi‐ran , Zhang Rui , Pan Hong‐miao , Zhang Wen‐yan , Zhou Ke , Wu Long‐fei , Xiao Tian 
Published: February 2015

SummaryTwo morphotypes (spherical and ellipsoidal) of multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) have been reported from the sediments of Lake Yuehu, China. Here, their temporal distributions and their relationships with biogeochemical parameters are studied. Samples were collected at approximately 2‐week intervals from two sites (A and B) during the period September 2012 to December 2013. The abundance of MMPs was high in summer and autumn, but low in winter and spring. Furthermore, the peaks in the numbers of the two types of MMPs were sequential, with the highest concentration of the spherical MMPs occurring prior to that of the ellipsoidal MMPs. This may be related to different optimal growth temperatures for the two types. Although the two types of MMP coexisted at both sites, their numbers were different; at most times, spherical MMPs dominated at site A, whereas ellipsoidal MMPs dominated at site B. Geochemical analysis revealed that the environmental conditions at site A varied more than at site B. Compared with the widely distributed spherical MMPs, ellipsoidal MMPs seemed to prefer more stable habitats. This is the first report of the temporal distribution of ellipsoidal MMPs in sediments, suggesting that their environmental adaptations differ from those of spherical MMPs.
In aged mice, low surrogate light chain promotes pro‐B‐cell apoptotic resistance, compromises the PreBCR checkpoint, and favors generation of autoreactive, phosphorylcholine‐specific B cells
Authors: Ratliff Michelle , Alter Sarah , McAvoy Kelly , Frasca Daniela , Wright Jacqueline A. , Zinkel Sandra S. , Khan Wasif N. , Blomberg Bonnie B. , Riley Richard L. 
Published: February 2015

SummaryIn aged mice, new B‐cell development is diminished and the antibody repertoire becomes more autoreactive. Our studies suggest that (i) apoptosis contributes to reduced B lymphopoiesis in old age and preferentially eliminates those B‐cell precursors with higher levels of the surrogate light chain (SLC) proteins (λ5/VpreB) and (ii) λ5low B‐cell precursors generate new B cells which show increased reactivity to the self‐antigen/bacterial antigen phosphorylcholine (PC). Pro‐B cells in old bone marrow as well as pro‐B cells from young adult λ5‐deficient mice are resistant to cytokine‐induced apoptosis (TNFα; TGFβ), indicating that low λ5 expression in pro‐B cells is sufficient to cause increased survival. Transfer of TNFα‐producing ‘age‐associated B cells’ (ABC; CD21/35− CD23−) or follicular (FO) B cells from aged mice into RAG‐2 KO recipients led to preferential loss of λ5high pro‐B cells, but retention of λ5low, apoptosis‐resistant pro‐B cells. In old mice, there is increased reactivity to PC in both immature bone marrow B cells and mature splenic FO B cells. In young mice, absence of λ5 expression led to a similar increase in PC reactivity among bone marrow and splenic B cells. We propose that in old age, increased apoptosis, mediated in part by TNFα‐producing B cells, results in preferential loss of SLChigh pro‐B cells within the bone marrow. Further B‐cell development then occurs via an ‘SLClow’ pathway that not only impairs B‐cell generation, but promotes autoreactivity within the naïve antibody repertoires in the bone marrow and periphery.
Global analyses revealed age‐related alterations in innate immune responses after stimulation of pathogen recognition receptors
Authors: Metcalf Talibah U. , Cubas Rafael A. , Ghneim Khader , Cartwright Michael J. , Grevenynghe Julien Van , Richner Justin M. , Olagnier David P. , Wilkinson Peter A. , Cameron Mark J. , Park Byung S. , Hiscott John B. , Diamond Michael S. , Wertheimer Anne M. , Nikolich‐Zugich Janko , Haddad Elias K. 
Published: February 2015

SummaryAging leads to dysregulation of multiple components of the immune system that results in increased susceptibility to infections and poor response to vaccines in the aging population. The dysfunctions of adaptive B and T cells are well documented, but the effect of aging on innate immunity remains incompletely understood. Using a heterogeneous population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), we first undertook transcriptional profiling and found that PBMCs isolated from old individuals (≥ 65 years) exhibited a delayed and altered response to stimulation with TLR4, TLR7/8, and RIG‐I agonists compared to cells obtained from adults (≤ 40 years). This delayed response to innate immune agonists resulted in the reduced production of pro‐inflammatory and antiviral cytokines and chemokines including TNFα, IL‐6, IL‐1β, IFNα, IFNγ, CCL2, and CCL7. While the major monocyte and dendritic cell subsets did not change numerically with aging, activation of specific cell types was altered. PBMCs from old subjects also had a lower frequency of CD40+ monocytes, impaired up‐regulation of PD‐L1 on monocytes and T cells, and increased expression of PD‐L2 and B7‐H4 on B cells. The defective immune response to innate agonists adversely affected adaptive immunity as TLR‐stimulated PBMCs (minus CD3 T cells) from old subjects elicited significantly lower levels of adult T‐cell proliferation than those from adult subjects in an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Collectively, these age‐associated changes in cytokine, chemokine and interferon production, as well as co‐stimulatory protein expression could contribute to the blunted memory B‐ and T‐cell immune responses to vaccines and infections.