bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public sector residential aged care: identifying novel associations between quality indicators and other demographic and health-related factors
Authors: Moore Kirsten J. , Doyle Colleen J. , Dunning Trisha L. , Hague Ann T. , Lloyd Lucas A. , Bourke Jo , Gill Stephen D.
Published: May 2014

Objective
To explore associations among quality indicators (QI; e.g. pressure ulcers, falls and/or fractures, physical restraint, use of multiple medications, unplanned weight loss) of the Victorian Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (VPSRACS) with other demographic and health-related factors.

Methods
Data for 380 residents over a 3-month period were extracted retrospectively from client databases at four VPSRAC facilities.

Results
Four significant logistic regression models were developed. The strongest models related to falls and polypharmacy. Significant associations for these models included the following: (1) residents with a higher body mass index were 6% less likely (95% confidence interval (CI) 1%–11%) to fall, whereas high levels of cognitive impairment increased the risk of falling by 8% (95% CI 2%–14%); (2) being ambulant with a gait aid more than doubled the risk of falling compared with non-ambulant residents (95% CI 19%–546%); and (3) higher cognitive impairment was associated with a 6% (95% CI 1%–11%) reduction in the likelihood of polypharmacy.

Conclusions
Identification of significant relationships between the VPSRACS QI and other demographic and health-related factors is a preliminary step towards a more in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the QI and predict adverse events.

What is known about the topic?
Currently, the VPSRACS report on five QI. Previous research has shown associations between several of these indicators, but not all.

What does this paper add?
This paper examines associations between the five VPSRAC QI as well as other key demographic and health-related factors. Novel findings from regression analyses included an increased risk of falls associated with recommended body mass index and using gait aids, but no association between pressure ulcers and the Norton score. Regression models for other QI were limited by the small occurrences of the QI. However, significant associations were identified indicating that residents using a gait aid had a lower level of unplanned weight loss and residents with polypharmacy had higher unplanned weight loss.

What are the implications for practitioners?
This paper reinforces the value of collecting VPSRAC QI data to enable facilities to consider how these variables could impact on care quality and to proactively plan to reduce the risk of adverse events. Although QI data can be used to benchmark with other settings, this paper shows how QI data can be used to inform practice within a facility and help identify patient-related factors that may warrant further investigation.
Can monitoring consumer requests for opioid-replacement therapy improve access to treatment?
Authors: Harlow Warren , Happell Brenda , Browne Graeme , Browne Matthew
Published: May 2014

Objective This study examined data recorded by one urban publicly funded opioid-replacement therapy clinic (from 2009 to 2011) to identify whether these data could be used to inform the rostering of clinicians more effectively to improve access to treatment. Methods Data analysis incorporated descriptive and inferential methods. Results There were trends in the times of the year consumers seek opioid-replacement therapy, similarity and differences between gender requests for treatment and variation in consumer wait time on triage. Conclusions National reporting of opioid-replacement therapy triages would help gain a better understanding of the number of people in need of treatment. If opioid-replacement therapy providers monitored consumer triages, they could roster more effectively, have gender-specific clinicians available, acknowledge and inform consumers of wait time on triage and allow re-orientation of services to lower wait time. What is known about the topic? National and state policies on opioid-replacement therapy provide limited guidance on the management of people waiting for treatment with no national triage system established. People wait for treatment, and how they are managed is largely unknown. What does this paper add? This paper considers the process of monitoring people accessing opioid-replacement therapy treatment services to explore whether this can assist with processing people into treatment. What are the implications for practitioners? This approach may assist practitioners to treat additional people by improving their resource management by spreading the consumer load evenly throughout the year and enabling the rostering of additional staff during recognised peak periods.
Effects of duration of salt supplementation of sheep on rumen metabolism and the accumulation of elements
Authors: Phillips Clive J. C. , Mohamed Mohamed O. , Chiy Paul C.
Published: May 2014

Sheep may adapt rumen function in response to supplementary sodium, potentially affecting the metabolism and accumulation of this element and related elements in target tissues and organs. In this study, sheep were provided with a supplement of sodium added to silage for 3, 6 or 9 weeks. There was no evidence of adaptation of rumen function that would have benefited digestion or element absorption, on the contrary, after 6 and 9 weeks supplementation compared with 3 weeks, the buffering capacity of rumen solids was reduced and their density increased, with long particles that were associated with high dry matter contents. Potassium concentration in kidneys increased after 9 week of supplementation, in conjunction with reduced bone potassium concentration. In addition, the concentration of cadmium, an element known to compete with sodium, increased in rumen contents and its availability decreased. Copper was increased in the brain and eyes after 9 weeks of supplementation with NaCl, and after 6 weeks, copper in blood plasma decreased. It is concluded that there was evidence of a dynamic response to NaCl supplementation, which affected rumen solids and the accumulation of several important elements in key target organs.
The effects of chronic nitrate supplementation on erythrocytic methaemoglobin reduction in cattle
Authors: Godwin I. , Li L. , Luijben K. , Oelbrandt N. , Velazco J. , Miller J. , Hegarty R.
Published: May 2014

Calcium nitrate and urea were fed as a supplement on an isonitrogenous basis to Angus steers and their erythrocytic methaemoglobin concentrations and NADH- and NADPH-methaemoglobin reductase levels were measured over a 54-day period. Methaemoglobin concentrations remained elevated despite increases in NADH-methaemoglobin reductase activity. In a second experiment, Brahman cross steers were fed either calcium nitrate or urea supplements for 111 days. Blood cells were then taken, washed and exposed to sodium nitrite to convert all haemoglobin to methaemoglobin. The rates of glycolysis and methaemoglobin reduction were measured following incubation of these cells in buffers containing 1, 5 or 10 mM inorganic phosphate. Glucose consumption and methaemoglobin reduction were increased by inorganic phosphate and were more rapid in those animals supplemented with nitrate. Lactate production of erythrocytes was reduced in those animals fed nitrate. It is concluded that adaptation to chronic nitrite exposure occurs in the erythron, resulting in greater methaemoglobin reduction potential and that there is competition between NADH-methaemoglobin reductase and lactate dehydrogenase for NADH.
Colorimetric Assay for Al3+ Based on Alizarin Red S-functionalized Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Liu Xin , Wu Fang-Ying , Ma Li-Hua
Published: May 2014

Aluminium is absorbed by the intestines and is rapidly transported into bone, where it disrupts mineralization and bone cell growth and activity. Because aluminium is sequestered in bone for long periods, its toxic effects are cumulative. Even intermittent or low-dose use of aluminium-based materials (food, juice, drinking water containers) adds to the total load in bone. Development of fast and inexpensive sensors for aluminium, therefore, is still of great interest. We report here a simple, low-cost yet very sensitive and selective colorimetric assay for rapid (2-min) detection of Al3+ in water with a 0.12-μM detection limit based on Alizarin Red S-functionalized silver nanoparticles.
Fluorogenic Quantification of Albumin
Authors: Low Michelle , Win Khin Yin , Ye Enyi , Liu Shuhua , Ng Soon Huat , Zhou Xiaoqun , Han Ming-Yong
Published: May 2014

By optimising various fluorogenic dyes, non-fluorescent fluorescamine can react with primary amines to form highly fluorescent products, which is a simple, fast, and sensitive method for the quantification of albumin. The effects of pH, temperature, and chemicals were studied systematically to quantify albumin. The quantification method is more sensitive at alkaline pHs, affording measurement of proteins concentrations as low as 15 µg mL–1. Denaturation of albumin at elevated temperatures and/or use of chemicals, such as ethanol and acetone, can greatly improve the sensitivity of the albumin detection method. The simple, accurate, and reliable analysis of albumin contents under favourable conditions can be developed as an important method for early diagnosis of kidney disease.
Smad1 transcription factor integrates BMP2 and Wnt3a signals in migrating cardiac progenitor cells
Authors: Song Junfang , McColl James , Camp Esther , Kennerley Niki , Mok Gi Fay , McCormick Dominique , Grocott Timothy , Wheeler Grant N. , Münsterberg Andrea E.
Published: May 2014

Significance

Prospective cardiac cells emerge during gastrulation and undergo long-range migration toward the ventral midline, where they fuse to give rise to a single contractile tube, which subsequently undergoes complex morphogenesis. How cardiac progenitor cells are guided in their movement by extrinsic signals is still enigmatic. We previously identified wingless-type family member (Wnt) 3a as an important guidance signal. Here we used live video microscopy in chick embryos to uncover a role for bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in the control of cardiac progenitor cell migration. Functional approaches, complementation, and rescue experiments reveal cooperation between BMP signalling and the Wnt/glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta pathway: both converge to stabilize activated SMA and MAD related protein. Insights into the molecular integration of signaling pathways in migrating cells affect our understanding of cardiac malformations during embryo development.
Evolution of the primate trypanolytic factor APOL1
Authors: Thomson Russell , Genovese Giulio , Canon Chelsea , Kovacsics Daniella , Higgins Matthew K. , Carrington Mark , Winkler Cheryl A. , Kopp Jeffrey , Rotimi Charles , Adeyemo Adebowale , Doumatey Ayo , Ayodo George , Alper Seth L. , Pollak Martin R. , Friedman David J. , Raper Jayne
Published: May 2014

Significance

African trypanosomes are parasites that can cause African sleeping sickness in humans. Humans and some primates, but not other mammals, have a gene called
APOL1
that protects against certain trypanosomes. Genetic variants in
APOL1
that arose in Africa are strongly associated with kidney disease in African Americans. These kidney disease-associated variants may have risen to high frequency in Africa because they can defend humans against a particularly pathogenic trypanosome. In this paper, we show how APOL1 has evolved by analyzing the distribution of these variants in Africa and then elucidating the molecular mechanisms that enhance their trypanosome killing capacity. We also show that these antitrypanosomal APOL1 variants may have adverse consequences for the host.
Molecular comparison of geographically extreme populations of fish species of wide Indo-Pacific distribution
Authors: Tikochinski Yaron , Friling Marina , Harush Nave , Lizarovich Roy , Manor Nitzan , Horsky Avishai , Appelbaum-Golani Brenda , Golani Daniel
Published: May 2014

A total of six Red Sea inshore fish species with wide Indo-Pacific distribution, including Lessepsian migrants that reached the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, were studied and compared genetically to conspecific populations from Japan and the Seychelles. Examination of the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene of Apogon cyanosoma, Sargocentron rubrum, Upeneus moluccensis, Spratelloide sdelicatulus, Gerres oyena and Terapon jarbua from Japan, the Red Sea, the Seychelles and the Mediterranean revealed that in five out of six fish species, a difference greater than 4% was found. These results indicate the importance of DNA genetic analysis in revealing possible cryptic species and supplementing classic taxonomic studies, as well as contributing to a reappraisal of the zoogeography and evolution of Indo-Pacific ichthyofauna and enhancing our understanding of fish biodiversity.
You can't escape: inside and outside the ‘slasher’ movie
Authors: Miller Catriona
Published: May 2014

Since the 1970s, the ‘slasher’ movie, with its violence towards women and the surviving ‘final girl’, has been a constant presence in the horror genre to the delight of some and the perplexed dismay of others. Traditional academic approaches to the genre have tended to make assumptions about who is watching these films and why. This article uses a Jungian-inflected approach to reconsider the potential meaning of the genre, suggesting that the violence in the films is less an exhortation to violence against women, but rather a representation of women's experience of patriarchy, with the ‘final girl’ as a figure of resistance. The article also considers the meaning of the more contemporary ‘final girl as perpetrator’ slasher films.
NME7 is a functional component of the γ-tubulin ring complex
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Choi Yuk-Kwan , Qi Robert Z.
Published: May 2014

As the primary microtubule nucleator in animal cells, the γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) plays a crucial role in microtubule organization, but little is known about how the activity of the γTuRC is regulated. Recently, isolated γTuRC was found to contain NME7, a poorly characterized member of the NME family. Here we report that NME7 is a γTuRC component that regulates the microtubule-nucleating activity of the γTuRC. NME7 contains two putative kinase domains, A and B, and shows autophosphorylating activity. Whereas domain A is involved in the autophosphorylation, domain B is inactive. NME7 interacts with the γTuRC through both A and B domains, with Arg-322 in domain B being crucial to the binding. In association with the γTuRC, NME7 localizes to centrosomes throughout the cell cycle and to mitotic spindles during mitosis. Suppression of NME7 expression does not affect γTuRC assembly or localization to centrosomes, but it does impair centrosome-based microtubule nucleation. Of importance, wild-type NME7 promotes γTuRC-dependent nucleation of microtubules, but kinase-deficient NME7 does so only poorly. These results suggest that NME7 functions in the γTuRC in a kinase-dependent manner to facilitate microtubule nucleation.
Evidence for a novel antioxidant function and isoform-specific regulation of the human p66Shc gene
Authors: Miyazawa Masaki , Tsuji Yoshiaki
Published: May 2014

The mammalian Shc family, composed of p46, p52, and p66 isoforms, serves as an adaptor protein in cell growth and stress response. p66Shc was shown to be a negative lifespan regulator by acting as a prooxidant protein in mitochondria; however, the regulatory mechanisms of p66Shc expression and function are incompletely understood. This study provides evidence for new features of p66Shc serving as an antioxidant and critical protein in cell differentiation. Unique among the Shc family, transcription of p66Shc is activated through the antioxidant response element (ARE)–nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway in K562 human erythroleukemia and other cell types after treatment with hemin, an iron-containing porphyrin. Phosphorylated p66Shc at Ser-36, previously reported to be prone to mitochondrial localization, is increased by hemin treatment, but p66Shc remains exclusively in the cytoplasm. p66Shc knockdown inhibits hemin-induced erythroid differentiation, in which reactive oxygen species production and apoptosis are significantly enhanced in conjunction with suppression of other ARE-dependent antioxidant genes. Conversely, p66Shc overexpression is sufficient for inducing erythroid differentiation. Collectively these results demonstrate the isoform-specific regulation of the Shc gene by the Nrf2-ARE pathway and a new antioxidant role of p66Shc in the cytoplasm. Thus p66Shc is a bifunctional protein involved in cellular oxidative stress response and differentiation.
Sex hormone influence on human infants' sound characteristics: melody in spontaneous crying
Authors: Wermke Kathleen , Hain Johannes , Oehler Klaus , Wermke Peter , Hesse Volker
Published: May 2014

The specific impact of sex hormones on brain development and acoustic communication is known from animal models. Sex steroid hormones secreted during early development play an essential role in hemispheric organization and the functional lateralization of the brain, e.g. language. In animals, these hormones are well-known regulators of vocal motor behaviour. Here, the association between melody properties of infants' sounds and serum concentrations of sex steroids was investigated. Spontaneous crying was sampled in 18 healthy infants, averaging two samples taken at four and eight weeks, respectively. Blood samples were taken within a day of the crying samples. The fundamental frequency contour (melody) was analysed quantitatively and the infants' frequency modulation skills expressed by a melody complexity index (MCI). These skills provide prosodic primitives for later language. A hierarchical, multiple regression approach revealed a significant, robust relationship between the individual MCIs and the unbound, bioactive fraction of oestradiol at four weeks as well as with the four-to-eight-week difference in androstenedione. No robust relationship was found between the MCI and testosterone. Our findings suggest that oestradiol may have effects on the development and function of the auditory–vocal system in human infants that are as powerful as those in vocal-learning animals.
Mathematical models of the transitions between endocrine therapy responsive and resistant states in breast cancer
Authors: Chen Chun , Baumann William T. , Xing Jianhua , Xu Lingling , Clarke Robert , Tyson John J.
Published: May 2014

Endocrine therapy, targeting the oestrogen receptor pathway, is the most common treatment for oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. Unfortunately, these tumours frequently develop resistance to endocrine therapies. Among the strategies to treat resistant tumours are sequential treatment (in which second-line drugs are used to gain additional responses) and intermittent treatment (in which a ‘drug holiday’ is imposed between treatments). To gain a more rigorous understanding of the mechanisms underlying these strategies, we present a mathematical model that captures the transitions among three different, experimentally observed, oestrogen-sensitivity phenotypes in breast cancer (sensitive, hypersensitive and independent). To provide a global view of the transitions between these phenotypes, we compute the potential landscape associated with the model. We show how this oestrogen response landscape can be reshaped by population selection, which is a crucial force in promoting acquired resistance. Techniques from statistical physics are used to create a population-level state-transition model from the cellular-level model. We then illustrate how this population-level model can be used to analyse and optimize sequential and intermittent oestrogen-deprivation protocols for breast cancer. The approach used in this study is general and can also be applied to investigate treatment strategies for other types of cancer.
Biomimetic interfaces based on S-layer proteins, lipid membranes and functional biomolecules
Authors: Schuster Bernhard , Sleytr Uwe B.
Published: May 2014

Designing and utilization of biomimetic membrane systems generated by bottom-up processes is a rapidly growing scientific and engineering field. Elucidation of the supramolecular construction principle of archaeal cell envelopes composed of S-layer stabilized lipid membranes led to new strategies for generating highly stable functional lipid membranes at meso- and macroscopic scale. In this review, we provide a state-of-the-art survey of how S-layer proteins, lipids and polymers may be used as basic building blocks for the assembly of S-layer-supported lipid membranes. These biomimetic membrane systems are distinguished by a nanopatterned fluidity, enhanced stability and longevity and, thus, provide a dedicated reconstitution matrix for membrane-active peptides and transmembrane proteins. Exciting areas in the (lab-on-a-) biochip technology are combining composite S-layer membrane systems involving specific membrane functions with the silicon world. Thus, it might become possible to create artificial noses or tongues, where many receptor proteins have to be exposed and read out simultaneously. Moreover, S-layer-coated liposomes and emulsomes copying virus envelopes constitute promising nanoformulations for the production of novel targeting, delivery, encapsulation and imaging systems.
Observing the skies of Lisbon. Isaac de Sequeira Samuda, an
estrangeirado
in the Royal Society
Authors: Vieira Carla Costa
Published: May 2014

Elected in 1723, Isaac de Sequeira Samuda (1681–1729) was the first Jewish Fellow of the Royal Society. He had arrived in London just a few years earlier, escaping from the Portuguese Inquisition. Despite his past, he had no difficulty in establishing links with his country's diplomatic representatives in London. A physician and adviser on scientific subjects, he became a conduit between the emerging world of Portuguese astronomy and the British scientific community. He reported to the Royal Society on astronomical observations made in the new observatories in Lisbon and helped with the acquisition of scientific instruments and books destined for Portugal. These activities were facets of Samuda's unusual career and the diverse though often converging associations that he established until his death. As the member of a network active in the diffusion of new ideas and in the modernization of Portuguese science, Samuda can be regarded as an
estrangeirado
, as this term has come to be used in the modern literature.
John Ray in Italy: lost manuscripts rediscovered
Authors: Hunter Michael
Published: May 2014

This paper discloses the content of two manuscripts of John Ray that have hitherto been unknown to Ray scholars. The manuscripts survive in the Hampshire Record Office, having descended through the Prideaux-Brune family. They record information about Ray's tour of Italy in the 1660s that does not appear in his
Observations … made in a journey through … the Low-countries, Germany, Italy and France
(1673), including a visit to the museum of Athanasius Kircher in Rome, and provide clues concerning the composition of Ray's 1673 book.
Diffusion in phospholipid bilayer membranes: dual-leaflet dynamics and the roles of tracer–leaflet and inter-leaflet coupling
Authors: Hill Reghan J. , Wang Chih-Ying
Published: May 2014

A variety of observations—sometimes controversial—have been made in recent decades when attempting to elucidate the roles of interfacial slip on tracer diffusion in phospholipid membranes. Evans–Sackmann theory (1988) has furnished membrane viscosities and lubrication-film thicknesses for supported membranes from experimentally measured lateral diffusion coefficients. Similar to the Saffman and Delbrück model, which is the well-known counterpart for freely supported membranes, the bilayer is modelled as a single two-dimensional fluid. However, the Evans–Sackman model cannot interpret the mobilities of monotopic tracers, such as individual lipids or rigidly bound lipid assemblies; neither does it account for tracer–leaflet and inter-leaflet slip. To address these limitations, we solve the model of Wang and Hill, in which two leaflets of a bilayer membrane, a circular tracer and supports are coupled by interfacial friction, using phenomenological friction/slip coefficients. This furnishes an exact solution that can be readily adopted to interpret the mobilities of a variety of mosaic elements—including lipids, integral monotopic and polytopic proteins, and lipid rafts—in supported bilayer membranes.
Extended weak maximum principles for parabolic partial differential inequalities on unbounded domains
Authors: Meyer J. C. , Needham D. J.
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we establish extended maximum principles for solutions to linear parabolic partial differential inequalities on unbounded domains, where the solutions satisfy a variety of growth/decay conditions on the unbounded domain. We establish a conditional maximum principle, which states that a solution
u
to a linear parabolic partial differential inequality satisfies a maximum principle whenever a suitable weight function can be exhibited. Our extended maximum principles are then established by exhibiting suitable weight functions and applying the conditional maximum principle. In addition, we include several specific examples, to highlight the importance of certain generic conditions, which are required in the statements of maximum principles of this type. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to obtain associated comparison theorems from our extended maximum principles.
Linear theory for filtering nonlinear multiscale systems with model error
Authors: Berry Tyrus , Harlim John
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we study filtering of multiscale dynamical systems with model error arising from limitations in resolving the smaller scale processes. In particular, the analysis assumes the availability of continuous-time noisy observations of all components of the slow variables. Mathematically, this paper presents new results on higher order asymptotic expansion of the first two moments of a conditional measure. In particular, we are interested in the application of filtering multiscale problems in which the conditional distribution is defined over the slow variables, given noisy observation of the slow variables alone. From the mathematical analysis, we learn that for a continuous time linear model with Gaussian noise, there exists a unique choice of parameters in a linear reduced model for the slow variables which gives the optimal filtering when only the slow variables are observed. Moreover, these parameters simultaneously give the optimal equilibrium statistical estimates of the underlying system, and as a consequence they can be estimated offline from the equilibrium statistics of the true signal. By examining a nonlinear test model, we show that the linear theory extends in this non-Gaussian, nonlinear configuration as long as we know the optimal stochastic parametrization and the correct observation model. However, when the stochastic parametrization model is inappropriate, parameters chosen for good filter performance may give poor equilibrium statistical estimates and vice versa; this finding is based on analytical and numerical results on our nonlinear test model and the two-layer Lorenz-96 model. Finally, even when the correct stochastic ansatz is given, it is imperative to estimate the parameters simultaneously and to account for the nonlinear feedback of the stochastic parameters into the reduced filter estimates. In numerical experiments on the two-layer Lorenz-96 model, we find that the parameters estimated
online
, as part of a filtering procedure, simultaneously produce accurate filtering and equilibrium statistical prediction. In contrast, an offline estimation technique based on a linear regression, which fits the parameters to a training dataset without using the filter, yields filter estimates which are worse than the observations or even divergent when the slow variables are not fully observed. This finding does not imply that all offline methods are inherently inferior to the online method for nonlinear estimation problems, it only suggests that an ideal estimation technique should estimate all parameters simultaneously whether it is online or offline.
Domestic dogs and puppies can use human voice direction referentially
Authors: Rossano Federico , Nitzschner Marie , Tomasello Michael
Published: May 2014

Domestic dogs are particularly skilled at using human visual signals to locate hidden food. This is, to our knowledge, the first series of studies that investigates the ability of dogs to use only auditory communicative acts to locate hidden food. In a first study, from behind a barrier, a human expressed excitement towards a baited box on either the right or left side, while sitting closer to the unbaited box. Dogs were successful in following the human's voice direction and locating the food. In the two following control studies, we excluded the possibility that dogs could locate the box containing food just by relying on smell, and we showed that they would interpret a human's voice direction in a referential manner only when they could locate a possible referent (i.e. one of the boxes) in the environment. Finally, in a fourth study, we tested 8–14-week-old puppies in the main experimental test and found that those with a reasonable amount of human experience performed overall even better than the adult dogs. These results suggest that domestic dogs’ skills in comprehending human communication are not based on visual cues alone, but are instead multi-modal and highly flexible. Moreover, the similarity between young and adult dogs’ performances has important implications for the domestication hypothesis.
Parallel responses of bees to Pleistocene climate change in three isolated archipelagos of the southwestern Pacific
Authors: Groom Scott V. C. , Stevens Mark I. , Schwarz Michael P.
Published: May 2014

The impacts of glacial cycles on the geographical distribution and size of populations have been explored for numerous terrestrial and marine taxa. However, most studies have focused on high latitudes, with only a few focused on the response of biota to the last glacial maximum (LGM) in equatorial regions. Here, we examine how population sizes of key bee fauna in the southwest Pacific archipelagos of Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa have fluctuated over the Quaternary. We show that all three island faunas suffered massive population declines, roughly corresponding in time to the LGM, followed by rapid expansion post-LGM. Our data therefore suggest that Pleistocene climate change has had major impacts across a very broad tropical region. While other studies indicate widespread Holarctic effects of the LGM, our data suggest a much wider range of latitudes, extending to the tropics, where these climate change repercussions were important. As key pollinators, the inferred changes in these bee faunas may have been critical in the development of the diverse Pacific island flora. The magnitude of these responses indicates future climate change scenarios may have alarming consequences for Pacific island systems involving pollinator-dependent plant communities and agricultural crops.
Testing synaptic plasticity in dynamic mate choice decisions:
N
-methyl
d
-aspartate receptor blockade disrupts female preference
Authors: Ramsey Mary E. , Vu Wendy , Cummings Molly E.
Published: May 2014

Social behaviours such as mate choice require context-specific responses, often with evolutionary consequences. Increasing evidence indicates that the behavioural plasticity associated with mate choice involves learning. For example, poeciliids show age-dependent changes in female preference functions and express synaptic-plasticity-associated molecular markers during mate choice. Here, we test whether social cognition is necessary for female preference behaviour by blocking the central player in synaptic plasticity, NMDAR (
N
-methyl
d
-aspartate receptor), in a poeciliid fish,
Xiphophorus nigrensis
. After subchronic exposure to NMDAR antagonist MK-801, female preference behaviours towards males were dramatically reduced. Overall activity levels were unaffected, but there was a directional shift from ‘social’ behaviours towards neutral activity. Multivariate gene expression patterns significantly discriminated between females with normal versus disrupted plasticity processes and correlated with preference behaviours—not general activity. Furthermore, molecular patterns support a distinction between ‘preference’ (e.g.
neuroserpin
,
neuroligin-3
,
NMDAR
) and ‘sociality’ (
isotocin
and
vasotocin
) gene clusters, highlighting a possible conservation between NMDAR disruption and nonapeptides in modulating behaviour. Our results suggest that mate preference may involve greater social memory processing than overall sociality, and that poeciliid preference functions integrate synaptic-plasticity-oriented ‘preference’ pathways with overall sociality to invoke dynamic, context-specific responses towards favoured males and away from unfavoured males.
Typical versions of learned swamp sparrow song types are more effective signals than are less typical versions
Authors: Lachlan R. F. , Anderson R. C. , Peters S. , Searcy W. A. , Nowicki S.
Published: May 2014

The learned songs of songbirds often cluster into population-wide types. Here, we test the hypothesis that male and female receivers respond differently to songs depending on how typical of those types they are. We used computational methods to cluster a large sample of swamp sparrow (
Melospiza georgiana
) songs into types and to estimate the degree to which individual song exemplars are typical of these types. We then played exemplars to male and female receivers. Territorial males responded more aggressively and captive females performed more sexual displays in response to songs that are highly typical than to songs that are less typical. Previous studies have demonstrated that songbirds distinguish song types that are typical for their species, or for their population, from those that are not. Our results show that swamp sparrows also discriminate typical from less typical exemplars within learned song-type categories. In addition, our results suggest that more typical versions of song types function better, at least in male–female communication. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that syllable type typicality serves as a proxy for the assessment of song learning accuracy.
The dual nature of haemocyanin in the establishment and persistence of the squid–vibrio symbiosis
Authors: Kremer Natacha , Schwartzman Julia , Augustin René , Zhou Lawrence , Ruby Edward G. , Hourdez Stéphane , McFall-Ngai Margaret J.
Published: May 2014

We identified and sequenced from the squidEuprymna scolopestwo isoforms of haemocyanin that share the common structural/physiological characteristics of haemocyanin from a closely related cephalopod,Sepia officinalis, including a pronounced Bohr effect. We examined the potential roles for haemocyanin in the animal's symbiosis with the luminous bacteriumVibrio fischeri. Our data demonstrate that, as in other cephalopods, the haemocyanin is primarily synthesized in the gills. It transits through the general circulation into other tissues and is exported into crypt spaces that support the bacterial partner, which requires oxygen for its bioluminescence. We showed that the gradient of pH between the circulating haemolymph and the matrix of the crypt spaces in adult squid favours offloading of oxygen from the haemocyanin to the symbionts. Haemocyanin is also localized to the apical surfaces and associated mucus of a juvenile-specific epithelium on which the symbionts gather, and where their specificity is determined during the recruitment into the association. The haemocyanin has an antimicrobial activity, which may be involved in this enrichment ofV. fischeriduring symbiont initiation. Taken together, these data provide evidence that the haemocyanin plays a role in shaping two stages of the squid–vibrio partnership.
Kinship analyses identify fish dispersal events on a temperate coastline
Authors: Schunter C. , Pascual M. , Garza J. C. , Raventos N. , Macpherson E.
Published: May 2014

Connectivity is crucial for the persistence and resilience of marine species, the establishment of networks of marine protected areas and the delineation of fishery management units. In the marine environment, understanding connectivity is still a major challenge, due to the technical difficulties of tracking larvae. Recently, parentage analysis has provided a means to address this question effectively. To be effective, this method requires limited adult movement and extensive sampling of parents, which is often not possible for marine species. An alternative approach that is less sensitive to constraints in parental movement and sampling could be the reconstruction of sibships. Here, we directly measure connectivity and larval dispersal in a temperate marine ecosystem through both analytical approaches. We use data from 178 single nucleotide polymorphism markers to perform parentage and sibship reconstruction of the black-faced blenny (Tripterygion delaisi) from an open coastline in the Mediterranean Sea. Parentage analysis revealed a decrease in dispersal success in the focal area over 1 km distance and approximately 6.5% of the juveniles were identified as self-recruits. Sibship reconstruction analysis found that, in general, full siblings did not recruit together to the same location, and that the largest distance between recruitment locations was much higher (11.5 km) than found for parent–offspring pairs (1.2 km). Direct measurements of dispersal are essential to understanding connectivity patterns in different marine habitats, and show the degree of self-replenishment and sustainability of populations of marine organisms. We demonstrate that sibship reconstruction allows direct measurements of dispersal and family structure in marine species while being more easily applied in those species for which the collection of the parental population is difficult or unfeasible.
Notification that new names of prokaryotes, new combinations, and new taxonomic opinions have appeared in volume 64, part 2, of the IJSEM
Authors: Oren Aharon , Garrity George M.
Published: May 2014

This listing of names of prokaryotes published in a previous issue of the IJSEM is provided as a service to bacteriology to assist in the recognition of new names and new combinations. This procedure was proposed by the Judicial Commission [Minute 11(ii), Int J Syst Bacteriol
41 (1991), p. 185]. The names given herein are listed according to the Rules of priority (i.e. page number and order of valid publication of names in the original articles).
List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published
Authors: Oren Aharon , Garrity George M.
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries. It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in the nomenclature of prokaryotes. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.
Pushed beyond the brink: Allee effects, environmental stochasticity, and extinction
Authors: Roth Gregory , Schreiber Sebastian
Published: May 2014

To understand the interplay between environmental stochasticity and Allee effects, we analyze persistence, asymptotic extinction, and conditional persistence for stochastic difference equations. Our analysis reveals that persistence requires that the geometric mean of fitness at low densities is greater than one. When this geometric mean is less than one, asymptotic extinction occurs with high probability for low initial population densities. Additionally, if the population only experiences positive density-dependent feedbacks, conditional persistence occurs provided the geometric mean of fitness at high population densities is greater than one. However, if the population experiences both positive and negative density-dependent feedbacks, conditional persistence only occurs if environmental fluctuations are sufficiently small. We illustrate counter-intuitively that environmental fluctuations can increase the probability of persistence when populations are initially at low densities, and can cause asymptotic extinction of populations experiencing intermediate predation rates despite conditional persistence occurring at higher predation rates.
SALT-OVERLY SENSITIVE5 Mediates Arabidopsis Seed Coat Mucilage Adherence and Organization through Pectins
Authors: Griffiths Jonathan S. , Tsai Allen Yi-Lun , Xue Hui , Voiniciuc Cătălin , Šola Kre¡imir , Seifert Georg J. , Mansfield Shawn D. , Haughn George W.
Published: May 2014

Interactions between cell wall polymers are critical for establishing cell wall integrity and cell-cell adhesion. Here, we exploit the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seed coat mucilage system to examine cell wall polymer interactions. On hydration, seeds release an adherent mucilage layer strongly attached to the seed in addition to a nonadherent layer that can be removed by gentle agitation. Rhamnogalacturonan I (RG I) is the primary component of adherent mucilage, with homogalacturonan, cellulose, and xyloglucan constituting minor components. Adherent mucilage contains rays composed of cellulose and pectin that extend above the center of each epidermal cell. CELLULOSE SYNTHASE5 (CESA5) and the arabinogalactan protein SALT-OVERLY SENSITIVE5 (SOS5) are required for mucilage adherence through unknown mechanisms. SOS5 has been suggested to mediate adherence by influencing cellulose biosynthesis. We, therefore, investigated the relationship between SOS5 and CESA5. cesa5-1 seeds show reduced cellulose, RG I, and ray size in adherent mucilage. In contrast, sos5-2 seeds have wild-type levels of cellulose but completely lack adherent RG I and rays. Thus, relative to each other, cesa5-1 has a greater effect on cellulose, whereas sos5-2 mainly affects pectin. The double mutant cesa5-1 sos5-2 has a much more severe loss of mucilage adherence, suggesting that SOS5 and CESA5 function independently. Double-mutant analyses with mutations in MUCILAGE MODIFIED2 and FLYING SAUCER1 that reduce mucilage release through pectin modification suggest that only SOS5 influences pectin-mediated adherence. Together, these findings suggest that SOS5 mediates adherence through pectins and does so independently of but in concert with cellulose synthesized by CESA5.
4-(Prop-2-ynyl)-2H-1,4-benzothiazin-3(4H)-one
Authors: Sebbar Nada Kheira , Zerzouf Abdelfettah , Essassi El Mokhtar , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: May 2014

In the title compound, C11H9NOS, the six-membered heterocycle of the benzothiazine fragment exhibits a screw-boat conformation. The benzene ring makes a dihedral angle of 79.4 (1)° with the mean plane through the prop-2-ynyl chain and the ring N atom. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H...O interactions of the acetylenic C—H group towards the carbonyl O atom of a neighbouring molecule, forming zigzag chains running along theb-axis direction.
2-[(1-Oxidopyridin-4-yl)sulfanyl]benzoic acid
Authors: Moreno-Fuquen Rodolfo , Valencia Leidy , Ellena Javier
Published: May 2014

In the title compound, C12H9NO3S, the dihedral angle between the pyridine and benzene rings is 83.93 (7)°. In the crystal, pairs of O—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules, forming inversion dimers with graph-set notationR22(22). These dimers are in turn linked by weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds along [100], formingR22(8) rings.
5-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)imidazolidine-2,4-dione
Authors: Xue Jin-hui , Qin Yong-qi , Zhang Zi-feng , Qiao Yuan-biao
Published: May 2014

The title compound, C9H8N2O3, was prepared by reaction of phenol, glyoxylic acid and urea in water. The imidazolidine ring adopts an almost planar conformation (r.m.s. deviation = 0.012 Å) and is twisted by 89.3 (1)° relative to the benzene ring. In the crystal, molecules are linked by N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional framework.
[Bis(quinolin-2-ylcarbonyl)amido-κ3N,N′,N′′]bromido(N,N-dimethylformamide-κO)copper(II)
Authors: Faizi Md. Serajul Haque , Sen Pratik
Published: May 2014

In the mononuclear title complex, [CuBr(C20H12N3O2)(C3H7NO)], synthesized from the quinoline-derived reduced Schiff base 4-(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)aminophenol, the coordination geometry around Cu2+is distorted square-pyramidal, comprising a bromide anion at the apex [Cu—Br = 2.4671 (5) Å]. The base of the pyramid is built up from one dimethylformamide O-atom donor [Cu—O = 2.078 (2) Å] and three N-atom donors from the monoanionic, tridentate bis(quinolin-2-ylcarbonyl)diimide ligand [Cu—Ndiimide= 1.941 (3) Å, and Cu—Nquinolyl= 2.060 (3) and 2.049 (3) Å]. An intramolecular C—H...O occurs. In the crystal, weak methyl and aromatic C—H...Br and formyl C—H...Ocarbonylhydrogen-bonding interactions generate an overall layered structure lying parallel to (001).
catena-Poly[[dichloridomercury(II)]-μ-1,4-bis[2-(pyridin-4-yl)ethynyl]benzene-κ2N:N′]
Authors: Wang Bin , Li Ming , Xie Ya-bo
Published: May 2014

In the polymeric title compound, [HgCl2(C20H12N2)]n, the HgIIatom is located on a twofold rotation axis and the benzene ring of the bidentate bridging 1,4-bis[2-(pyridin-4-yl)ethynyl]benzene (L) ligand is located about a twofold rotation axis. The HgIIatom is coordinated by two N atoms of two differentLligands and by two chloride ions in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The dihedral angle between the coordinating pyridine and the benzene ring is 12.8 (2)°. The result of the bridging is the formation of a zigzag chain running parallel to [102]. The chains pack with no specific intermolecular interactions between them.
Redetermination of [EuCl2(H2O)6]Cl
Authors: Tambornino Frank , Bielec Philipp , Hoch Constantin
Published: May 2014

The crystal structure of the title compound, hexaaquadichloridoeuropium(III) chloride, was redetermined with modern crystallographic methods. In comparison with the previous study [Lepertet al.(1983).Aust. J. Chem.36, 477–482], it could be shown that the atomic coordinates of some O atoms had been confused and now were corrected. Moreover, it was possible to freely refine the positions of the H atoms and thus to improve the accurracy of the crystal structure. [EuCl2(H2O)6]Cl crystallizes with the GdCl3·6H2O structure-type, exhibiting discrete [EuCl2(H2O)6]+cations as the main building blocks. The main blocks are linked with isolated chloride anionsviaO—H...Cl hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional framework. The Eu3+cation is located on a twofold rotation axis and is coordinated in the form of a Cl2O6square antiprism. One chloride anion coordinates directly to Eu3+, whereas the other chloride anion, situated on a twofold rotation axis, is hydrogen bonded to six octahedrally arranged water molecules.