bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Employers' Efforts to Deter Shirking in Teams: Evidence from Job Vacancies
Authors: Brenčič Vera 
Published: September 2014

AbstractEmployers can use profit sharing to elicit effort in teams as long as shirking is sufficiently costly. Analysis of descriptions of job vacancies from the online job board monster.com reveals that the threat of shirking does not deter employers from offering profit sharing to reward workers in teams. However, when team work is prevalent, employers are more likely to advertise a work environment where shirking is easier to detect and penalize. We do not find evidence of similar employers' efforts to deter shirking in teams if jobs entail: frequent interactions with a supervisor, volunteering, or work for a non‐profit organization.
Evaluation of Owabi Reservoir (Ghana) water quality using factor analysis
Authors: Akoto Osei , Abankwa Ernest 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThe Owabi Reservoir receives water inflows from several streams that drain through the rapidly urbanizing towns in the Kumasi metropolis. The reservoir catchment had been encroached upon by various human activities, resulting in the generation of large volumes of waste water being discharged into streams draining to the reservoir. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the water quality of Owabi Reservoir. Water samples from 10 sampling sites within the reservoir were analysed for various water quality parameters; namely, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sulphate (), phosphate (), chloride (Cl−), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), total dissolved solids (TSS), turbidity, faecal coliform and E. coli. The measured water quality parameters were compared to the guidelines proposed by the WHO for drinking water and natural background levels. Mean values for Pb, As, turbidity, TDS, faecal coliform and E. coli were greater than the WHO guidelines. Factor analysis for the measured parameters resulted in the extraction of five factors accounting for 83.13% of the total variance. Factor 1 showed strong loadings for , and TDS, reflecting a negative influence on the water quality by agricultural discharges. Factor 2 showed high loadings for EC, Cl− and apparent colour, while Factor 3 registered high loadings for colour and faecal coliform, suggesting domestic wastewater discharges and the presence of decaying organic matter. Factors 4 and 5 showed high loadings for copper, lead, turbidity and E. coli, an indication of both organic and inorganic pollution. Accordingly, periodic monitoring of Owabi Reservoir water quality, and the streams draining into it, is recommended as a means of ensuring good water quality, as well as facilitating the identification of the possible types and sources of water pollutants entering the reservoir.
Sedimentation and internal phosphorus loads in Krishnagiri Reservoir, India
Authors: Arunbabu Elangovan , Ravichandran Seetharaman , Sreeja Paulraj 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThis study examines sedimentation rate and its consequences on the bathymetry, capacity and internal phosphorus loading of Krishnagiri Reservoir in Tamil Nadu, South India, utilizing an acoustic Doppler profiler and remote sensing data in an ArcGIS environment. There was a significant change in the reservoir bathymetry for the year 2012, compared with the 2007. The sedimentation rate was 0.818 MCM from 1960 to 1990 and 0.83 MCM over past 5 years. The present reservoir volume is 35.57 MCM, having been reduced to nearly half of its original capacity over a 55 year span, pointing to a seriously threatened lifespan. The sediment total phosphorus (TP) load spatially varied from 6.84 to 23 394 kg, depending on the sediment deposition zones. Sequential extraction indicated the dominance of phosphate fractions to be Al‐P> Fe‐P> Ca‐P> SRP, with an average TP value of 27.27 mg g−1 dry weight. Aluminium‐ (35%) and iron(25%)‐bound forms are the major sediment phosphorus fractions, suggesting temperature, pH and redox or related chemical reactions may be important means of sediment P release in Krishnagiri Reservoir. The sediment phosphorus load in Krishnagiri Reservoir is estimated to be 44.50 tons, with an average TP release of 40.97 mg m−2 (range of 10.22–70 mg m−2). The measured pore water TP concentration and calculated sediment phosphate release exhibited a linear relation. Even with a reduced external P load, the eutrophication of Krishnagiri Reservoir cannot be reduced immediately because of its high internal load and nutrient remobilization.
Use of geographical information system and remote sensing techniques for planning culture‐based fisheries in non‐perennial reservoirs of Sri Lanka
Authors: Wijenayake W. M. Hiranya Kelum , Gunaratne A. B. Ajith Kumara , De Silva Sena S. , Amarasinghe Upali S. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThe presence of a wide areal extent of small‐sized village reservoirs offers a considerable potential for the development of culture‐based fisheries (CBFs) in Sri Lanka. To this end, this study uses geographical information systems (GISs) and remote sensing (RS) techniques to determine the morphometric and biological characteristics most useful for classifying non‐perennial reservoirs for CBF development and for assessing the influence of catchment land‐use patterns on potential CBF yields. The reservoir shorelines at full water supply level were mapped with a Global Positioning System to determine shoreline length and reservoir areal extent. The ratio of shoreline length to reservoir extent, which was reported to be a powerful predictor variable of CBF yields, could be reliably quantified using RS techniques. The areal extent of reservoirs, quantified with RS techniques (RS extent), was used to estimate the ratio of forest cover plus scrubland cover to RS extent and was found to be significantly related to the CBF yield (R2 = 0.400; P < 0.05). The results of this study indicated that morphometric characteristics and catchment land‐use patterns, which might be viewed as indices of biological productivity, can be quantified using RS and GIS techniques.
Reducing reservoir impacts and improving outcomes for dam‐forced resettlement: experiences in central Vietnam
Authors: Singer Jane , Watanabe Tsugihiro 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThe present study focuses on the growing problem of the impacts of human displacement resulting from hydropower dam construction, within the context of the integrated lake basin management of dam reservoirs. Dam‐forced displacement and resettlement can pose severe challenges to the environmental, economic and social sustainability of a reservoir basin. A case study in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, suggests that many resettled communities experience impoverishment due to the lack of adequate replacement land, declines in supplemental food sources and reduced access to natural resources. In response to such situations, resettled residents may (i) destroy lake catchment forests for the purpose of converting them to farmland or engage in illegal logging; (ii) increase agrichemical inputs on reduced land, thereby polluting run‐off and groundwater; and (iii) place increased pressure on fish stocks and wildlife. Examples are provided from central Vietnam to illustrate the need for applying management approaches that allows the affected people to become beneficiaries of dam projects and for including civil society organisations in resettlement planning. The hydropower authority can fund benefit‐sharing mechanisms, including village‐level electrification and payment for environmental services schemes, in which resettled populations are paid for forest maintenance and protection to prevent erosion and deforestation, and reservoir access can be provided for fishing, aquaculture and agriculture. Civil society organizations can advocate for residents’ interests and for reallocation of protected forest land for community forestry. These approaches can be supported by an inclusive reservoir management board working to achieve environmental sustainability, economic growth and social equity.
Divergent properties and phylogeny of cyanobacterial 5‐enol‐pyruvyl‐shikimate‐3‐phosphate synthases: evidence for horizontal gene transfer in the Nostocales
Authors: Forlani Giuseppe , Bertazzini Michele , Barillaro Donatella , Rippka Rosmarie 
Published: September 2014

Summary

As it represents the target of the successful herbicide glyphosate, great attention has been paid to the shikimate pathway enzyme 5‐enol‐pyruvyl‐shikimate‐3‐phosphate (EPSP) synthase. However, inconsistent results have been reported concerning the sensitivity of the enzyme from cyanobacteria, and consequent inhibitory effects on cyanobacterial growth.

The properties of EPSP synthase were investigated in a set of 42 strains representative of the large morphological diversity of these prokaryotes. Publicly available protein sequences were analyzed, and related to enzymatic features.

In most cases, the native protein showed an unusual homodimeric composition and a general sensitivity to micromolar doses of glyphosate. By contrast, eight out of 15 Nostocales strains were found to possess a monomeric EPSP synthase, whose activity was inhibited only at concentrations exceeding 1 mM. Sequence analysis showed that these two forms are only distantly related, the latter clustering separately in a clade composed of diverse bacterial phyla.

The results are consistent with the occurrence of a horizontal gene transfer event involving an evolutionarily distant organism. Moreover, data suggest that the existence of class I (glyphosate‐sensitive) and class II (glyphosate‐tolerant) EPSP synthases representing two distinct phylogenetic clades is an oversimplification because of the limited number of analyzed samples.
Maturation of the middle phalanx of the third finger and cervical vertebrae: a comparative and diagnostic agreement study
Authors: Perinetti G. , Perillo L. , Franchi L. , Di Lenarda R. , Contardo L. 
Published: September 2014

Structured AbstractObjectiveDiagnostic agreement on individual basis between the third middle phalanx maturation (MPM) method and the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method has conjecturally been based mainly on overall correlation analyses. Herein, the true agreement between methods according to stage and sex has been evaluated through a comprehensive diagnostic performance analysis.Subjects and methodsFour hundred and fifty‐one Caucasian subjects were included in the study, 231 females and 220 males (mean age, 12.2 ± 2.5 years; range, 7.0–17.9 years). The X‐rays of the middle phalanx of the third finger and the lateral cephalograms were examined for staging by blinded operators, blinded for MPM stages and subjects' age. The MPM and CVM methods based on six stages, two pre‐pubertal (1 and 2), two pubertal (3 and 4), and two post‐pubertal (5 and 6), were considered. Specifically, for each MPM stage, the diagnostic performance in the identification of the corresponding CVM stage was described by Bayesian statistics.ResultsFor both sexes, overall agreement was 77.6%. Most of the disagreement was due to 1 stage apart. Slight disagreement was seen for the stages 5 and 6, where the third middle phalanx shows an earlier maturation.ConclusionsThe two maturational methods show an overall satisfactorily diagnostic agreement. However, at post‐pubertal stages, the middle phalanx of the third finger appears to mature earlier than the cervical vertebrae. Post‐pubertal growth phase should thus be based on the presence of stage 6 in MPM.
Algal chloroplast produced camelid VHH antitoxins are capable of neutralizing botulinum neurotoxin
Authors: Barrera Daniel J. , Rosenberg Julian N. , Chiu Joanna G. , Chang Yung‐Nien , Debatis Michelle , Ngoi Soo‐Mun , Chang John T. , Shoemaker Charles B. , Oyler George A. , Mayfield Stephen P. 
Published: September 2014

SummaryWe have produced three antitoxins consisting of the variable domains of camelid heavy chain‐only antibodies (VHH) by expressing the genes in the chloroplast of green algae. These antitoxins accumulate as soluble proteins capable of binding and neutralizing botulinum neurotoxin. Furthermore, they accumulate at up to 5% total soluble protein, sufficient expression to easily produce these antitoxins at scale from algae. The genes for the three different antitoxins were transformed into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts and their products purified from algae lysates and assayed for in vitro biological activity using toxin protection assays. The produced antibody domains bind to botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) with similar affinities as camelid antibodies produced in Escherichia coli, and they are similarly able to protect primary rat neurons from intoxication by BoNT/A. Furthermore, the camelid antibodies were produced in algae without the use of solubilization tags commonly employed in E. coli. These camelid antibody domains are potent antigen‐binding proteins and the heterodimer fusion protein containing two VHH domains was capable of neutralizing BoNT/A at near equimolar concentrations with the toxin. Intact antibody domains were detected in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of mice treated orally with antitoxin‐producing microalgae. These findings support the use of orally delivered antitoxins produced in green algae as a novel treatment for botulism.
Psychometric Features of an Assessment Instrument with Likert and Dichotomous Response Formats
Authors: Capik Canturk , Gozum Sebahat 
Published: September 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the psychometric properties of a Likert‐formatted assessment instrument after altering the responses to a dichotomous format.Design and SampleThis methodological study used a 15‐item instrument to obtain data from 183 participants who responded in both Likert and dichotomous formats. Response sets from each format were compared.MeasuresEach response set underwent factor analysis, Kuder‐Richardson 20, Cronbach's α coefficient, item‐total correlation, and parallel form equivalence tests.ResultsFactor loads of the instrument varied between .362 and .754 when responses were Likert‐formatted and between .370 and .713 when responses were dichotomous. The Cronbach's α coefficient with Likert‐formatted responses was .858; the Kuder‐Richardson 20 coefficient of the dichotomous responses was .827. Parallel form equivalences were significant at the level of r = .753.ConclusionsThe instrument had valid results when either Likert or dichotomous responses were obtained.
Enhanced protection against Clonorchis sinensis induced by co‐infection with Trichinella spiralis in rats
Authors: Chu K.‐B. , Kim S.‐S. , Lee S.‐H. , Lee H.‐S. , Joo K.‐H. , Lee J.‐H. , Lee Y.‐S. , Zheng S. , Quan F.‐S. 
Published: September 2014

SummaryAlthough co‐infection with multiple parasites is a frequent occurrence, changes in the humoral immune response against a pre‐existing parasite induced as a result of a subsequent parasitic infection remain undetermined. Here, we utilized enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to investigate antibody responses, cytokine production and enhanced resistance in Clonorchis sinensis‐infected rats (Sprague–Dawley) upon Trichinella spiralis infection. Higher levels of C. sinensis‐specific IgG and IgA were elicited upon T. spiralis infection, and these levels remained higher than in rats infected with C. sinensis alone. Upon subsequent infection with T. spiralis, IgG antibodies against C. sinensis appeared to be rapidly boosted at day 3, and IgA antibodies were boosted at day 7. Challenge infection of C. sinensis‐infected rats with T. spiralis induced substantial mucosal IgG and IgA responses in the liver and intestine and increases in antibody‐secreting plasma cells in the spleen and bone marrow. Subsequent infection also appeared to confer effective control of liver C. sinensis loads, resulting in enhanced resistance. Memory B cells generated in response to C. sinensis infection were rapidly amplified into antibody‐secreting cells upon T. spiralis infection. These results indicate that enhanced C. sinensis clearance induced by co‐infection is associated with systemic and mucosal IgG and IgA responses.
Probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic supplements in sturgeon aquaculture: a review
Authors: Hoseinifar Seyed Hossein , Ringø Einar , Shenavar Masouleh Alireza , Esteban Maria Ángeles 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThis study addressed the issue of the dietary supplements; probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotics considered as functional food ingredients in sturgeon aquaculture. Developments of this strategy have been suggested and practiced as an alternative to antibiotic administration in aquaculture. Sturgeons are commercially valuable species due to their meet and roe, which is made into caviar. Aquaculture of sturgeons up to marketable size has increased during the last decade while disquieting decreases have been noticed of the natural populations. In line with the expand evaluations of microbial dietary supplements and prebiotics in finfish and shellfish aquaculture, the scientific community has also increased their interest in approaches to these issues in sturgeon aquaculture. The present review summarizes and discusses the results on intestinal microbiota of sturgeon species and the effects of probiotic, prebiotic or synbiotic administration on growth performance, gut physiology, intestinal microbiota, immune response and health. Furthermore, this study tries to cover the gaps of existing knowledge and suggest issues that merits further investigations.
The transmembrane domain of N –acetylglucosaminyltransferase I is the key determinant for its Golgi subcompartmentation
Authors: Schoberer Jennifer , Liebminger Eva , Vavra Ulrike , Veit Christiane , Castilho Alexandra , Dicker Martina , Maresch Daniel , Altmann Friedrich , Hawes Chris , Botchway Stanley W. , Strasser Richard 
Published: September 2014

SummaryGolgi‐resident type–II membrane proteins are asymmetrically distributed across the Golgi stack. The intrinsic features of the protein that determine its subcompartment‐specific concentration are still largely unknown. Here, we used a series of chimeric proteins to investigate the contribution of the cytoplasmic, transmembrane and stem region of Nicotiana benthamiana N–acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnTI) for its cis/medial‐Golgi localization and for protein–protein interaction in the Golgi. The individual GnTI protein domains were replaced with those from the well‐known trans‐Golgi enzyme α2,6–sialyltransferase (ST) and transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Using co‐localization analysis and N–glycan profiling, we show that the transmembrane domain of GnTI is the major determinant for its cis/medial‐Golgi localization. By contrast, the stem region of GnTI contributes predominately to homomeric and heteromeric protein complex formation. Importantly, in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, a chimeric GnTI variant with altered sub‐Golgi localization was not able to complement the GnTI‐dependent glycosylation defect. Our results suggest that sequence‐specific features in the transmembrane domain of GnTI account for its steady‐state distribution in the cis/medial‐Golgi in plants, which is a prerequisite for efficient N–glycan processing in vivo.
Endogenous pararetrovirus sequences associated with 24 nt small RNAs at the centromeres of Fritillaria imperialis L. (Liliaceae), a species with a giant genome
Authors: Becher Hannes , Ma Lu , Kelly Laura J. , Kovarik Ales , Leitch Ilia J. , Leitch Andrew R. 
Published: September 2014

SummaryEndogenous pararetroviral sequences are the most commonly found virus sequences integrated into angiosperm genomes. We describe an endogenous pararetrovirus (EPRV) repeat in Fritillaria imperialis, a species that is under study as a result of its exceptionally large genome (1C = 42 096 Mbp, approximately 240 times bigger than Arabidopsis thaliana). The repeat (FriEPRV) was identified from Illumina reads using the RepeatExplorer pipeline, and exists in a complex genomic organization at the centromere of most, or all, chromosomes. The repeat was reconstructed into three consensus sequences that formed three interconnected loops, one of which carries sequence motifs expected of an EPRV (including the gag and pol domains). FriEPRV shows sequence similarity to members of the Caulimoviridae pararetrovirus family, with phylogenetic analysis indicating a close relationship to Petuvirus. It is possible that no complete EPRV sequence exists, although our data suggest an abundance that exceeds the genome size of Arabidopsis. Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms revealed elevated levels of C→T and G→A transitions, consistent with deamination of methylated cytosine. Bisulphite sequencing revealed high levels of methylation at CG and CHG motifs (up to 100%), and 15–20% methylation, on average, at CHH motifs. FriEPRV's centromeric location may suggest targeted insertion, perhaps associated with meiotic drive. We observed an abundance of 24 nt small RNAs that specifically target FriEPRV, potentially providing a signature of RNA‐dependent DNA methylation. Such signatures of epigenetic regulation suggest that the huge genome of F. imperialis has not arisen as a consequence of a catastrophic breakdown in the regulation of repeat amplification.
Invariants and -spectrums of local theta lifts
Authors: Loke Hung Yean , Ma Jiajun 
Published: September 2014

AbstractLet $(G,G^{\prime })$ be a type I irreducible reductive dual pair in Sp$(W_{\mathbb{R}})$. We assume that $(G,G^{\prime })$ is in the stable range where $G$ is the smaller member. Let $K$ and $K^{\prime }$ be maximal compact subgroups of $G$ and $G^{\prime }$ respectively. Let $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{k}\bigoplus \mathfrak{p}$ and $\mathfrak{g}^{\prime }=\mathfrak{k}^{\prime }\bigoplus \mathfrak{p}^{\prime }$ be the complexified Cartan decompositions of the Lie algebras of $G$ and $G^{\prime }$ respectively. Let $\widetilde{K}$ and $\widetilde{K}^{\prime }$ be the inverse images of $K$ and $K^{\prime }$ in the metaplectic double cover $\widetilde{\text{Sp}}(W_{\mathbb{R}})$ of Sp$(W_{\mathbb{R}})$. Let ${\it\rho}$ be a genuine irreducible $(\mathfrak{g},\widetilde{K})$-module. Our first main result is that if ${\it\rho}$ is unitarizable, then except for one special case, the full local theta lift ${\it\rho}^{\prime }={\rm\Theta}({\it\rho})$ is equal to the local theta lift ${\it\theta}({\it\rho})$. Thus excluding the special case, the full theta lift ${\it\rho}^{\prime }$ is an irreducible and unitarizable $(\mathfrak{g}^{\prime },\widetilde{K}^{\prime })$-module. Our second main result is that the associated variety and the associated cycle of ${\it\rho}^{\prime }$ are the theta lifts of the associated variety and the associated cycle of the contragredient representation ${\it\rho}^{\ast }$ respectively. Finally we obtain some interesting $(\mathfrak{g},\widetilde{K})$-modules whose $\widetilde{K}$-spectrums are isomorphic to the spaces of global sections of some vector bundles on some nilpotent $K_{\mathbb{C}}$-orbits in $\mathfrak{p}^{\ast }$.