bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of insecticidal fusion proteins containing spider toxins targeting sodium and calcium ion channels on pyrethroid‐resistant strains of peach‐potato aphid (Myzus persicae)
Authors: Yang Sheng , Fitches Elaine , Pyati Prashant , Gatehouse John A 
Published: July 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe recombinant fusion proteins Pl1a/GNA and Hv1a/GNA contain the spider venom peptides δ‐amaurobitoxin‐PI1a or ω‐hexatoxin‐Hv1a respectively, linked to snowdrop lectin (GNA). Pl1a targets receptor site 4 of insect voltage‐gated sodium channels (NaCh), while Hv1a targets voltage‐gated calcium channels. Insecticide‐resistant strains of peach‐potato aphid (Myzus persicae) contain mutations in NaCh. The pyrethroid‐resistant kdr (794J) and super‐kdr (UKO) strains contain mutations at residues L1014 and M918 in the channel α‐subunit respectively, while the kdr + super‐kdr strain (4824J), insensitive to pyrethroids, contains mutations at both L1014 and M918.RESULTSPl1a/GNA and Hv1a/GNA fusion proteins have estimated LC50 values of 0.35 and 0.19 mg mL−1 when fed to wild‐type M. persicae. For insecticide‐resistant aphids, LC50 for the Pl1a/GNA fusion protein increased by 2–6‐fold, correlating with pyrethroid resistance (wild type < kdr < super‐kdr < kdr + super‐kdr strains). In contrast, LC50 for the Hv1a/GNA fusion protein showed limited correlation with pyrethroid resistance.CONCLUSIONMutations in the sodium channel in pyrethroid‐resistant aphids also protect against a fusion protein containing a sodium‐channel‐specific toxin, in spite of differences in ligand–channel interactions, but do not confer resistance to a fusion protein targeting calcium channels. The use of fusion proteins with differing targets could play a role in managing pesticide resistance. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
A Massive Open Online Course on climate change: the social construction of a global problem using new tools for connectedness
Authors: Burch Sarah L. , Harris Sara E. 
Published: July 2014

Climate change is a pervasive and challenging phenomenon that takes on a variety of meanings and frames, each of which suggests different victims, villains, and solutions. New tools are emerging that may facilitate a reframing, or at least the collaborative coproduction, of the climate change conversation. Web‐based social media have provided a new level of connectedness and capacity to collaborate through a merging of the social and educational worlds in the form of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): web‐based, freely available courses taught by university and college instructors, and offered to thousands of students at a time. Our development and delivery of the first interdisciplinary climate change MOOC has opened a new window into (1) the tools available to convene a conversation about climate change, (2) the processes of negotiation, cultural articulation, and identity formation that occur through conversations that include large populations from diverse backgrounds, and (3) the implications of this conversation for the broader climate change discourse, the definition of the problem, attributions of responsibility, and the development of solutions. WIREs Clim Change 2014, 5:577–585. doi: 10.1002/wcc.300This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Communication
Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Climate Science and Social Movements
An Open-Label Comparison of Local Anesthesia with or without Sedation for Minor Hand Surgery
Authors: Rozanski Marta , Neuhaus Valentin , Reddy Rajesh , Jupiter Jesse B. , Rathmell James P. , Ring David C. 
Published: July 2014

Background The purpose of this study was to assess satisfaction and pain intensity in patients undergoing minor hand surgery under local anesthesia (LA) with or without sedation. Methods Seventy-three adult patients presenting to two hand surgeons were enrolled in this prospective observational study in 2012. They completed questionnaires prior to surgery (current pain intensity, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) to measure symptoms of depression, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) to assess the effective coping strategy of pain self-efficacy) and within 48 h after surgery (satisfaction with surgery, satisfaction with anesthesia, pain during the injection, and pain during the procedure). Thirty-seven patients had carpal tunnel release (bilateral in 3), 22 had release of one or more trigger digits, and 12 had excision of a benign tumor, gouty tophus (1 patient), or foreign body (1 patient). Forty-six patients chose LA and 27 chose LA with sedation. Results There was no difference in satisfaction with surgery or anesthesia by the type of anesthesia. Satisfaction with surgery was associated with older age alone. Satisfaction with anesthesia was associated with no prior surgery for the same condition. Pain during injection and during the procedure were significantly higher without sedation. Pain during injection was associated with younger age and LA. No factors were associated with pain during the procedure. Conclusions Patients that had local anesthesia immediately prior to incision with tourniquet use during surgery had more pain during the procedure but were equally satisfied on average with surgery and with anesthesia compared to patients that had sedation.
True Phase Diagrams
Authors: Ågren John , Schmid-Fetzer Rainer 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
With the use of today’s computer softwares, phase diagrams can readily be plotted with a wide choice of variables on the axes. Hillert defined a true phase diagram as a diagram where each point uniquely defines the stable phases. He also showed that not all choices of axis variables give true phase diagrams. In this note we will demonstrate that although the rules stated by Hillert are necessary they are not sufficient to have true phase diagrams.
Asymmetric shapes and pearling of a stretched vesicle
Authors: Vlahovska Petia M. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractClosed bilayer membranes (vesicles) display a plethora of non-spherical shapes under equilibrium conditions, unlike drops and bubbles which are kept spherical by surface tension. Even more complex behaviour arises under applied flow. Intriguingly, a vesicle can adopt asymmetric shapes even under symmetric forcing such as uniaxial extensional flow. Narasimhan, Spann & Shaqfeh (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 750, 2014, pp. 144–190) explain the mechanism of this peculiar instability and trace its origin to the tension which develops in the area-incompressible membrane in response to the applied stress. The authors also show that this mechanism is relevant to the pearling of tubular vesicles. This study raises many questions, e.g. whether other soft particles with load-dependent tension such as capsules can undergo similar shape transformations.
Automated text analysis in psychology: methods, applications, and future developments
Authors: ILIEV RUMEN , DEHGHANI MORTEZA , SAGI EYAL 
Published: July 2014

abstractRecent years have seen rapid developments in automated text analysis methods focused on measuring psychological and demographic properties. While this development has mainly been driven by computer scientists and computational linguists, such methods can be of great value for social scientists in general, and for psychologists in particular. In this paper, we review some of the most popular approaches to automated text analysis from the perspective of social scientists, and give examples of their applications in different theoretical domains. After describing some of the pros and cons of these methods, we speculate about future methodological developments, and how they might change social sciences. We conclude that, despite the fact that current methods have many disadvantages and pitfalls compared to more traditional methods of data collection, the constant increase of computational power and the wide availability of textual data will inevitably make automated text analysis a common tool for psychologists.
An irruption interrupted: eradication of wild turkeys Meleagris gallopavo from Santa Cruz Island, California
Authors: Morrison Scott A. , DeNicola Anthony J. , Walker Kelvin , Dewey David , Laughrin Lyndal , Wolstenholme Rachel , Macdonald Norman 
Published: July 2014

AbstractEradication of introduced species is often necessary to conserve native biota on islands. Seven wild turkeys Meleagris gallopavo were introduced to Santa Cruz Island, California, in 1975 and the population began to irrupt in the early 2000s. Turkeys posed a variety of threats to native species, including that they could replace the previously eradicated population of feral pigs Sus scrofa as a prey subsidy for golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos, which through incidental predation had driven three subspecies of island fox Urocyon littoralis to near extinction. We implemented a four-phase programme to eradicate the turkey population, based on general principles for eradication efforts. For example, we focused on preventing individual turkeys from becoming aware of our methods, which increased the likelihood we would be able to detect and dispatch all of the birds. Leveraging the tendency of turkeys to aggregate during winter, we used baited drop nets, precision shooting, and monitoring of surgically sterilized, radio-telemetered ‘Judas turkeys’ to eliminate the population. We estimate the population comprised 310 individuals when the project began in 2006 and that the last bird died in December 2012. Methods used in this project could be applied to other alien bird eradication programmes, of which there are few examples in the scientific literature.
Divergent effects of first-generation and second-generation antipsychotics on cortical thickness in first-episode psychosis
Authors: Ansell B. R. E. , Dwyer D. B. , Wood S. J. , Bora E. , Brewer W. J. , Proffitt T. M. , Velakoulis D. , McGorry P. D. , Pantelis C. 
Published: July 2014

BackgroundWhether there are differential effects of first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) on the brain is currently debated. Although some studies report that FGAs reduce grey matter more than SGAs, others do not, and research to date is limited by a focus on schizophrenia spectrum disorders. To address this limitation, this study investigated the effects of medication in patients being treated for first-episode schizophrenia or affective psychoses.MethodCortical thickness was compared between 52 first-episode psychosis patients separated into diagnostic (i.e. schizophrenia or affective psychosis) and medication (i.e. FGA and SGA) subgroups. Patients in each group were also compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 28). A whole-brain cortical thickness interaction analysis of medication and diagnosis was then performed. Correlations between cortical thickness with antipsychotic dose and psychotic symptoms were examined.ResultsThe effects of medication and diagnosis did not interact, suggesting independent effects. Compared with controls, diagnostic differences were found in frontal, parietal and temporal regions. Decreased thickness in FGA-treated versus SGA-treated groups was found in a large frontoparietal region (p < 0.001, corrected). Comparisons with healthy controls revealed decreased cortical thickness in the FGA group whereas the SGA group showed increases in addition to decreases. In FGA-treated patients cortical thinning was associated with higher negative symptoms whereas increased cortical thickness in the SGA-treated group was associated with lower positive symptoms.ConclusionsOur results suggest that FGA and SGA treatments have divergent effects on cortical thickness during the first episode of psychosis that are independent from changes due to illness.
Analysis of kinematics and statics for a novel 6-DoF parallel mechanism with three planar mechanism limbs
Authors: Lu Yi , Li Xuepeng , Zhang Canguo , Liu Yang 
Published: July 2014

SUMMARYA novel 6-degree-of-freedom (DoF) parallel manipulator with three planar mechanism limbs is proposed and its kinematics and statics are analyzed systematically. First, the characteristics of the proposed manipulator are analyzed and the degree of freedom is calculated. Second, the formulae for solving the displacement, the velocity, and the acceleration are derived. Third, an analytic example is given for solving the kinematics and statics of this manipulator, and the analytic solved results are analyzed and verified by the simulation mechanism. Finally, a workspace is constructed and analyzed based on a comparison between the proposed manipulator and another 6-DoF parallel manipulator.
Disease outbreaks caused by steppe-type rabies viruses in China
Authors: FENG Y. , WANG W. , GUO J. , ALATENGHELI  , LI Y. , YANG G. , SU N. , ZHANG L. , XU W. , SHENG Z. , MA L. , GUI J. , DEJIDE  , LIN H. , TU C. 
Published: July 2014

SUMMARYWhile rabies is a significant public health concern in China, the epidemiology of animal rabies in the north and northwest border provinces remains unknown. From February 2013 to March 2014, seven outbreaks of domestic animal rabies caused by wild carnivores in Xinjiang (XJ) and Inner Mongolia (IM) Autonomous Regions, China were reported and diagnosed in brain samples of infected animals by the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and RT–PCR. Ten field rabies viruses were obtained. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis based on the completeNgene (1353 bp) amplified directly from the original brain tissues showed that these ten strains were steppe-type viruses, closely related to strains reported in Russia and Mongolia. None had been identified previously in China. The viruses from XJ and IM clustered separately into two lineages showing their different geographical distribution. This study emphasizes the importance of wildlife surveillance and of cross-departmental cooperation in the control of transboundary rabies transmission.
Body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours among Indian urban adolescent girls
Authors: Som Nivedita , Mukhopadhyay Susmita 
Published: July 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the associations of body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours with actual weight status among urban adolescent girls.DesignIn the present cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours. Sociodemographic information was collected using a pre-tested schedule. Weight and height of each girl were measured to assess actual weight status.SettingTwin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, West Bengal, India.SubjectsA total of 1223 adolescent girls aged 14–19 years were selected from nine schools in Kolkata and Howrah in West Bengal.ResultsMany overweight girls perceived themselves as overweight and engaged in weight-reducing activities. However, several normal-weight girls also perceived them as overweight and attempted to lose weight. Unhealthy eating practices to reduce weight were followed by both overweight and normal-weight girls and even by a few underweight girls. Multivariate binary logistic regression showed a significant association between actual weight status and use of unhealthy weight-loss measures. The likelihood of adopting unhealthy eating practices was significantly higher among overweight than normal-weight girls.ConclusionsHealth education programmes should be introduced at schools to promote effective weight-control practices that help dispel myths about weight loss.
A fabrication process based on structural layer formation using Au–Au thermocompression bonding for RF MEMS capacitive switches and their performance
Authors: Cetintepe Cagri , Topalli Ebru Sagiroglu , Demir Simsek , Civi Ozlem Aydin , Akin Tayfun 
Published: July 2014

This paper presents a radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical-systems (RF MEMS) fabrication process based on a stacked structural layer and Au–Au thermocompression bonding, and reports on the performance of a sample RF MEMS switch design implemented with this process. The structural layer consists of 0.1 µm SiO2/0.2 µm SixNy/1 µm Cr–Au layers with a tensile stress less than 50 MPa deposited on a silicon handle wafer. The stacked layer is bonded to a base wafer where the transmission lines and the isolation dielectric of the capacitive switch are patterned. The process flow does not include a sacrificial layer; a recess etched in the base wafer provides the air gap instead. The switches are released by thinning and complete etching of the silicon handle wafer by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution, respectively. Millimeter-wave measurements of the fabricated RF MEMS switches demonstrate satisfactory up-state performance with the worst-case return and insertion losses of 13.7 and 0.38 dB, respectively; but the limited isolation at the down-state indicates a systematic problem with these first-generation devices. Optical profile inspections and retrospective electromechanical analyses not only confirm those measurement results; but also identify the problem as the curling of the MEMS bridges along their width, which can be alleviated in the later fabrication runs through proper mechanical design.
OGLE-SMC-LPV-00861 (LIN 9): the first proven Z And outburst in a Magellanic symbiotic star
Authors: Miszalski Brent , Mikołajewska Joanna , Udalski Andrzej 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
We report on the discovery of a new Small Magellanic Cloud symbiotic star, OGLE-SMC-LPV-00861, previously catalogued as Hα emission line source LIN 9. The OGLE light curve shows multiple-maxima outburst behaviour over ∼1200 d with a maximum outburst of ΔV = 1.5 mag. An optical spectrum of LIN 9 taken with the Southern African Large Telescope at quiescence reveals a K5 red giant with emission lines confirming its symbiotic star nature, demonstrating the potential use of ongoing large time-domain surveys to identify strong symbiotic star candidates. It is the first Magellanic symbiotic star proven to show poorly understood Z And outbursts. At outburst the estimated hot component luminosity is L ∼ 3165 L⊙, compared to L ∼ 225 L⊙ at quiescence. Further observations are needed, especially at outburst, to better understand this unique Z And-like system at a known distance, and to provide essential input to physical models of the Z And phenomenon.
Docetaxel induces moderate ovarian toxicity in mice, primarily affecting granulosa cells of early growing follicles
Authors: Lopes Federica , Smith Rowena , Anderson Richard A. , Spears Norah 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
Advances in cancer therapy have focused attention on the quality of life of cancer survivors. Since infertility is a major concern following chemotherapy, it is important to characterize the drug-specific damage to the reproductive system to help find appropriate protective strategies. This study investigates the damage on neonatal mouse ovary maintained in vitro for 6 days, and exposed for 24 h (on Day 2) to clinically relevant doses of Docetaxel (DOC; low: 0.1 µM, mid: 1 µM, high: 10 µM). Furthermore, the study explores the putative protective action exerted by Tri-iodothyronine (T3; 10−7 M). At the end of culture, morphological analyses and follicle counts showed that DOC negatively impacts on early growing follicles, decreasing primary follicle number and severely affecting health at the transitional and primary stages. Poor follicle health was mainly due to effects on granulosa cells, indicating that the effects of DOC on oocytes were likely to be secondary to granulosa cell damage. DOC damages growing follicles specifically, with no direct effect on the primordial follicle reserve. Immunostaining and western blotting showed that DOC induces activation of intrinsic, type II apoptosis in ovarian somatic cells; increasing the levels of cleaved caspase 3, cleaved caspase 8, Bax and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, while also inducing movement of cytochrome C from mitochondria into the cytosol. T3 did not prevent the damage induced by the low dose of DOC. These results demonstrated that DOC induces a gonadotoxic effect on the mouse ovary through induction of somatic cell apoptosis, with no evidence of direct effects on the oocyte, and that the damaging effect is not mitigated by T3.
Fecal Short‐Chain Fatty Acids of Very‐Low‐Birth‐Weight Preterm Infants Fed Expressed Breast Milk or Formula
Authors: Pourcyrous M. , Nolan V.G. , Goodwin A. , Davis S.L. , Buddington R.K. 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTObjectives:In preterm infants, the metabolic responses of gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria to different diets are poorly understood despite the possible effects on GI health. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that diet influences bacterial metabolism by measuring short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in stool samples from very‐low‐birth‐weight (VLBW) preterm infants without GI disorder as surrogate biomarkers of bacterial metabolism.Methods:Ion chromatography was used to measure fecal SCFAs (acetate, formate, propionate, butyrate, and isobutyrate), lactate, and chloride in fresh stool samples collected from 32 preterm infants (without major congenital anomalies, GI disorders, or a recent history of antibiotic administration and on full feed of either expressed maternal breast milk [EBM; n = 13] or a formula for preterm infants [Similac Special Care Formula; preterm formula, PTF; n = 19]).Results:The mean birth weight was 972 g, the mean gestational age was 27 weeks, and the mean postnatal age at first stool sample was 36 days. When adjusted for gestational age, the stools of EBM infants had higher concentrations (micromoles per gram of stool) of total SCFA (128 vs 68; P = 0.002), acetate (41 vs 13; P = 0.005), propionate (15.1 vs 4.4; P = 0.003), and chloride (21,814 vs 10,652; P = 0.02). Interactions between postnatal age and diet were detected for lactate (P = 0.05), propionate (P = 0.03), and butyrate (P = 0.03).Conclusions:Diets fed to VLBW preterm infants influence fecal SCFA profiles, and hence the metabolism of the GI bacteria, and potentially the health of preterm infants. The responses of bacterial metabolism to diet are influenced with postnatal age and gestational age at birth.
Functional Diversification within the Family of B-GATA Transcription Factors through the Leucine-Leucine-Methionine Domain
Authors: Behringer Carina , Bastakis Emmanouil , Ranftl Quirin L. , Mayer Klaus F.X. , Schwechheimer Claus 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
The transcription of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) GATA transcription factors GATA, NITRATE-INDUCIBLE, CARBON METABOLISM-INVOLVED (GNC) and GNC-LIKE (GNL)/CYTOKININ-RESPONSIVE GATA FACTOR1 is controlled by several growth regulatory signals including light and the phytohormones auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin. To date, GNC and GNL have been attributed functions in the control of germination, greening, flowering time, floral development, senescence, and floral organ abscission. GNC and GNL belong to the 11-member family of B-class GATA transcription factors that are characterized to date solely by their high sequence conservation within the GATA DNA-binding domain. The degree of functional conservation among the various B-class GATA family members is not understood. Here, we identify and examine B-class GATAs from Arabidopsis, tomato (Solanum lycopersicon), Brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon), and barley (Hordeum vulgare). We find that B-class GATAs from these four species can be subdivided based on their short or long N termini and the presence of the 13-amino acid C-terminal leucine-leucine-methionine (LLM) domain with the conserved motif LLM. Through overexpression analyses and by complementation of a gnc gnl double mutant, we provide evidence that the length of the N terminus may not allow distinguishing between the different B-class GATAs at the functional level. In turn, we find that the presence and absence of the LLM domain in the overexpressors has differential effects on hypocotyl elongation, leaf shape, and petiole length, as well as on gene expression. Thus, our analyses identify the LLM domain as an evolutionarily conserved domain that determines B-class GATA factor identity and provides a further subclassification criterion for this transcription factor family.