bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inconsistencies undermine the credibility of confession evidence
Authors: Palmer Matthew A. , Button Lizzie , Barnett Emily , Brewer Neil 
Published: February 2014

PurposeAlthough inconsistencies undermine the credibility of evidence from a witness or victim, anecdotal evidence from many court cases suggests that they do not reduce the impact of confession evidence. This research provides the first empirical test of this idea by experimentally manipulating the consistency of confession evidence. Drawing on principles from attribution theory, we hypothesized that inconsistencies would undermine the credibility of confession evidence only when there was a salient, plausible alternative explanation (other than guilt) for why the defendant confessed.MethodsIn two experiments (total N = 245), participants were presented with information about a crime, including a confession statement, and asked to act as jurors in a courtroom case. As well as manipulating whether the confession was consistent or inconsistent with verifiable facts of the crime, we manipulated whether there was a salient alternative explanation for the confession: specifically, the presence of coercion () or the desire to protect another suspect ().ResultsInconsistencies influenced participants' verdicts regardless of whether an alternative explanation was made salient, such that inconsistent confessions resulted in fewer guilty verdicts than consistent confessions. Additional mediation analysis of the data from suggested that these effects occurred, in part, because the presence of inconsistencies prompted participants to generate alternative explanations for why the defendant confessed (regardless of whether such explanations were salient in the available evidence).ConclusionsContrary to the existing literature, these results indicate that inconsistencies can undermine the credibility of confession evidence.
Weakly shocked and deformed CM microxenoliths in the Pułtusk H chondrite
Authors: Krzesińska Agata , Fritz Jörg 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe Pułtusk meteorite is a brecciated H4–5 chondrite cut by darkened cataclastic zones. Within the breccia, relict type IA, IB, and IIA chondrules, and microxenoliths of carbonaceous CM chondrite lithology occur. This is the first description of foreign clasts in the Pułtusk meteorite. The matrix of the xenoliths was identified by usage of microprobe and Raman spectroscopic analyses. Raman spectra show distinct bands related to the presence of slightly ordered carbonaceous matter at approximately 1320 and 1580–1584 cm−1. Bands related to serpentine group minerals are also visible, especially a peak at 692 cm−1 and moreover other weak bands are interpreted as evidence for tochilinite. We decipher the metamorphic and deformational history of the xenoliths. They experienced aqueous alteration before being incorporated into the unaltered and well‐equilibrated parent rock of the Pułtusk chondrite. The xenoliths are weakly shocked as indicated by defects in the crystal structure of silicates and carbonates, but hydrated minerals (serpentine and tochilinite) are still present in the matrix. The carbonaceous matter within the clasts' matrix displays first order D and G Raman bands that suggests it is only slightly ordered as a result of mild thermal processing. Distinct shear bands are present in both the xenoliths and the surrounding rock, which testifies that the xenoliths were affected by a deformational event along with host rock. The host rock was brittly deformed, but the clasts experienced more ductile deformation revealed by semibrittle faulting of minerals, kinking of the tochilinite‐cronstedtite matrix, and injections of xenolithic material into the adjacent breccia. We argue that both processes, the high strain‐rate shear deformation and the incorporation of the xenoliths into the host Pułtusk breccia, could have been impact‐related. The Pułtusk xenoliths are, thus, rather spalled collisional fragments, than trapped fossil micrometeorites.
The distribution of KIR‐HLA functional blocks is different from North to South of Italy
Authors: Fasano M. E. , Rendine S. , Pasi A. , Bontadini A. , Cosentini E. , Carcassi C. , Capittini C. , Cornacchini G. , Espadas de Arias A. , Garbarino L. , Carella G. , Mariotti M. L. , Mele L. , Miotti V. , Moscetti A. , Nesci S. , Ozzella G. , Piancatelli D. , Porfirio B. , Riva M. R. , Romeo G. , Tagliaferri C. , Lombardo C. , Testi M. , Amoroso A. , Martinetti M. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor (KIR)–human leukocyte antigen (HLA) interaction represents an example of genetic epistasis, where the concomitant presence of specific genes or alleles encoding receptor–ligand units is necessary for the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. Although KIR and HLA genes segregate independently, they co‐evolved under environmental pressures to maintain particular KIR–HLA functional blocks for species survival. We investigated, in 270 Italian healthy individuals, the distribution of KIR and HLA polymorphisms in three climatic areas (from cold north to warm south), to verify their possible geographical stratification. We analyzed the presence of 13 KIR genes and genotyped KIR ligands belonging to HLA class I: HLA‐C, HLA‐B and HLA‐A. We did not observe any genetic stratification for KIR genes and HLA‐C ligands in Italy. By contrast, in a north‐to‐south direction, we found a decreasing trend for the HLA‐A3 and HLA‐A11 ligands (P = 0.012) and an increasing trend for the HLA‐B ligands carrying the Bw4 epitope (P = 0.0003) and the Bw4 Ile80 epitope (P = 0.0005). The HLA‐A and HLA‐B KIR ligands were in negative linkage disequilibrium (correlation coefficient −0.1211), possibly as a consequence of their similar function in inhibiting NK cells. The distribution of the KIR–HLA functional blocks was different along Italy, as we observed a north‐to‐south ascending trend for KIR3DL1, when coupled with HLA‐B Bw4 ligands (P = 0.0067) and with HLA‐B Bw4 Ile80 (P = 0.0027), and a descending trend for KIR3DL2 when coupled with HLA‐A3 and HLA‐A11 ligands (P = 0.0044). Overall, people from South Italy preferentially use the KIR3DL1‐HLA‐B Bw4 functional unit, while those from the North Italy equally use both the KIR3DL2‐HLA‐A3/A11 and the KIR3DL1‐HLA‐B Bw4 functional units to fight infections. Thus, only KIR3DL receptors, which exert the unique role of microbial sensors through the specific D0 domain, and their cognate HLA‐A and HLA‐B ligands are selectively pressured in Italy according to geographical north‐to‐south distribution.
Identification of 2127 new HLA class I alleles in potential stem cell donors from Germany, the United States and Poland
Authors: Hernández‐Frederick C. J. , Giani A. S. , Cereb N. , Sauter J. , Silva‐González R. , Pingel J. , Schmidt A. H. , Ehninger G. , Yang S. Y. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractWe describe 2127 new human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles found in registered stem cell donors. These alleles represent 28.9% of the currently known class I alleles. Comparing new allele sequences to homologous sequences, we found 68.1% nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions, 28.9% silent mutations and 3.0% nonsense mutations. Many substitutions occurred at positions that have not been known to be polymorphic before. A large number of HLA alleles and nucleotide variations underline the extreme diversity of the HLA system. Strikingly, 156 new alleles were found not only multiple times, but also in carriers of various parentage, suggesting that some new alleles are not necessarily rare. Moreover, new alleles were found especially often in minority donors. This emphasizes the benefits of specifically recruiting such groups of individuals.
Mixed chimerism in haemoglobinopathies: from risk of graft rejection to immune tolerance
Authors: Andreani M. , Testi M. , Lucarelli G. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractMixed chimerism (MC), the simultaneous presence of both host‐ and donor‐derived cells in the recipient, is observed in a large proportion of patients after haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) to treat haemoglobinopathies. Detected early after transplantation, MC often moves towards complete chimerism, although sometimes it may evolve into graft rejection, especially if the proportion of donor cells is very low. However, some patients develop stable MC, defined as persistent when donor‐ and host‐derived cells coexist for periods longer than 2 years after HSCT. Patients with persistent mixed chimerism (PMC) do not require additional red blood cell support and, regardless of the presence in some cases of an extremely low percentage of donor‐derived nucleated cells in the bone marrow, their condition is clinically controlled by an incomplete but functional graft, as they express a two‐ to fivefold enrichment of donor‐derived mature erythrocytes in the peripheral blood. These findings have tremendous implications not only in the context of allogeneic HSCT but also in the design of gene therapy trials based on the autologous transplantation of genetically modified CD34+ cells. Recent studies have shown that durable allograft tolerance has been achieved by induction of haematopoietic chimerism in clinical kidney transplantation, showing the involvement of regulatory T cells. Similarly, it has been shown that the regulatory T cells play a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining immune tolerance in patients that develop a status of PMC after HSCT for Thalassemia.
Influence of photon beam energy on the dose enhancement factor caused by gold and silver nanoparticles: An experimental approach
Authors: Guidelli Eder José , Baffa Oswaldo 
Published: February 2014

Purpose:Noble metal nanoparticles have found several medical applications in the areas of radiation detection; x‐ray contrast agents and cancer radiation therapy. Based on computational methods, many papers have reported the nanoparticle effect on the dose deposition in the surrounding medium. Here the authors report experimental results on how silver and gold nanoparticles affect the dose deposition in alanine dosimeters containing several concentrations of silver and gold nanoparticles, for five different beam energies, using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR).Methods:The authors produced alanine dosimeters containing several mass percentage of silver and gold nanoparticles. Nanoparticle sizes were measured by dynamic light scattering and by transmission electron microscopy. The authors determined the dose enhancement factor (DEF) theoretically, using a widely accepted method, and experimentally, using ESR spectroscopy.Results:The DEF is governed by nanoparticle concentration, size, and position in the alanine matrix. Samples containing gold nanoparticles afford a DEF higher than 1.0, because gold nanoparticle size is homogeneous for all gold concentrations utilized. For samples containing silver particles, the silver mass percentage governs the nanoparticles size, which, in turns, modifies nanoparticle position in the alanine dosimeters. In this sense, DEF decreases for dosimeters containing large and segregated particles. The influence of nanoparticle size‐position is more noticeable for dosimeters irradiated with higher beam energies, and dosimeters containing large and segregated particles become less sensitive than pure alanine (DEF < 1).Conclusions:ESR dosimetry gives the DEF in a medium containing metal nanoparticles, although particle concentration, size, and position are closely related in the system. Because this is also the case as in many real systems of materials containing inorganic nanoparticles, ESR is a valuable tool for investigating DEF. Moreover, these results alert to the importance of controlling the size‐position of nanoparticles to enhance DEF.
Dimethylglycine Provides Salt and Temperature Stress Protection to Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Bashir Abdallah , Hoffmann Tamara , Smits Sander H. J. , Bremer Erhard 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT

Glycine betaine is a potent osmotic and thermal stress protectant of many microorganisms. Its synthesis from glycine results in the formation of the intermediates monomethylglycine (sarcosine) and dimethylglycine (DMG), and these compounds are also produced when it is catabolized.
Bacillus subtilis
does not produce sarcosine or DMG, and it cannot metabolize these compounds. Here we have studied the potential of sarcosine and DMG to protect
B. subtilis
against osmotic, heat, and cold stress. Sarcosine, a compatible solute that possesses considerable protein-stabilizing properties, did not serve as a stress protectant of
B. subtilis
. DMG, on the other hand, proved to be only moderately effective as an osmotic stress protectant, but it exhibited good heat stress-relieving and excellent cold stress-relieving properties. DMG is imported into
B. subtilis
cells primarily under osmotic and temperature stress conditions via OpuA, a member of the ABC family of transporters. Ligand-binding studies with the extracellular solute receptor (OpuAC) of the OpuA system showed that OpuAC possesses a moderate affinity for DMG, with a

K
d

value of approximate 172 μM; its

K
d

for glycine betaine is about 26 μM. Docking studies using the crystal structures of the OpuAC protein with the sulfur analog of DMG, dimethylsulfonioacetate, as a template suggest a model of how the DMG molecule can be stably accommodated within the aromatic cage of the OpuAC ligand-binding pocket. Collectively, our data show that the ability to acquire DMG from exogenous sources under stressful environmental conditions helps the
B. subtilis
cell to cope with growth-restricting osmotic and temperature challenges.
Superoxide Production by a Manganese-Oxidizing Bacterium Facilitates Iodide Oxidation
Authors: Li Hsiu-Ping , Daniel Benjamin , Creeley Danielle , Grandbois Russell , Zhang Saijin , Xu Chen , Ho Yi-Fang , Schwehr Kathy A. , Kaplan Daniel I. , Santschi Peter H. , Hansel Colleen M. , Yeager Chris M. 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT

The release of radioactive iodine (i.e., iodine-129 and iodine-131) from nuclear reprocessing facilities is a potential threat to human health. The fate and transport of iodine are determined primarily by its redox status, but processes that affect iodine oxidation states in the environment are poorly characterized. Given the difficulty in removing electrons from iodide (I
−
), naturally occurring iodide oxidation processes require strong oxidants, such as Mn oxides or microbial enzymes. In this study, we examine iodide oxidation by a marine bacterium,
Roseobacter
sp. AzwK-3b, which promotes Mn(II) oxidation by catalyzing the production of extracellular superoxide (O
2
−
). In the absence of Mn
2+
,
Roseobacter
sp. AzwK-3b cultures oxidized ∼90% of the provided iodide (10 μM) within 6 days, whereas in the presence of Mn(II), iodide oxidation occurred only after Mn(IV) formation ceased. Iodide oxidation was not observed during incubations in spent medium or with whole cells under anaerobic conditions or following heat treatment (boiling). Furthermore, iodide oxidation was significantly inhibited in the presence of superoxide dismutase and diphenylene iodonium (a general inhibitor of NADH oxidoreductases). In contrast, the addition of exogenous NADH enhanced iodide oxidation. Taken together, the results indicate that iodide oxidation was mediated primarily by extracellular superoxide generated by
Roseobacter
sp. AzwK-3b and not by the Mn oxides formed by this organism. Considering that extracellular superoxide formation is a widespread phenomenon among marine and terrestrial bacteria, this could represent an important pathway for iodide oxidation in some environments.
Bioconversion of Pinoresinol into Matairesinol by Use of Recombinant Escherichia coli
Authors: Kuo Han-Jung , Wei Zhi-Yu , Lu Pei-Chun , Huang Pung-Ling , Lee Kung-Ta 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT

Lignans, a class of dimeric phenylpropanoid derivative found in plants, such as whole grains and sesame and flax seeds, have anticancer activity and can act as phytoestrogens. The lignans secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol can be converted in the mammalian proximal colon into enterolactone and enterodiol, respectively, which reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer. To establish an efficient bioconversion system to generate matairesinol from pinoresinol, the genes encoding pinoresinol-lariciresinol reductase (PLR) and secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase (SDH) were cloned from
Podophyllum pleianthum
Hance, an endangered herb in Taiwan, and the recombinant proteins, rPLR and rSDH, were expressed in
Escherichia coli
and purified. The two genes, termed
plr-PpH
and
sdh-PpH
, were also linked to form two bifunctional fusion genes,
plr-sdh
and
sdh-plr
, which were also expressed in
E. coli
and purified. Bioconversion
in vitro
at 22°C for 60 min showed that the conversion efficiency of fusion protein PLR-SDH was higher than that of the mixture of rPLR and rSDH. The percent conversion of (+)-pinoresinol to matairesinol was 49.8% using PLR-SDH and only 17.7% using a mixture of rPLR and rSDH. However, conversion of (+)-pinoresinol by fusion protein SDH-PLR stopped at the intermediate product, secoisolariciresinol.
In vivo
, (+)-pinoresinol was completely converted to matairesinol by living recombinant
E. coli
expressing PLR-SDH without addition of cofactors.
Predicting the Concentration of Verotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli Bacteria during Processing and Storage of Fermented Raw-Meat Sausages
Authors: Quinto E. J. , Arinder P. , Axelsson L. , Heir E. , Holck A. , Lindqvist R. , Lindblad M. , Andreou P. , Lauzon H. L. , Marteinsson V. Þ. , Pin C. 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT

A model to predict the population density of verotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
(VTEC) throughout the elaboration and storage of fermented raw-meat sausages (FRMS) was developed. Probabilistic and kinetic measurement data sets collected from publicly available resources were completed with new measurements when required and used to quantify the dependence of VTEC growth and inactivation on the temperature, pH, water activity (a
w
), and concentration of lactic acid. Predictions were compared with observations in VTEC-contaminated FRMS manufactured in a pilot plant. Slight differences in the reduction of VTEC were predicted according to the fermentation temperature, 24 or 34°C, with greater inactivation at the highest temperature. The greatest reduction was observed during storage at high temperatures. A population decrease greater than 6 decimal logarithmic units was observed after 66 days of storage at 25°C, while a reduction of only ca. 1 logarithmic unit was detected at 12°C. The performance of our model and other modeling approaches was evaluated throughout the processing of dry and semidry FRMS. The greatest inactivation of VTEC was predicted in dry FRMS with long drying periods, while the smallest reduction was predicted in semidry FMRS with short drying periods. The model is implemented in a computing tool,
E. coli
SafeFerment (EcSF), freely available from
http://www.ifr.ac.uk/safety/EcoliSafeFerment
. EcSF integrates growth, probability of growth, and thermal and nonthermal inactivation models to predict the VTEC concentration throughout FRMS manufacturing and storage under constant or fluctuating environmental conditions.
Gene and Protein Sequence Optimization for High-Level Production of Fully Active and Aglycosylated Lysostaphin in Pichia pastoris
Authors: Zhao Hongliang , Blazanovic Kristina , Choi Yoonjoo , Bailey-Kellogg Chris , Griswold Karl E. 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT

Lysostaphin represents a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of staphylococcal infections, in particular those of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA). However, conventional expression systems for the enzyme suffer from various limitations, and there remains a need for an efficient and cost-effective production process to facilitate clinical translation and the development of nonmedical applications. While
Pichia pastoris
is widely used for high-level production of recombinant proteins, there are two major barriers to the production of lysostaphin in this industrially relevant host: lack of expression from the wild-type lysostaphin gene and aberrant glycosylation of the wild-type protein sequence. The first barrier can be overcome with a synthetic gene incorporating improved codon usage and balanced A+T/G+C content, and the second barrier can be overcome by disrupting an N-linked glycosylation sequon using a broadened choice of mutations that yield aglyscosylated and fully active lysostaphin. The optimized lysostaphin variants could be produced at approximately 500 mg/liter in a small-scale bioreactor, and 50% of that material could be recovered at high purity with a simple 2-step purification. It is anticipated that this novel high-level expression system will bring down one of the major barriers to future development of biomedical, veterinary, and research applications of lysostaphin and its engineered variants.
Performance and Specificity of the Covalently Linked Immunomagnetic Separation-ATP Method for Rapid Detection and Enumeration of Enterococci in Coastal Environments
Authors: Zimmer-Faust Amity G. , Thulsiraj Vanessa , Ferguson Donna , Jay Jennifer A. 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT

The performance and specificity of the covalently linked immunomagnetic separation-ATP (Cov-IMS/ATP) method for the detection and enumeration of enterococci was evaluated in recreational waters. Cov-IMS/ATP performance was compared with standard methods: defined substrate technology (Enterolert; IDEXX Laboratories), membrane filtration (EPA Method 1600), and an
Enterococcus
-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay (EPA Method A). We extend previous studies by (i) analyzing the stability of the relationship between the Cov-IMS/ATP method and culture-based methods at different field sites, (ii) evaluating specificity of the assay for seven ATCC
Enterococcus
species, (iii) identifying cross-reacting organisms binding the antibody-bead complexes with 16S rRNA gene sequencing and evaluating specificity of the assay to five nonenterococcus species, and (iv) conducting preliminary tests of preabsorption as a means of improving the assay. Cov-IMS/ATP was found to perform consistently and with strong agreement rates (based on exceedance/compliance with regulatory limits) of between 83% and 100% compared to the culture-based Enterolert method at a variety of sites with complex inputs. The Cov-IMS/ATP method is specific to five of seven different
Enterococcus
spp. tested. However, there is potential for nontarget bacteria to bind the antibody, which may be reduced by purification of the IgG serum with preabsorption at problematic sites. The findings of this study help to validate the Cov-IMS/ATP method, suggesting a predictable relationship between the Cov-IMS/ATP method and traditional culture-based methods, which will allow for more widespread application of this rapid and field-portable method for coastal water quality assessment.