bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
THE ENSEMBLE KALMAN FILTER FOR MULTIDIMENSIONAL BIOECONOMIC MODELS
Authors: KVAMSDAL STURLA F. , SANDAL LEIF K. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractTo integrate economic considerations into management decisions in ecosystem frameworks, we need to build models that capture observed system dynamics and incorporate existing knowledge of ecosystems, while at the same time accommodating economic analysis. The main constraint for models to serve in economic analysis is dimensionality. In addition, to apply in long‐term management analysis, models should be stable in terms of adjustments to new observations. We use the ensemble Kalman filter to fit relatively simple models to ecosystem or foodweb data and estimate parameters that are stable over the observed variability in the data. The filter also provides a lower bound on the noise terms that a stochastic analysis requires. In this paper, we apply the filter to model the main interactions in the Barents Sea ecosystem. In a comparison, our method outperforms a regression‐based approach.
Do Faith Communities Have a Role in Addressing Childhood Obesity?
Authors: Opalinski Andra , Dyess Susan , Grooper Sareen 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectivesPediatric obesity is a multifaceted phenomenon. A partnership with faith‐based communities to address the issue has been suggested. The purpose of this study was to describe the cultural beliefs of faith community leaders regarding childhood obesity and to examine attitudes about their role in addressing the issue.Design and SampleA qualitative descriptive design informed by ethnographic methods and triangulation of multiple data sources was utilized to assess the cultural beliefs of faith community leaders. A purposive sample of 13 leaders (nine females, four males) from seven multicultural and multigenerational local faith communities participated in the study. No more than three participants from any one faith community were enrolled in the study.ResultsTwenty‐first century lifestyle challenges, accountability of behaviors (a dichotomy that fluctuated between individual responsibility to community and/or social responsibility), and the need for intentionality emerged as themes from the data.ConclusionsFaith community leaders envisioned a role for faith communities in addressing childhood obesity. Findings support the ongoing development of population based health promotion programs through faith community engagement. The findings provide a foundation for nurses partnering with faith communities on health promotion programs targeting childhood obesity to address family health issues in a holistic way.
Managerial Experience and Organizational Performance: A 15‐Year Panel Study of Local Assessors
Authors: Propheter Geoffrey 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe proposition that managerial experience improves performance is an empirical claim, yet panel studies with long time dimensions exploring the relationship are uncommon. This article investigates the impact of managerial experience on organizational performance using a 15‐year panel of local property assessors in Washington State from 1999 to 2013. Each additional year of experience improves assessment quality as measured by the coefficient of dispersion by three‐tenths of a percent. However, although the relationship is statistically significant, the size of the effect is quite small, with administrative practices and the environment surrounding the assessment task being stronger predictors of assessment performance.
Identification of miRNAs in Bovine Endometrium through RNAseq and Prediction of Regulated Pathways
Authors: Palma‐Vera SE , Sharbati S , Einspanier R 
Published: August 2015

ContentsDetection of miRNAs in reproductive tissues is a key step to understand their role in fertility. We hypothesize that miRNAs must be involved in pathways controlling endometrial physiology and defense against pathogens. In this study, we aimed to characterize miRNAs present in bovine endometrium and to predict regulated pathways. Cytobrush endometrial samples from four cows were collected at oestrous cycle days 1–5, 6–12, 13–18 and 19–21. RNA was extracted and sequenced using Ion Torrent ® technology. After mapping of the reads to miRNA stem loops, rRNAs and tRNAs, data were normalized and analysed using DESeq2. Targets and pathways were predicted with miRmap and KEGG, respectively. Validation of miRNAs in tissue was done by RT‐qPCR (miR‐Q). A total of 221 identities were common among groups, accumulating more than 99% of miRNA expression. MiRNAs were predicted to regulate MAPK signalling pathway, lysosome and extracellular matrix (ECM)‐receptor interaction. Eight miRNAs were validated by miR‐Q, showing that let‐7a‐5p and let‐7b were regulated across the oestrous cycle. This study demonstrated a high similarity in miRNA expression profile across the oestrous cycles in bovine endometrium. These miRNAs were predicted to regulate pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, transport and catabolism. The number of pathways shared by different miRNAs indicates the broad range of regulation these molecules exhibit in the endometrium.
Pathophysiology of Calcium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium Dysregulation in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Felsenfeld Arnold J. , Levine Barton S. , Rodriguez Mariano 
Published: August 2015

AbstractCalcium, phosphorus, and magnesium homeostasis is altered in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and hypermagnesemia are not seen until advanced CKD because adaptations develop. Increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion maintains serum calcium normal by increasing calcium efflux from bone, renal calcium reabsorption, and phosphate excretion. Similarly, renal phosphate excretion in CKD is maintained by increased secretion of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and PTH. However, the phosphaturic effect of FGF23 is reduced by downregulation of its cofactor Klotho necessary for binding FGF23 to FGF receptors. Intestinal phosphate absorption is diminished in CKD due in part to reduced levels of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D. Unlike calcium and phosphorus, magnesium is not regulated by a hormone, but fractional excretion of magnesium increases as CKD progresses. As 60–70% of magnesium is reabsorbed in the thick ascending limb of Henle, activation of the calcium‐sensing receptor by magnesium may facilitate magnesium excretion in CKD. Modification of the TRPM6 channel in the distal tubule may also have a role. Besides abnormal bone morphology and vascular calcification, abnormalities in mineral homeostasis are associated with increased cardiovascular risk, increased mortality and progression of CKD.
Preservation of meandering river channels in uniformly aggrading channel belts
Authors: van de Lageweg Wietse I. , Schuurman Filip , Cohen Kim M. , van Dijk Wout M. , Shimizu Yasuyuki , Kleinhans Maarten G. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractChannel belt deposits from meandering river systems commonly display an internal architecture of stacked depositional features with scoured basal contacts due to channel and bedform migration across a range of scales. Recognition and correct interpretation of these bounding surfaces is essential to reconstruction of palaeochannel dimensions and to flow modelling for hydrocarbon exploration. It is therefore crucial to understand the suite of processes that form and transfer these surfaces into the fluvial sedimentary record. Here, the numerical model ‘NAYS2D’ is used to simulate a highly sinuous meandering river with synthetic stratigraphic architectures that can be compared directly to the sedimentary record. Model results highlight the importance of spatial and temporal variations in channel depth and migration rate to the generation of channel and bar deposits. Addition of net uniform bed aggradation (due to excess sediment input) allows quantification of the preservation of meander morphology for a wide range of depositional conditions. The authors find that the effect of vertical variation in scouring due to channel migration is generally orders of magnitude larger than the effect of bed aggradation, which explains the limited impact bed aggradation has on preservation of meander morphology. Moreover, lateral differences in stratigraphy within the meander belt are much larger than the stratigraphic imprint of bed aggradation. Repeatedly produced alternations of point bar growth followed by cut‐off result in a vertical trend in channel and scour feature stacking. Importantly, this vertical stacking trend differs laterally within the meander belt. In the centre of the meander belt, the high reworking intensity results in many bounding surfaces and disturbed deposits. Closer to the margins, reworking is infrequent and thick deposits with a limited number of bounding surfaces are preserved. These marginal areas therefore have the highest preservation potential for complete channel deposits and are thus best suited for palaeochannel reconstruction.
Identification of Added Mass in the Composite Plate Structure Based on Wavelet Packet Transform
Authors: Rajendran P. , Srinivasan S. M. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractA new concept has been introduced that the combination of rotational mode shape with two‐dimensional wavelet packet transform to detect the added mass (damage) in a glass fibre reinforced polymer composite plate structure. Wavelet packet transform is an advanced signal processing tool that can magnify the abnormality features in the signal. Rotational mode shapes are sensitive to damage in beam and plate structures. The proposed method employs an added mass, which slides to different locations to alter the local and global dynamic characteristics of the structure. Finite element analysis is carried out to obtain the first three rotational bending mode shapes, from the damaged plate structure, then used as input to two‐dimensional wavelet packet transform. The numerical results of normalised diagonal detail wavelet packet coefficients show a peak at single or multiple added mass (damage) locations of a plate structure for two different boundary conditions. This method seems to be sensitive to relatively small amount of damage to the plate structure. A simple parametric study is carried out for the damage extent quantification. In addition, investigation with noise‐contaminated signals shows its feasibility in the real applications.
TCP15 modulates cytokinin and auxin responses during gynoecium development in Arabidopsis
Authors: Lucero Leandro E. , Uberti‐Manassero Nora G. , Arce Agustín L. , Colombatti Francisco , Alemano Sergio G. , Gonzalez Daniel H. 
Published: August 2015

SummaryWe studied the role of Arabidopsis thaliana TCP15, a member of the TEOSINTE BRANCHED1‐CYCLOIDEA‐PCF (TCP) transcription factor family, in gynoecium development. Plants that express TCP15 from the 35S CaMV promoter (35S:TCP15) develop flowers with defects in carpel fusion and a reduced number of stigmatic papillae. In contrast, the expression of TCP15 fused to a repressor domain from its own promoter causes the development of outgrowths topped with stigmatic papillae from the replum. 35S:TCP15 plants show lower levels of the auxin indoleacetic acid and reduced expression of the auxin reporter DR5 and the auxin biosynthesis genes YUCCA1 and YUCCA4, suggesting that TCP15 is a repressor of auxin biosynthesis. Treatment of plants with cytokinin enhances the developmental effects of expressing TCP15 or its repressor form. In addition, treatment of a knock‐out double mutant in TCP15 and the related gene TCP14 with cytokinin causes replum enlargement, increased development of outgrowths, and the induction of the auxin biosynthesis genes YUCCA1 and YUCCA4. A comparison of the phenotypes observed after cytokinin treatment of plants with altered expression levels of TCP15 and auxin biosynthesis genes suggests that TCP15 modulates gynoecium development by influencing auxin homeostasis. We propose that the correct development of the different tissues of the gynoecium requires a balance between auxin levels and cytokinin responses, and that TCP15 participates in a feedback loop that helps to adjust this balance.
Empty pericarp7 encodes a mitochondrial E–subgroup pentatricopeptide repeat protein that is required for ccmFN editing, mitochondrial function and seed development in maize
Authors: Sun Feng , Wang Xiaomin , Bonnard Géraldine , Shen Yun , Xiu Zhihui , Li Xiaojie , Gao Dahai , Zhang Zhonghang , Tan Bao‐Cai 
Published: August 2015

SummaryRNA editing, converting cytidines (C) to uridines (U) at specific sites in the transcripts of mitochondria and plastids, plays a critical role in organelle gene expression in land plants. Recently pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins were identified as site‐specific recognition factors for RNA editing. In this study, we characterized an empty pericarp7 mutant (emp7) in Zea mays (maize), which confers an embryo‐lethal phenotype. In emp7 mutants, mitochondrial functions are seriously perturbed, resulting in a strikingly reduced respiration rate. Emp7 encodes an E–subgroup PPR protein that is localized exclusively in the mitochondrion. Null mutation of Emp7 abolishes the C → U editing of ccmFN transcript solely at position 1553. CcmFN is coding for a subunit of heme lyase complex in the cytochrome c maturation pathway. The resulting Phe → Ser substitution in CcmFN leads to the loss of CcmFN protein and a strikingly reduced c‐type cytochrome. Consequently, the mitochondrial cytochrome‐linked respiratory chain is impaired as a result of the disassembly of complex III in the emp7 mutant. These results indicate that the PPR–E subgroup protein EMP7 is required for C → U editing of ccmFN‐1553 at a position essential for cytochrome c maturation and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and hence is essential to embryo and endosperm development in maize.
The maize transcription factor EREB58 mediates the jasmonate‐induced production of sesquiterpene volatiles
Authors: Li Shengyan , Wang Hai , Li Fengqi , Chen Zhongliang , Li Xiuying , Zhu Li , Wang Guirong , Yu Jingjuan , Huang Dafang , Lang Zhihong 
Published: August 2015

SummaryOver the past two decades, Zea mays (maize) has been established as a model system for the study of indirect plant defense against herbivores. When attacked by lepidopteran larvae, maize leaves emit a complex blend of volatiles, mainly composed of sesquiterpenes, to attract the natural enemies of the herbivores. This is associated with a swift transcriptional induction of terpene synthases such as TPS10; however, the molecular components controlling the complex transcriptional reprogramming in this process are still obscure. Here, by exploiting the finding that the maize TPS10 promoter retained its full responsiveness to herbivory in Arabidopsis, we identified the region from −300 to −200 of the TPS10 promoter as both necessary and sufficient for its herbivore inducibility through 5′ deletion mapping. A high‐throughput screening of an Arabidopsis transcription factor library using this promoter region as the bait identified seven AP2/ERF family transcription factors. Among their close homologs in maize, EREB58 was the only gene responsive to herbivory, with a spatiotemporal expression pattern highly similar to that of TPS10. Meanwhile, EREB58 was also responsive to Jasmonate. In vivo and in vitro assays indicated that EREB58 promotes TPS10 expression by directly binding to the GCC‐box within the region from −300 to −200 of the TPS10 promoter. Transgenic maize plants overexpressing EREB58 constitutively over‐accumulate TPS10 transcript, and also (E)‐β‐farnesene and (E)‐α‐bergamotene, two major sesquiterpenes produced by TPS10. In contrast, jasmonate induction of TPS10 and its volatiles was abolished in EREB58‐RNAi transgenic lines. In sum, these results demonstrate that EREB58 is a positive regulator of sesquiterpene production by directly promoting TPS10 expression.
Risks associated with red blood cell transfusions: potential benefits from application of pathogen inactivation
Authors: Kleinman Steve , Stassinopoulos Adonis 
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUNDRed blood cell (RBC) transfusion risks could be reduced if a robust technology for pathogen inactivation of RBC (PI‐RBCs) were to be approved.MATERIALS AND METHODSEstimates of per‐unit and per‐patient aggregate infectious risks for conventional RBCs were calculated; the latter used patient diagnosis as a determinant of estimated lifetime exposure to RBC units. Existing in vitro data for the two technologies under development for producing PI‐RBCs and the status of current clinical trials are reviewed.RESULTSMinimum and maximum per‐unit risk were calculated as 0.0003% (1 in 323,000) and 0.12% (1 in 831), respectively. The minimum estimate is for known lower‐risk pathogens while the maximal estimate also includes an emerging infectious agent (EIA) and endemic area Babesia risk. Minimum and maximum per‐patient lifetime risks by diagnosis grouping were estimated as 1.5 and 3.3%, respectively, for stem cell transplantation (which includes additional risk for cytomegalovirus transmission); 1.2 and 3.7%, respectively, for myelodysplastic syndrome; and 0.2 and 44%, respectively, for hemoglobinopathy.DISCUSSIONThere is potential for PI technologies to reduce infectious RBC risk and to provide additional benefits (e.g., prevention of transfusion‐associated graft‐versus‐host disease and possible reduction of alloimmunization) due to white blood cell inactivation. PI‐RBCs should be viewed in the context of having a fully PI‐treated blood supply, enabling a blood safety paradigm shift from reactive to proactive. Providing insurance against new EIAs. Further, when approved, the use of PI for all components may catalyze operational changes in blood donor screening, laboratory testing, and component manufacturing.
Susceptibility of Mycobacterium abscessus to Antimycobacterial Drugs in Preclinical Models
Authors: Obregón-Henao Andrés , Arnett Kimberly A. , Henao-Tamayo Marcela , Massoudi Lisa , Creissen Elizabeth , Andries Koen , Lenaerts Anne J. , Ordway Diane J. 
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT

Over the last 10 years,
Mycobacterium abscessus
group strains have emerged as important human pathogens, which are associated with significantly higher fatality rates than any other rapidly growing mycobacteria. These opportunistic pathogens are widespread in the environment and can cause a wide range of clinical diseases, including skin, soft tissue, central nervous system, and disseminated infections; by far, the most difficult to treat is the pulmonary form. Infections with
M. abscessus
are often multidrug-resistant (MDR) and require prolonged treatment with various regimens and, many times, result in high mortality despite maximal therapy. We report here the evaluation of diverse mouse infection models for their ability to produce a progressive high level of infection with
M. abscessus
. The nude (
nu/nu
), SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency), gamma interferon knockout (GKO), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) knockout mice fulfilled the criteria for an optimal model for compound screening. Thus, we set out to assess the antimycobacterial activity of clarithromycin, clofazimine, bedaquiline, and clofazimine-bedaquiline combinations against
M. abscessus
-infected GKO and SCID murine infection models. Treatment of GKO and SCID mice with a combination of clofazimine and bedaquiline was the most effective in decreasing the
M. abscessus
organ burden.
Guanabenz Repurposed as an Antiparasitic with Activity against Acute and Latent Toxoplasmosis
Authors: Benmerzouga Imaan , Checkley Lisa A. , Ferdig Michael T. , Arrizabalaga Gustavo , Wek Ronald C. , Sullivan William J. 
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT

Toxoplasma gondii
is a protozoan parasite that persists as a chronic infection.
Toxoplasma
evades immunity by forming tissue cysts, which reactivate to cause life-threatening disease during immune suppression. There is an urgent need to identify drugs capable of targeting these latent tissue cysts, which tend to form in the brain. We previously showed that translational control is critical during infections with both replicative and latent forms of
Toxoplasma
. Here we report that guanabenz, an FDA-approved drug that interferes with translational control, has antiparasitic activity against replicative stages of
Toxoplasma
and the related apicomplexan parasite
Plasmodium falciparum
(a malaria agent). We also found that inhibition of translational control interfered with tissue cyst biology
in vitro
.
Toxoplasma
bradyzoites present in these abnormal cysts were diminished and misconfigured, surrounded by empty space not seen in normal cysts. These findings prompted analysis of the efficacy of guanabenz
in vivo
by using established mouse models of acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. In addition to protecting mice from lethal doses of
Toxoplasma
, guanabenz has a remarkable ability to reduce the number of brain cysts in chronically infected mice. Our findings suggest that guanabenz can be repurposed into an effective antiparasitic with a unique ability to reduce tissue cysts in the brain.
Phobalysin, a Small β-Pore-Forming Toxin of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae
Authors: Rivas Amable J. , von Hoven Gisela , Neukirch Claudia , Meyenburg Martina , Qin Qianqian , Füser Sabine , Boller Klaus , Lemos Manuel L. , Osorio Carlos R. , Husmann Matthias 
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT

Photobacterium damselae
subsp.
damselae
, an important pathogen of marine animals, may also cause septicemia or hyperaggressive necrotizing fasciitis in humans. We previously showed that hemolysin genes are critical for virulence of this organism in mice and fish. In the present study, we characterized the
hlyA
gene product, a putative small β-pore-forming toxin, and termed it phobalysin P (PhlyP), for “photobacterial lysin encoded on a plasmid.” PhlyP formed stable oligomers and small membrane pores, causing efflux of K
+
, with no significant leakage of lactate dehydrogenase but entry of vital dyes. The latter feature distinguished PhlyP from the related
Vibrio cholerae
cytolysin. Attack by PhlyP provoked a loss of cellular ATP, attenuated translation, and caused profound morphological changes in epithelial cells. In coculture experiments with epithelial cells,
Photobacterium damselae
subsp.
damselae
led to rapid hemolysin-dependent membrane permeabilization. Unexpectedly, hemolysins also promoted the association of
P. damselae
subsp.
damselae
with epithelial cells. The collective observations of this study suggest that membrane-damaging toxins commonly enhance bacterial adherence.