bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Use of Penicillin and Streptomycin to Reduce Spread of Bacterial Coldwater Disease I: Antibiotics in Sperm Extenders
Authors: Oplinger Randall W. , Wagner Eric J. 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Bacterial coldwater disease caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum has led to the loss of significant numbers of hatchery-reared salmonids. The bacteria can be spread from parent to progeny within contaminated sperm and ovarian fluid. Methods for disinfecting ovarian fluid and unfertilized eggs are available, but methods for disinfecting sperm have not been described. In this study we determined whether sperm extenders containing a mixture of penicillin and streptomycin can be used to eliminate F. psychrophilum. In vitro trials demonstrated that when Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss sperm is mixed with an extender, a 15-min exposure to 0.197 mg penicillin plus 0.313 mg/mL streptomycin is effective at killing the bacteria and has no effect on sperm motility. Small-scale trials showed that egg fertilization rates were not reduced when sperm held in an extender solution containing the same antibiotic mixture for 15 min was used to fertilize eggs. Production-scale trials, however, showed a roughly 18% decrease in egg fertilization rate when sperm stored in an antibiotic containing extender was used. To determine why a reduction in fertilization capacity was observed, a small-scale experiment testing the fertilization of eggs with larger quantities of sperm was performed and showed that increasing the volume of sperm used did not increase fertilization rates. Our results demonstrate that extenders containing penicillin and streptomycin can be used to disinfect sperm, especially when small quantities of eggs are fertilized, but factors negatively affecting egg fertilization and survival on a production scale still need further investigation.
Received May 1, 2014; accepted August 10, 2014
A Scottish Anti-Catholic Satire Crossing the Border: ‘Ane bull of our haly fader the paip, quhairby it is leesum to everie man to haif tua wyffis’ and the Redeswyre Raid of 1575
Authors: Blakeway Amy 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
The significance of political commentary and satire in Scotland in the aftermath of Mary, Queen of Scots’s deposition and during the minority of James VI is gradually receiving scholarly recognition. Many examples survive in the English state papers, but few survive in Scottish archives and even fewer date from after the end of the Marian Civil wars (May 1573). This article considers a hitherto unknown piece of anti-Catholic satire. Taking the form of a fake papal Bull, the piece opens by bemoaning the woeful state of Catholicism in the face of Protestant incursion, and provides a solution in the form of a dispensation allowing Catholic men to take two wives. On the first reading, this constitutes an amusing critique of the sexual morality of Catholics. However, a reference to the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre reminds readers that the Catholic threat from the continent remained palpable. The accompanying cover note allows the Bull to be dated to circa August 1575, a point when Anglo-Scottish tension was high following the Raid of Redeswyre. Circulated amongst pro-English Scots, including former spies, negotiating with England following the Raid, this satire not only commented upon, but potentially also tried to direct, contemporary politics, at a critical juncture for Anglo-Scottish Protestant solidarity.
The ATP binding site of the chromatin remodeling homolog Lsh is required for nucleosome density and de novo DNA methylation at repeat sequences
Authors: Ren Jianke , Briones Victorino , Barbour Samantha , Yu Weishi , Han Yixing , Terashima Minoru , Muegge Kathrin 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Lsh, a chromatin remodeling protein of the SNF2 family, is critical for normal heterochromatin structure. In particular, DNA methylation at repeat elements, a hallmark of heterochromatin, is greatly reduced in Lsh−/− (KO) cells. Here, we examined the presumed nucleosome remodeling activity of Lsh on chromatin in the context of DNA methylation. We found that dynamic CG methylation was dependent on Lsh in embryonic stem cells. Moreover, we demonstrate that ATP function is critical for de novo methylation at repeat sequences. The ATP binding site of Lsh is in part required to promote stable association of the DNA methyltransferase 3b with the repeat locus. By performing nucleosome occupancy assays, we found distinct nucleosome occupancy in KO ES cells compared to WT ES cells after differentiation. Nucleosome density was restored to wild-type level by re-expressing wild-type Lsh but not the ATP mutant in KO ES cells. Our results suggest that ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling is the primary molecular function of Lsh, which may promote de novo methylation in differentiating ES cells.
Repressor activity of the RpoS/σS-dependent RNA polymerase requires DNA binding
Authors: Lévi-Meyrueis Corinne , Monteil Véronique , Sismeiro Odile , Dillies Marie-Agnès , Kolb Annie , Monot Marc , Dupuy Bruno , Duarte Sara Serradas , Jagla Bernd , Coppée Jean-Yves , Beraud Mélanie , Norel Françoise 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
The RpoS/σS sigma subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP) activates transcription of stationary phase genes in many Gram-negative bacteria and controls adaptive functions, including stress resistance, biofilm formation and virulence. In this study, we address an important but poorly understood aspect of σS-dependent control, that of a repressor. Negative regulation by σS has been proposed to result largely from competition between σS and other σ factors for binding to a limited amount of core RNAP (E). To assess whether σS binding to E alone results in significant downregulation of gene expression by other σ factors, we characterized an rpoS mutant of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium producing a σS protein proficient for EσS complex formation but deficient in promoter DNA binding. Genome expression profiling and physiological assays revealed that this mutant was defective for negative regulation, indicating that gene repression by σS requires its binding to DNA. Although the mechanisms of repression by σS are likely specific to individual genes and environmental conditions, the study of transcription downregulation of the succinate dehydrogenase operon suggests that σ competition at the promoter DNA level plays an important role in gene repression by EσS.
DNA-mediated cooperativity facilitates the co-selection of cryptic enhancer sequences by SOX2 and PAX6 transcription factors
Authors: Narasimhan Kamesh , Pillay Shubhadra , Huang Yong-Heng , Jayabal Sriram , Udayasuryan Barath , Veerapandian Veeramohan , Kolatkar Prasanna , Cojocaru Vlad , Pervushin Konstantin , Jauch Ralf 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Sox2 and Pax6 are transcription factors that direct cell fate decision during neurogenesis, yet the mechanism behind how they cooperate on enhancer DNA elements and regulate gene expression is unclear. By systematically interrogating Sox2 and Pax6 interaction on minimal enhancer elements, we found that cooperative DNA recognition relies on combinatorial nucleotide switches and precisely spaced, but cryptic composite DNA motifs. Surprisingly, all tested Sox and Pax paralogs have the capacity to cooperate on such enhancer elements. NMR and molecular modeling reveal very few direct protein–protein interactions between Sox2 and Pax6, suggesting that cooperative binding is mediated by allosteric interactions propagating through DNA structure. Furthermore, we detected and validated several novel sites in the human genome targeted cooperatively by Sox2 and Pax6. Collectively, we demonstrate that Sox–Pax partnerships have the potential to substantially alter DNA target specificities and likely enable the pleiotropic and context-specific action of these cell-lineage specifiers.
Protein mistranslation protects bacteria against oxidative stress
Authors: Fan Yongqiang , Wu Jiang , Ung Matthew H. , De Lay Nicholas , Cheng Chao , Ling Jiqiang 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Accurate flow of genetic information from DNA to protein requires faithful translation. An increased level of translational errors (mistranslation) has therefore been widely considered harmful to cells. Here we demonstrate that surprisingly, moderate levels of mistranslation indeed increase tolerance to oxidative stress in Escherichia coli. Our RNA sequencing analyses revealed that two antioxidant genes katE and osmC, both controlled by the general stress response activator RpoS, were upregulated by a ribosomal error-prone mutation. Mistranslation-induced tolerance to hydrogen peroxide required rpoS, katE and osmC. We further show that both translational and post-translational regulation of RpoS contribute to peroxide tolerance in the error-prone strain, and a small RNA DsrA, which controls translation of RpoS, is critical for the improved tolerance to oxidative stress through mistranslation. Our work thus challenges the prevailing view that mistranslation is always detrimental, and provides a mechanism by which mistranslation benefits bacteria under stress conditions.
Repeated Exposure to Ketamine–Xylazine during Early Development Impairs Motor Learning–dependent Dendritic Spine Plasticity in Adulthood
Authors: Huang Lianyan , Yang Guang 
Published: January 2015

AbstractAbstract
Early multiple exposures to ketamine/xylazine, a veterinary anesthetic combination, resulted in impaired motor learning and learning-dependent spine plasticity in motor cortex, both of which could be prevented by an enriched environment. Further studies are necessary to determine whether early exposure to more clinically relevant anesthetics has similar effects on learning and synaptic plasticity.

Background:
Recent studies in rodents suggest that repeated and prolonged anesthetic exposure at early stages of development leads to cognitive and behavioral impairments later in life. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we tested whether exposure to general anesthesia during early development will disrupt the maturation of synaptic circuits and compromise learning-related synaptic plasticity later in life.

Methods:
Mice received ketamine–xylazine (20/3 mg/kg) anesthesia for one or three times, starting at either early (postnatal day 14 [P14]) or late (P21) stages of development (n = 105). Control mice received saline injections (n = 34). At P30, mice were subjected to rotarod motor training and fear conditioning. Motor learning–induced synaptic remodeling was examined in vivo by repeatedly imaging fluorescently labeled postsynaptic dendritic spines in the primary motor cortex before and after training using two-photon microscopy.

Results:
Three exposures to ketamine–xylazine anesthesia between P14 and P18 impair the animals’ motor learning and learning-dependent dendritic spine plasticity (new spine formation, 8.4 ± 1.3% [mean ± SD] vs. 13.4 ± 1.8%, P = 0.002) without affecting fear memory and cell apoptosis. One exposure at P14 or three exposures between P21 and P25 has no effects on the animals’ motor learning or spine plasticity. Finally, enriched motor experience ameliorates anesthesia-induced motor learning impairment and synaptic deficits.

Conclusions:
Our study demonstrates that repeated exposures to ketamine–xylazine during early development impair motor learning and learning-dependent dendritic spine plasticity later in life. The reduction in synaptic structural plasticity may underlie anesthesia-induced behavioral impairment.
Wave-transmitting method for a travelling-wave-type omnidirectional mobile robot
Authors: Konno Masashi , Mizota Yutaka , Nakamura Taro 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to develop a wave-transmitting mechanism for a travelling-wave-type omnidirectional mobile robot. Existing omnidirectional mechanisms are prone to movement instability because they establish a small contact area with the ground. The authors have developed a novel omnidirectional mobile robot that achieves stable movement by a large ground-contact area. The proposed robot moves by a wave-transmitting mechanism designed for this purpose.

Design/methodology/approach
– To achieve stable movement, a spiral-type travelling-wave-propagation mechanism that mimics the locomotion mechanism of a snail was developed. The mechanism was applied to an omnidirectional mobile robot.

Findings
– The practicality of magnetic attraction was verified in experiments of the wave-transmitting mechanism. Moreover, omnidirectional movement was confirmed in a robot prototype adopting this mechanism.

Research limitations/implications
– The proposed robot will eventually be deployed in human spaces such as factories and hospitals. A mechanically improved version of the robot will be evaluated in load-driving experiments and equipped with control systems.

Originality/value
– This paper proposes an omnidirectional mobile robot with a large ground contact area that moves by continuous travelling waves. The practicability of this mechanism was experimentally confirmed, and a prototype robot achieved omnidirectional movement.
Investigating experts’ opinion on outsourcing decision in facilities management practice in public Universities in Nigeria
Authors: GBADEGESIN JOB TAIWO , Babatunde Theophilus Olugbenga 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to empirically investigate the factors and the level of influence on facilities management practice and analyze the relationship among the factors. It also examines the level of effectiveness of outsourcing decision. Recent research effort on outsourcing identified some factors that influence outsourcing decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach
– Copies of instrument titled “Questionnaire on Outsourcing Decision” designed through a review of outsourcing literature, pilot-tested on the professionals, with valid reliability test results, were used to collect data. Collected data were analyzed using percentage, t-test, Pearson correlation and chi-square.

Findings
– Majority of the respondents reported that outsourcing is an effective decision. Except for functional characteristics, all other factors (strategic, management, technical, economical and quality) are significantly different from the group mean values. While there is a positive and significant relationship among the influencing factors, there is no significant relationship between the years of experience and the perception on the effectiveness of outsourcing decision.

Research limitations/implications
– This study is limited to five selected tertiary institutions. The justification for their selection is attributed to their relative adequate infrastructural facilities, the existing practice of outsourcing and the size of the institutions. The further frontier of knowledge can be extended from here.

Practical implications
– The findings exposed the policymakers and stakeholders in the public universities to the major factors that affect the effectiveness of outsourcing and the direction for future practical research in the area of facilities management within the tertiary institutions of learning.

Originality/value
– The thrust of this paper provides check and balance in the adoption of outsourcing approach with tested instrument that ranks the influencing factors in facilities management practice in a developing economy within educational institutions.
A stage-oriented model (SOM) for e-commerce adoption: a study of Saudi Arabian organisations
Authors: Al-Somali Sabah Abdullah , Gholami Roya , Clegg Ben 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to construct a new e-commerce innovation and adoption model that takes into account various stages of e-commerce adoption (interactive, non-interactive and stabilised) and covers technological, organisational and environmental factors. This was tested using data collected from manufacturing and service companies in Saudi Arabia (SA) to reveal inhibitors and catalysts for e-commerce adoption.Design/methodology/approach– This study uses new data from surveys from 202 companies and then uses exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling for analyses.Findings– This study shows that the new stage-oriented model (SOM) is valid and can reveal specific detailed nuances of e-commerce adoption within a particular setting. Surprising results show that SA is not so very different to developed western countries in respect to e-commerce adoption. However there are some important differences which are discussed in detail.Research limitations/implications– A new SOM for e-commerce adoption is provided which may be used by other IS adoption researchers.Practical implications– Managers responsible for the adoption of e-commerce in SA, the Middle East and beyond can learn from these findings to speed up adoption rates and make e-commerce more effective.Social implications– This work may help spread e-commerce use throughout SA, the Middle East and to other developing nations.Originality/value– The results add to the extremely limited number of empirical studies that has been conducted to investigate e-commerce adoption in the context of Arabic countries.
Joint pricing of VIX and SPX options with stochastic volatility and jump models
Authors: Kokholm Thomas , Stisen Martin 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper studies the performance of commonly employed stochastic volatility and jump models in the consistent pricing of The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) and The S&P 500 Index (SPX) options. With the existence of active markets for volatility derivatives and options on the underlying instrument, the need for models that are able to price these markets consistently has increased. Although pricing formulas for VIX and vanilla options are now available for commonly used models exhibiting stochastic volatility and/or jumps, it remains to be shown whether these are able to price both markets consistently. This paper fills this vacuum.

Design/methodology/approach
– In particular, the Heston model, the Heston model with jumps in returns and the Heston model with simultaneous jumps in returns and variance (SVJJ) are jointly calibrated to market quotes on SPX and VIX options together with VIX futures.

Findings
– The full flexibility of having jumps in both returns and volatility added to a stochastic volatility model is essential. Moreover, we find that the SVJJ model with the Feller condition imposed and calibrated jointly to SPX and VIX options fits both markets poorly. Relaxing the Feller condition in the calibration improves the performance considerably. Still, the fit is not satisfactory, and we conclude that one needs more flexibility in the model to jointly fit both option markets.

Originality/value
– Compared to existing literature, we derive numerically simpler VIX option and futures pricing formulas in the case of the SVJ model. Moreover, the paper is the first to study the pricing performance of three widely used models to SPX options and VIX derivatives.
Trait emotional intelligence, emotional labour, and burnout among Malaysian HR professionals
Authors: Santos Angeli , Mustafa Michael J. , Gwi Terk Chern 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– This study aims to examine the concepts of trait emotional intelligence (EI), emotional labour strategies and burnout among internal human resources (HR) service providers. It proposes a model to deepen our understanding of the processes explaining the protective effects of trait EI on employee burnout.Design/methodology/approach– The present study comprises a sample of 143 HR professionals from a large Malaysian financial institution.Findings– Results suggest that trait EI predicted personal- and work-related burnout but not client-related burnout. Trait EI was also found to be partly related to emotional labour (EL), exhibiting a negative relationship with surface acting but not with deep acting. While surface acting exhibited a significant relationship on all three forms of burnout, deep acting was only significantly related to client burnout. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that surface acting partly mediated the relationship between EI and burnout.Originality/value– This study examines the relationship between EI, EL and burnout in HR professionals. This study is the first in the literature to examine these relationships in the context of internal service providers and in a non-Western context. Our study enhances our understanding of the processes explaining the protective effects of trait EI on employee burnout in a non-Western context.
A framework for Six Sigma project selection in higher educational institutions, using a weighted scorecard approach
Authors: Holmes Monica C. , Jenicke Lawrence O. , Hempel Jessica L. 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper discusses the importance of the Six Sigma selection process, describes a Six Sigma project in a higher educational institution and presents a weighted scorecard approach for project selection.

Design/methodology/approach
– A case study of the Six Sigma approach being used to improve student support at a university computer help desk was used. An error related to the timeliness of service was defined and improved over the course of the project.

Findings
– The Six Sigma approach was useful for improving timely service, but a methodology for selecting the project was needed by the project leader. Using such a methodology would have ensured higher probability of project success.

Practical implications
– This framework provides directions for selecting a Six Sigma project in a higher educational setting. The weighted scorecard method is presented and may be used for selecting a project which would likely be the most efficient use of time and resources.

Originality/value
– While project selection methodologies have been published with regard to Six Sigma projects in business, this paper fills the need for selection criteria as they relate to higher educational settings.
Social integration confers thermal benefits in a gregarious primate
Authors: McFarland Richard , Fuller Andrea , Hetem Robyn S. , Mitchell Duncan , Maloney Shane K. , Henzi S. Peter , Barrett Louise 
Published: January 2015

SummarySociality has been shown to have adaptive value for gregarious species, with more socially integrated animals within groups experiencing higher reproductive success and longevity. The value of social integration is often suggested to derive from an improved ability to deal with social stress within a group; other potential stressors have received less attention.We investigated the relationship between environmental temperature, an important non‐social stressor, and social integration in wild female vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), using implanted data loggers to obtain direct measures of core body temperature.Heterothermy (as measured by 24‐h amplitude of body temperature) increased, and 24‐h minima of body temperature decreased, as the 24‐h minimum ambient temperature decreased. As winter progressed, monkeys became increasingly heterothermic and displayed lower 24‐h minima of body temperature.Monkeys with a greater number of social partners displayed a smaller 24‐h amplitude (that is, were more homoeothermic) and higher 24‐h minima of body temperature (that is, became less hypothermic), than did animals with fewer social partners.Our findings demonstrate that social integration has a direct influence on thermoregulatory ability: individual animals that form and maintain more social relationships within their group experience improved thermal competence compared to those with fewer social relationships.Given the likely energetic consequences of thermal benefits, our findings offer a viable physiological explanation that can help account for variations in fitness in relation to individual differences in social integration.