bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creation and validation of a novel body condition scoring method for the magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) in the zoo setting
Authors: Clements Julie , Sanchez Jessica N.
Published: August 2015

This research aims to validate a novel, visual body scoring system created for the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) suitable for the zoo practitioner. Magellanics go through marked seasonal fluctuations in body mass gains and losses. A standardized multi‐variable visual body condition guide may provide a more sensitive and objective assessment tool compared to the previously used single variable method. Accurate body condition scores paired with seasonal weight variation measurements give veterinary and keeper staff a clearer understanding of an individual's nutritional status. San Francisco Zoo staff previously used a nine‐point body condition scale based on the classic bird standard of a single point of keel palpation with the bird restrained in hand, with no standard measure of reference assigned to each scoring category. We created a novel, visual body condition scoring system that does not require restraint to assesses subcutaneous fat and muscle at seven body landmarks using illustrations and descriptive terms. The scores range from one, the least robust or under‐conditioned, to five, the most robust, or over‐conditioned. The ratio of body weight to wing length was used as a “gold standard” index of body condition and compared to both the novel multi‐variable and previously used single‐variable body condition scores. The novel multi‐variable scale showed improved agreement with weight:wing ratio compared to the single‐variable scale, demonstrating greater accuracy, and reliability when a trained assessor uses the multi‐variable body condition scoring system. Zoo staff may use this tool to manage both the colony and the individual to assist in seasonally appropriate Magellanic penguin nutrition assessment. Zoo Biol. 34:538–546, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Extensive Necrotising Enterocolitis: Objective Evaluation of the Role of Second‐Look Laparotomy in Bowel Salvage and Survival
Authors: Tan Yew‐Wei , Merchant Julia , Sharma Videha , Davies Brian , Singh Shailinder , Stewart Richard , More Bharat
Published: August 2015

Aim

We investigated the role and outcome of a planned second‐look laparotomy (SLL) in preserving bowel in extensive necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

Methods

Extensive NECs managed surgically in a tertiary centre in 2006–2009 were retrospectively studied to include patients planned for an SLL. End points were bowel salvage rate and survival outcomes. Results were median (ranges), and statistical significance was P < 0.05.

Main results

In 4 years, 34 NECs required a laparotomy, and 9 extensive NECs who required an SLL were included. The gestation at birth was 27 (24–38) weeks, birth weight was 1120 (580–2835) g, and first laparotomy performed on day 34 (2–77) of life, with SLL performed 2 (1–3) days after initial laparotomy. Commonest indications for SLL were doubtful bowel viability and physiological instability. 3 died before SLL. Patients who survived to have an SLL (n = 6) had remaining small bowel length of 41 (25–70) cm, overall small bowel salvage rate 51 % (0–100 %), and 30‐day survival 5/6 (83 %). Four patients survived for 1 year, their length of NICU stay was 114 (76–120) postoperative days, time on PN was 84 postoperative days (71 days–17 months), including one patient with short bowel syndrome who achieved enteral autonomy at 17 months; one late mortality had short bowel syndrome after further bowel resection for bowel obstruction, developed intestinal failure associated liver disease, and died before 1 year of life following liver transplant.

Conclusion

SLL is a viable approach for extensive NEC. It offered bowel salvage rate of 51 % and long‐term PN‐free survival of 44 %, in the patient group who would have had significant risk of mortality and major morbidity.
Evaluating the Incidence, Cause, and Risk Factors for Unplanned 30‐Day Readmission and Emergency Department/General Practitioner Visit After Short‐Stay Thyroidectomy
Authors: Lang Brian Hung‐Hin , Chow Felix Che‐Lok
Published: August 2015

Background

Unplanned 30‐day readmission and emergency department (ED)/general practitioner (GP) visit after thyroidectomy are important healthcare quality measures and may reduce any cost savings from performing it as a short‐stay (<24‐h admission) procedure. Our study aimed to examine the incidence, cause, and risk factors for unplanned 30‐day readmissions and ED/GP visits together following short‐stay thyroidectomy.

Methods

One‐thousand and four patients who underwent short‐stay thyroidectomy were reviewed. A territory‐wide electronic medical record system was used to capture all unplanned readmissions and ED/GP visits within 30 days of thyroidectomy. Actual date and reason for readmission or ED/GP visit were recorded. Other preoperative and perioperative variables were collected prospectively.

Results

Of the 80 (8.0 %) unplanned readmissions and ED/GP visits, 38 (47.5 %) were readmissions and 42 (52.5 %) were ED/GP visits only. The three most common causes of unplanned readmission and ED/GP visit were symptomatic hypocalcemia (n = 20, 25.0 %), upper respiratory symptoms (n = 15, 18.8 %), and wound complaints (n = 8, 10.0 %). However, in the multivariate analysis, only American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class III (β coefficient = 0.981, odds ratio 2.586 (95 % CI 1.353–4.943), p = 0.004) and renal insufficiency (RI) (β coefficient = 1.062, odds ratio 2.892 (95 % CI 1.109–7.544), p = 0.030) were independent risk factors for unplanned 30‐day readmission and ED/GP visit.

Conclusion

The overall incidence of unplanned 30‐day ED/GP visit after thyroidectomy was 8.0 % with approximately half requiring readmission. The most common cause for unplanned ED/GP visit was symptomatic hypocalcemia (25.0 %), and it was attributed to patient non‐compliance to prescribed supplements. ASA class III and RI were significant independent risk factors for unplanned 30‐day readmission and ED/GP visit.
Clinical Impact of Anatomical Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Pathologically Proven Portal Vein Invasion
Authors: Matsumoto Takatsugu , Kubota Keiichi , Aoki Taku , Iso Yukihiro , Kato Masato , Shimoda Mitsugi
Published: August 2015

Background

Portal vein invasion (PVI) is known to be a poor prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Anatomical liver resection (ALR) is a preferable procedure for treating HCC. However, the effect of ALR for HCC with PVI has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study is to investigate the survival benefit of ALR for HCC patients with or without pathologically proven portal vein invasion (pPVI).

Methods

Curative hepatic resection was performed for a single HCC in 313 patients. The patients were divided into two groups according to the absence or presence of pPVI (absence: n = 216, presence: n = 97). These groups were then subclassified by the surgical procedures employed (ALR or non‐ALR), and the clinical characteristics and stratified prognoses were compared according to the surgical procedure between the subgroups. Uni‐ and multivariate analyses were performed to explore the significant prognostic factors.

Results

Among the patients without pPVI, there was no significant difference in postoperative survival between the groups. However, among the patients with pPVI, both the 5‐year overall and recurrence‐free survival rates in the ALR group were significantly higher than those in the non‐ALR group (46.1 % vs. 16.3 %; p = 0.0019 and 33.8 % vs. 0 %; p = 0.0010). Multivariate analyses revealed that tumor differentiation and intraoperative blood loss (IOB) were associated with postoperative survival in patients without pPVI. On the other hand, in patients with pPVI, ALR, serum AFP level, and IOB were associated with postoperative survival.

Conclusion

ALR confers a survival benefit for HCC patients with pPVI.
Development of Pressurized Extraction Processes for Oil Recovery from Wild Almond (Amygdalus scoparia)
Authors: Balvardi Mohammad , Mendiola Jose A. , Castro‐Gómez Pilar , Fontecha Javier , Rezaei Karamatollah , Ibáñez Elena
Published: August 2015

Wild almond Amygdalus scoparia is a very fruitful tree that is spread over an extensive region of Iran. Considering its high quality oil, the development of clean extraction processes based on the use of compressed fluids is encouraged. In this study, the main factors involved in supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of wild almond have been optimized by using two different experimental designs and considering the oil extraction yield as a response variable; effects of time, temperature, pressure, and use of co‐solvents were studied for SFE while effects of time, temperature and type of solvent were evaluated for PLE. Results showed that the maximum oil yield using supercritical carbon dioxide was 42 %, obtained under the following conditions: extraction temperature, 40 °C; extraction pressure, 40 MPa; and 10 % ethanol as co‐solvent. The optimum extraction yield for PLE was 55 %, which was achieved using ethanol as solvent at 150 °C for 20 min. Lipidomic analysis revealed that the amount of oleic acid in the oil extracted by SFE was higher than those obtained by using other classical procedures. In addition, triacylglycerols constituted more than 98 % of the extracted oils.
Assessment of Interval PLS (iPLS) Calibration for the Determination of Peroxide Value in Edible Oils
Authors: Meng Xianghe , Ye Qin , Nie Xiaohua , Pan Qiuyue , Jiang Lianzhou
Published: August 2015

Partial least squares (PLS) is a commonly used (and sometimes misused) chemometric technique for calibrating Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and allows the analysis of a variety of quality parameters associated with edible oils. Peroxide value (PV) is a typical parameter of interest; however, developing a robust, optimal, and reliable calibration method can be a daunting task. This paper examines and compares the use of interval PLS as a tool to develop a PLS PV calibration method for a single‐bounce attenuated total reflectance accessory relative to full spectrum PLS and experienced PLS, making use of correlation, variance, and pure component spectra. Using mixtures of fresh and oxidized oil covering a PV range of 1–20 meq/kg, backward interval PLS could systematically produce quality calibrations without the need to resort to experienced PLS. The experienced PLS requires a degree of spectral knowledge as well as diligent and tedious spectral examination, including largely unstructured iterative calibrations and cross‐validations to improve calibration performance. The backward interval PLS is also better than the full spectrum PLS in terms of model performance. In addition, the general model developed could account for the errors caused by oil types.
Global existence for solutions of the focusing wave equation with the compactness property
Authors: Duyckaerts Thomas , Kenig Carlos , Merle Frank
Published: August 2015

We prove that every solution of the focusing energy-critical wave equation with the compactness property is global. We also give similar results for supercritical wave and Schrödinger equations.
Prevalence of hyperprolactinemia and thyroid disorders among patients with abnormal uterine bleeding
Authors: Abdel Hamid Amr M.S. , Borg Tamer F. , Madkour Wael A.I.
Published: August 2015

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence of hyperprolactinemia and thyroid disorders among patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) compared with matched controls.

Methods

In 2013–2014, an observational study of women with AUB (group A) and women with regular menstruation (group B) was undertaken at one center in Egypt and one in the United Arab Emirates. Eligible women were aged 20–35 years and were not obese. Participants underwent clinical examinations, vaginal ultrasonography, office hysteroscopy (in selected cases), and measurement of hormone levels.

Results

Hyperprolactinemia was present in 17 (16.2%) of 105 patients in group A and 4 (3.2%) of 125 patients in group B (P = 0.009). In group A, a high thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) level was observed in 8 (7.6%) patients and low levels of free triiodothyronine/thyroxine were found in 5 (4.8%) patients, compared with 2 (1.6%) patients and 1 (0.8%) patient in group B (P = 0.012 and P = 0.008, respectively). Polymenorrhea was the most frequent presentation of AUB (n = 60 [57.1%]). Five (29.4%) patients with hyperprolactinemia had galactorrhea. In group A, 8 (47.1%) patients with a high TSH had hyperprolactinemia, whereas 1 (1.1%) patient with a high TSH had a normal prolactin value (P = 0.008).

Conclusion

Screening by evaluating prolactin and thyroid hormone levels is recommended for all patients with AUB, even in the absence of galactorrhea.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Therapy in Parkinson Disease: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Wagle Shukla Aparna , Shuster Jonathan J. , Chung Jae Woo , Vaillancourt David E. , Patten Carolynn , Ostrem Jill , Okun Michael S.
Published: August 2015

Objective

Several studies have reported repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy as an effective treatment for the control of motor symptoms in Parkinson disease. The objective of the study is to quantify the overall efficacy of this treatment.

Types

Systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Literature survey

We reviewed the literature on clinical rTMS trials in Parkinson disease since the technique was introduced in 1980. We used the following databases: MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane, and CINAHL.

Methodology

Patients and setting: Patients with Parkinson disease who were participating in prospective clinical trials that included an active arm and a control arm and change in motor scores on Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale as the primary outcome. We pooled data from 21 studies that met these criteria. We then analyzed separately the effects of low‐ and high‐frequency rTMS on clinical motor improvements.

Synthesis

The overall pooled mean difference between treatment and control groups in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score was significant (4.0 points, 95% confidence interval, 1.5, 6.7; P = .005). rTMS therapy was effective when low‐frequency stimulation (≤1 Hz) was used with a pooled mean difference of 3.3 points (95% confidence interval 1.6, 5.0; P = .005). There was a trend for significance when high‐frequency stimulation (≥5 Hz) studies were evaluated with a pooled mean difference of 3.9 points (95% confidence interval, −0.7, 8.5; P = .08). rTMS therapy demonstrated benefits at short‐term follow‐up (immediately after a treatment protocol) with a pooled mean difference of 3.4 points (95% confidence interval, 0.3, 6.6; P = .03) as well as at long‐term follow‐up (average follow‐up 6 weeks) with mean difference of 4.1 points (95% confidence interval, −0.15, 8.4; P = .05). There were insufficient data to statistically analyze the effects of rTMS when we specifically examined bradykinesia, gait, and levodopa‐induced dyskinesia using quantitative methods.

Conclusion

rTMS therapy in patients with Parkinson disease results in mild‐to‐moderate motor improvements and has the potential to be used as an adjunct therapy for the treatment of Parkinson disease. Future large, sample studies should be designed to isolate the specific clinical features of Parkinson disease that respond well to rTMS therapy.
Differentiation and Dysfunction: An Exploration of Post-Legislative Guidance Practices in 14 EU Agencies
Authors: VAUGHAN Steven
Published: August 2015

This paper offers up a map of self-authored post-legislative guidance practice among the EU’s decentralised agencies. It shows that the use of guidance by EU agencies is widespread and significant, but not pervasive in that 14 of the EU’s 33 agencies currently engage in guidance-making. Where guidance is produced, it varies significantly between and within agencies as regards volume and length. These documents are hard to find, they are called a miscellany of different things, and there seems to have sprung up, ad hoc, a hierarchy of guidance that is both interesting and lacking in clarity. The question as to whether such guidance binds those to whom it has been addressed has been fudged, with agencies and courts engaging in exercises of tautology and misdirection to avoid the appearance of anything that looks like binding norm-making by the EU’s agencies. Consultation and participation in the making of guidance seems lackadaisical. This map suggests a level of differentiation that is so ill-thought out, and so ad hoc, so lacking in foresight and oversight, as to be dysfunctional. At the same time, the lack of engagement by the EU courts with these norms suggests that the site of opportunity for a way forward in this area lies other than with the judiciary.
Lidocaine for Status Epilepticus in Pediatrics
Authors: Zeiler Frederick A. , Zeiler Kaitlin J. , Teitelbaum Jeanne , Gillman Lawrence M. , West Michael , Kazina Colin J.
Published: August 2015

Background

Our goal was to perform a systematic review of the literature on the use of intravenous lidocaine in pediatrics for status epilepticus (SE) and refractory status epilepticus (RSE) to determine its impact on seizure control.

Methods

All articles from MEDLINE, BIOSIS, EMBASE, Global Health, HealthStar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (inception to November 2014), and gray literature were searched. The strength of evidence was adjudicated using both the Oxford and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodologies by two independent reviewers.

Results

Overall, 20 original studies were identified, with 19 manuscripts and one meeting abstract. Two hundred and thirty-five pediatric patients were treated for 252 episodes of SE/RSE. Patients had varying numbers of antiepileptic drugs (two to eight) on board before lidocaine therapy. During 20 of the 252 (7.9%) episodes of SE/RSE, phenytoin was on board. The dose regimen of lidocaine varied, with some using bolus dosing alone; others used a combination of bolus and infusion therapy. Overall, 60.0% of seizures responded to lidocaine, with complete cessation and greater than 50% reduction seen in 57.6% and 12.3%, respectively. Patient outcomes were sparingly reported.

Conclusions

There currently exists Oxford level 2b, Grading of Recommendations Assessment Developement, and Evaluation C evidence to support the consideration of lidocaine for SE and RSE in the pediatric population. Further prospective studies of lidocaine administration in this setting are warranted.
Multifractal analysis of Birkhoff averages for countable Markov maps
Authors: IOMMI GODOFREDO , JORDAN THOMAS
Published: August 2015

In this paper we prove a multifractal formalism of Birkhoff averages for interval maps with countably many branches. Furthermore, we prove that under certain assumptions the Birkhoff spectrum is real analytic. We also show that new phenomena occur; indeed, the spectrum can be constant or it can have points where it is not analytic. Conditions for these to happen are obtained. Applications of these results to number theory are also given. Finally, we compute the Hausdorff dimension of the set of points for which the Birkhoff average is infinite.
On shrinking targets for piecewise expanding interval maps
Authors: PERSSON TOMAS , RAMS MICHAŁ
Published: August 2015

For a map $T:[0,1]\rightarrow [0,1]$ with an invariant measure $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}$, we study, for a $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}$-typical $x$, the set of points $y$ such that the inequality $|T^{n}x-y|<r_{n}$ is satisfied for infinitely many $n$. We give a formula for the Hausdorff dimension of this set, under the assumption that $T$ is piecewise expanding and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}}$ is a Gibbs measure. In some cases we also show that the set has a large intersection property.
Normality in Pisot numeration systems
Authors: SCHEERER ADRIAN-MARIA
Published: August 2015

Copeland and Erdös [Note on normal numbers. Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. (N.S.)52 (1946), 857–860] showed that the concatenation of primes when written in base 10 yields a real number that is normal to base 10. We generalize this result to Pisot number bases in which all integers have finite expansion.
An important criterion for reliable multi-monochromatic x-ray imager diagnostics and its impact on the reconstructed images
Authors: Nagayama T. , Mancini R.C. , Mayes D. , Tommasini R. , Florido R.
Published: August 2015

Temperature and density asymmetry diagnosis is critical to advance inertial confinement fusion (ICF) science. A multi-monochromatic x-ray imager, MMI, records the spectral signature from an ICF implosion core with time resolution, 2D spatial resolution and spectral resolution. While narrow-band images and 2D space-resolved spectra from the MMI data constrain the temperature and the density spatial structure of the core, the accuracy of the images and the spectra highly depends on the quality of the MMI data and the processing tools. Here, we synthetically investigate the criterion for reliable MMI diagnostics and its effects on the accuracy of the reconstructed images. The pinhole array tilt determines the object spatial sampling efficiency and the minimum reconstruction width,

$w$

. When the spectral width associated with

$w$

is significantly narrower than the spectral linewidth, the line images reconstructed from the MMI data become reliable. The MMI setup has to be optimized for every application to meet this criterion for reliable ICF diagnostics.
A FORMULA FOR THE NUMBER OF SPANNING TREES IN CIRCULANT GRAPHS WITH NONFIXED GENERATORS AND DISCRETE TORI
Authors: LOUIS JUSTINE
Published: August 2015

We consider the number of spanning trees in circulant graphs of ${\it\beta}n$ vertices with generators depending linearly on $n$. The matrix tree theorem gives a closed formula of ${\it\beta}n$ factors, while we derive a formula of ${\it\beta}-1$ factors. We also derive a formula for the number of spanning trees in discrete tori. Finally, we compare the spanning tree entropy of circulant graphs with fixed and nonfixed generators.
THE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST AGRIPPINA THE ELDER IN a.d. 27 AND 29
Authors: Deline Tracy
Published: August 2015

Tacitus traces a series of conflicts between Agrippina the Elder and her father-in-law Tiberius. After the death of her husband Germanicus in Syria (a.d. 19), Agrippina returned to Rome with their children. Germanicus' lingering popularity with the armies and people meant that his widow Agrippina and their children enjoyed a level of popular support as well—one that eventually became a threat in Tiberius' mind. Agrippina, moreover, refused to embrace the modest, retiring role that her father-in-law (and Roman society in general) expected of her. Tiberius was, moreover, ‘never gentle toward the house of Germanicus’ and his concerns were augmented by the machinations of Sejanus, who reported that the people were dividing themselves into factions, some even calling themselves members of the partes Agrippinae. The combination of Agrippina's high birth—the only still-living grandchild of Augustus—and her status as widowed daughter-in-law of the emperor, therefore mother of the emperor's probable heir, along with her persistent independence and sometimes unfeminine strength of character made her seem an intolerable political threat. This paper examines the culmination of these conflicts, when Agrippina is subjected to criminal prosecution and penalty in a.d. 27 and 29 at the instigation of Sejanus, with the overt approval of Tiberius. Of primary concern is the timing and the order of the charges brought against Agrippina.
Influence of cellulase addition to dairy goat diets on digestion and fermentation, milk production and fatty acid content
Authors: ROJO R. , KHOLIF A. E. , SALEM A. Z. M. , ELGHANDOUR M. M. Y. , ODONGO N. E. , MONTES DE OCA R. , RIVERO N. , ALONSO M. U.
Published: August 2015

Twenty four French Alpine goats (39 ± 2·0 kg) were individually housed in a completely randomized design and fed a basal diet containing 146 g crude protein and 356 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF)/kg in the absence (control – CTRL) or presence (CELL) of 2 ml of cellulase/kg dry matter intake (DMI) for 70 days, which included a 10-day adaptation period. The feed was offered three times daily at 07·00, 13·00 and 19·00 h, but the single daily dose of cellulase was only fed at 07·00 h. Goats were hand-milked daily; milk production recorded and samples taken for compositional analysis. During the last 5 days of the experimental period, goats from each group were individually housed in stainless steel metabolic cages to enable separate and total collection of faeces and urine for nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation determinations. Goats fed CELL had greater DMI and greater digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter and NDF than CTRL goats. CELL goats had greater ruminal pH, concentration of acetic acid and concentration of propionic acid than CTRL goats. However, the concentration of ruminal butyric was lower in CELL goats compared with CTRL goats. CELL goats had greater milk yield, energy corrected milk, milk energy content, milk energy output and milk density than CTRL goats and the milk content for total solids, fat, protein and lactose were also greater for CELL goats than for the CTRL goats. The milk of CELL goats had greater palmitoleic acid, cis-10-heptadecanoic acid content and mono-saturated acids than the milk of CTRL goats and lower linoleic acid, linolenic acid contents and saturated fatty acids than the milk of CTRL goats. These results suggest that addition of 2 ml cellulase/kg DM of feed in the diet of lactating French Alpine goats elevated their milk production and improved its composition probably due to improved feed utilization.
Variability of the caprine whey protein genes and their association with milk yield, composition and renneting properties in the Sarda breed. 1. The LALBA gene
Authors: Dettori Maria Luisa , Pazzola Michele , Paschino Pietro , Pira Maria Giovanna , Vacca Giuseppe Massimo
Published: August 2015

The 5′ flanking region and 3′ UTR of the caprine LALBA gene were analysed by SSCP and sequencing. A total of nine SNPs were detected: three in the promoter region, two were synonymous coding SNPs at exon-1, and four SNPs were in exon-4, within the 3′UTR. The nucleotide changes located in the promoter region (c.−358T>C, c.−163G>A, c.−121T>G) were genotyped by SSCP in 263 Sarda goats to evaluate their possible effect on milk yield, composition and renneting properties. We observed an effect of the three SNPs on milk yield and lactose content. Genotypes TT and CT at c.−358T>C (P < 0·001) and genotypes AG and GG at c.−163G>A (P < 0·01) were characterised by higher lactose contents, while c.−358CC and c.−163AA showed the lower milk yield (P < 0·01). SNPs c.−358T>C and c.−121T>G were part of transcription factors binding sites, potentially involved in modulating the LALBA gene expression. The LALBA genotype affected renneting properties (P < 0·001), as heterozygotes c.−358CT and c.−163GA were characterised by delayed rennet coagulation time and curd firming time and the lowest value of curd firmness. The present investigation increases the panel of SNPs and adds new information about the effects of the caprine LALBA gene polymorphism.
Identifying a key host in an acanthocephalan-amphipod system
Authors: BAUER ALEXANDRE , RIGAUD THIERRY
Published: August 2015

Trophically transmitted parasites may use multiple intermediate hosts, some of which may be ‘key-hosts’, i.e. contributing significantly more to the completion of the parasite life cycle, while others may be ‘sink hosts’ with a poor contribution to parasite transmission. Gammarus fossarum and Gammarus roeseli are sympatric crustaceans used as intermediate hosts by the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis. Gammarus roeseli suffers higher field prevalence and is less sensitive to parasite behavioural manipulation and to predation by definitive hosts. However, no data are available on between-host differences in susceptibility to P. laevis infection, making it difficult to untangle the relative contributions of these hosts to parasite transmission. Based on results from estimates of prevalence in gammarids exposed or protected from predation and laboratory infections, G. fossarum specimens were found to be more susceptible to P. laevis infection. As it is more susceptible to both parasite infection and manipulation, G. fossarum is therefore a key host for P. laevis transmission.
Infracommunity dynamics of chiggers (Trombiculidae) parasitic on a rodent
Authors: BARNARD KARLIEN , KRASNOV BORIS R. , GOFF LEE , MATTHEE SONJA
Published: August 2015

We studied the structure of chigger mite (Trombiculidae) communities parasitic on a South African rodent, Rhabdomys pumilio. We aimed to determine whether: (a) different chigger species differ in preferences for certain body areas of a host and (b) chigger assemblages among body areas of the same host individual, are structured and if so, whether the structure of these assemblages is aggregative or segregative. Rhabdomys pumilio is parasitized by seven chigger species belonging to six genera. The three most abundant species (Leptotrombidium sp. nr. muridium, Schoutedenichia sp. and Neoschoengastia sp. A) displayed a non-random distribution across the host body, with the two most abundant species (L. sp. nr. muridium and Schoutedenichia sp.) significantly associated with the tail area. In addition, whenever non-randomness of chigger co-occurrence in the same body area was recorded, it indicated positive but not negative co-occurrences of different species. This might be due to similarity of chigger species in resource needs and strategies to avoid host defence efforts.
Explaining risk for suicidal ideation in adolescent offspring of mothers with depression
Authors: Hammerton G. , Zammit S. , Thapar A. , Collishaw S.
Published: August 2015

Background

It is well-established that offspring of depressed mothers are at increased risk for suicidal ideation. However, pathways involved in the transmission of risk for suicidal ideation from depressed mothers to offspring are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of potential mediators of this association, including maternal suicide attempt, offspring psychiatric disorder and the parent–child relationship.

Method

Data were utilized from a population-based birth cohort (ALSPAC). Three distinct classes of maternal depression symptoms across the first 11 years of the child's life had already been identified (minimal, moderate, chronic-severe). Offspring suicidal ideation was assessed at age 16 years. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Results

There was evidence for increased risk of suicidal ideation in offspring of mothers with chronic-severe depression symptoms compared to offspring of mothers with minimal symptoms (odds ratio 3.04, 95% confidence interval 2.19–4.21). The majority of this association was explained through maternal suicide attempt and offspring psychiatric disorder. There was also evidence for an independent indirect effect via the parent–child relationship in middle childhood. There was no longer evidence of a direct effect of maternal depression on offspring suicidal ideation after accounting for all three mediators. The pattern of results was similar when examining mechanisms for maternal moderate depression symptoms.

Conclusions

Findings highlight that suicide prevention efforts in offspring of depressed mothers should be particularly targeted at both offspring with a psychiatric disorder and offspring whose mothers have made a suicide attempt. Interventions aimed at improving the parent–child relationship may also be beneficial.
EFFECTIVE SLIP LENGTH: SOME ANALYTICAL AND NUMERICAL RESULTS
Authors: ZHANG XINGYOU (PHILIP) , LUND NAT J. , HENDY SHAUN C.
Published: August 2015

More and more experimental evidence demonstrates that the slip boundary condition plays an important role in the study of nano- or micro-scale fluid. We propose a homogenization approach to study the effective slippage problem. We show that the effective slip length obtained by homogenization agrees with the results obtained by the traditional method in the literature for the simplest Stokes flow; then we use our approach to deal with two examples which seem quite hard by other analytical methods. We also include some numerical results to validate our analytical results.
State pension contributions and fiscal stress
Authors: SPLINTER DAVID
Published: August 2015

Fiscal stress pressures state legislators to either raise taxes or cut spending, but public pensions provide a vehicle to postpone tax increases and maintain current spending. I estimate that states cut their pension contributions at seven times the rate of other spending in response to fiscal stress. The cumulative impact of state undercontributions due to fiscal stress explains about 4% of mid-2008 actuarial underfunding. States not paying actuarially required contributions for reasons other than fiscal stress explains an additional quarter of underfunding. As investment returns explain little underfunding, much underfunding appears due to insufficient employee and actuarially required government contributions to keep up with growing pension liabilities.
Zero-sum of all fears: intergroup threat, contact, and voting behavior in Northern Ireland
Authors: Beaudette Donald M. , Kirkpatrick Andrew B.
Published: August 2015

How do varying levels of inter-group contact affect voter preferences in connection with ethnically radical political candidates and parties? Two competing hypotheses have emerged in the last 60 years: the first, known as the group threat hypothesis, argues that voters from an ethnic or religious group in more ethnically or racially heterogeneous districts will exhibit stronger preferences for ethnically radical political candidates. The contact hypothesis argues that groups living in mixed localities are actually less likely to support ethnic radicals. Both perspectives have found empirical support, but no previous study has offered a theoretical explanation for two seemingly contradictory conclusions. We specify just such a theory, arguing that the effect of district level integration is conditioned by the direction of a group’s share of the national population. We test this theory quantitatively using electoral data from Northern Ireland between 1983 and 2010.
“Goths and Vandals” or “Civilized” Farmers? Common Lands and Agricultural Productivity in Early-Twentieth-Century Spain
Authors: Beltrán Tapia Francisco J.
Published: August 2015

By analyzing the different factors affecting labor agricultural productivity in early-twentieth-century Spain, this article shows that common lands were not detrimental to agricultural development. Even though privatization fostered output per worker by bringing more land into cultivation, the role of the commons as provider of pasture and fertilizing materials counteracted that effect, especially in humid regions. The supposed advantages of dismantling the communal regime are thus not supported by the data.
Land Tenure Inequality, Harvests, and Rural Conflict: Evidence from Southern Spain during the Second Republic (1931–1934)
Authors: Domenech Jordi
Published: August 2015

This paper analyzes rural conflict in one of the most volatile areas of interwar Europe, the latifundia regions of the South of Spain. The historical and economics literature argues that rural conflict is a bottom-up response of landless peasants to unemployment, bad harvests, landownership inequality, changes in property rights, and poor enforcement of proworker legislation. A second generation of historical studies has focused on democratization and concomitant changes in collective bargaining and labor market institutions. Was conflict caused by structural factors like poverty, inequality, or unemployment or was conflict an endogenous response to political change? This paper uses municipal-level time series and cross-sectional variation in rural conflict in three Andalusian provinces (Córdoba, Jaén, and Seville) in the early 1930s to argue that, although collective misery certainly shaped the main issues of contention, inequality or deteriorating living standards did not explain the explosive intensification of conflict during the Second Republic. Geographic variation in conflict would be consistent with unobserved locational advantages and higher agricultural incomes, thicker labor markets, facility of communication, and market access and information, irrespective of the intensity of inequality or the degree of local Socialist political power. Poor harvests can only explain a small part of the time-series evolution of conflict from April 1931 to June 1934, while good harvests probably intensified the competition of temporary migrants and local workers for well-paid harvest jobs. Large gains in rural laborers’ bargaining power, organizational buildup, and reactions to policy changes and state intervention are more promising explanatory factors of the temporal evolution of conflicts in the period.
Learning-related representational changes reveal dissociable integration and separation signatures in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex
Authors: Schlichting Margaret L. , Mumford Jeanette A. , Preston Alison R.
Published: August 2015

The episodic memory system enables accurate retrieval while maintaining flexibility by representing both specific episodes and generalizations across events. Although theories suggest that the hippocampus (HPC) is dedicated to represent specific episodes while the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) generalizes, other accounts posit that HPC can also integrate related memories. Here we use high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans to examine how representations of memory elements change to either differentiate or generalize across related events. We show that while posterior HPC and anterior MPFC maintain distinct memories for individual events, anterior HPC and posterior MPFC integrate across memories. Integration is particularly likely for established memories versus those encoded simultaneously, highlighting the greater impact of prior knowledge on new encoding. We also show dissociable coding signatures in ventrolateral PFC, a region previously implicated in interference resolution. These data highlight how memory elements are represented to simultaneously promote generalization across memories and protect from interference.
Anderson attractors in active arrays
Authors: Laptyeva Tetyana V. , Tikhomirov Andrey A. , Kanakov Oleg I. , Ivanchenko Mikhail V.
Published: August 2015

In dissipationless linear media, spatial disorder induces Anderson localization of matter, light and sound waves. The addition of nonlinearity causes interaction between the eigenmodes, which results in a slow wave diffusion. We go beyond the dissipationless limit of Anderson arrays and consider nonlinear disordered systems that are subjected to the dissipative losses and energy pumping. We show that the Anderson modes of the disordered Ginsburg-Landau lattice possess specific excitation thresholds with respect to the pumping strength. When pumping is increased above the threshold for the band-edge modes, the lattice dynamics yields an attractor in the form of a stable multi-peak pattern. The Anderson attractor is the result of a joint action by the pumping-induced mode excitation, nonlinearity-induced mode interactions and dissipative stabilization. The regimes of Anderson attractors can be potentially realized with polariton condensates lattices, active waveguide or cavity-QED arrays.
Intrinsic Nature of Stochastic Domain Wall Pinning Phenomena in Magnetic Nanowire Devices
Authors: Hayward T. J.
Published: August 2015

Finite temperature micromagnetic simulations are used to probe stochastic domain wall pinning behaviours in magnetic nanowire devices. By exploring field-induced propagation both below and above the Walker breakdown field it is shown that all experimentally observed phenomena can be comprehensively explained by the influence of thermal perturbations on the domain walls’ magnetisation dynamics. Nanowires with finite edge roughness are also investigated and these demonstrate how this additional form of disorder couples with thermal perturbations to significantly enhance stochasticity. Cumulatively, these results indicate that stochastic pinning is an intrinsic feature of DW behaviour at finite temperatures and would not be suppressed even in hypothetical systems where initial DW states and experimental parameters were perfectly defined.
A Study of Phytolith-occluded Carbon Stock in Monopodial Bamboo in China
Authors: Yang Jie , Wu Jiasen , Jiang Peikun , Xu Qiufang , Zhao Peiping , He Shanqiong
Published: August 2015

Bamboo plants have been proven to be rich in phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) and play an important role in reducing atmospheric concentrations of CO2. The object of this paper was to obtain more accurate methods for estimation of PhytOC stock in monopodial bamboo because previous studies may have underestimated it. Eight monopodial bamboo species, widely distributed across China, were selected and sampled for this study in their own typical distribution areas. There were differences (P < 0.05) both in phytolith content (Phytolith/dry biomass) across leaves, branches and culm and in PhytOC content (PhytOC/dry biomass) across leaves and branches between species, with a trend of leaf > branch > culm. The average PhytOC stored in aboveground biomass and PhytOC production flux contributed by aboveground biomass varied substantially and they were 3.28 and 1.57 times corresponding dates in leaves, with the highest in Phyllostachys glauca McClure and lowest in Indocalamus tessellatus (Munro) Keng f. It can be concluded that it could be more accurate to estimate PhytOC stock or PhytOC production flux by basing on whole aboveground biomass rather than on leaf or leaf litter only. The whole biomass should be collected for more estimation of bamboo PhytOC sequestration capacity in the future.
Studying Ancient Anthropogenic Impacts on Current Floral Biodiversity in the Southern Levant as reflected by the Philistine Migration
Authors: Frumin Suembikya , Maeir Aren M. , Kolska Horwitz Liora , Weiss Ehud
Published: August 2015

Human migrations across geographic boundaries can facilitate the introduction of new husbandry practices and dispersal of plants and animals, resulting in changes in biodiversity. As previously demonstrated, the 12th century BCE Philistine migration–to the southern Levantine littoral, involved the transportation of pigs from Europe, engendering long term genetic displacement of local Near Eastern haplotypes. Building on this and combining biogeographical methods of Floral List comparisons with archaeological data, we have elucidated the Philistine impact on Southern Levantine floral ecosystems. We demonstrate that previously unexploited local plants were incorporated into the Philistine milieu and new species were introduced–from Europe, the Aegean, Egypt and Mesopotamia –resulting in the earliest locally cultivated sycamore, cumin, coriander, bay tree and opium poppy. This research has highlighted the impact of past cultures on the formation of floral ecosystems and their long-term effects on contemporary local biological diversity.
Bile acids induce hepatic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Sawitza Iris , Kordes Claus , Götze Silke , Herebian Diran , Häussinger Dieter
Published: August 2015

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have the potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages and their therapeutic potential has become obvious. In the liver, MSC are represented by stellate cells which have the potential to differentiate into hepatocytes after stimulation with growth factors. Since bile acids can promote liver regeneration, their influence on liver-resident and bone marrow-derived MSC was investigated. Physiological concentrations of bile acids such as tauroursodeoxycholic acid were able to initiate hepatic differentiation of MSC via the farnesoid X receptor and transmembrane G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 5 as investigated with knockout mice. Notch, hedgehog, transforming growth factor-β/bone morphogenic protein family and non-canonical Wnt signalling were also essential for bile acid-mediated differentiation, whereas β-catenin-dependent Wnt signalling was able to attenuate this process. Our findings reveal bile acid-mediated signalling as an alternative way to induce hepatic differentiaion of stem cells and highlight bile acids as important signalling molecules during liver regeneration.
Malaria Diagnosis Using a Mobile Phone Polarized Microscope
Authors: Pirnstill Casey W. , Coté Gerard L.
Published: August 2015

Malaria remains a major global health burden and new methods for low-cost, high-sensitivity, diagnosis are essential, particularly in remote areas with low-resource around the world. In this paper, a cost effective, optical cell-phone based transmission polarized light microscope system is presented for imaging the malaria pigment known as hemozoin. It can be difficult to determine the presence of the pigment from background and other artifacts, even for skilled microscopy technicians. The pigment is much easier to observe using polarized light microscopy. However, implementation of polarized light microscopy lacks widespread adoption because the existing commercial devices have complicated designs, require sophisticated maintenance, tend to be bulky, can be expensive and would require re-training for existing microscopy technicians. To this end, a high fidelity and high optical resolution cell-phone based polarized light microscopy system is presented which is comparable to larger bench-top polarized microscopy systems but at much lower cost and complexity. The detection of malaria in fixed and stained blood smears is presented using both, a conventional polarized microscope and our cell-phone based system. The cell-phone based polarimetric microscopy design shows the potential to have both the resolution and specificity to detect malaria in a low-cost, easy-to-use, modular platform.
Correlated random walks caused by dynamical wavefunction collapse
Authors: Bedingham D. J. , Ulbricht H.
Published: August 2015

Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger’s equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a dynamical process. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Here it is shown that for the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model—one of the most well developed collapse models—the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated. An experimental test of this effect is proposed in which random displacements of pairs of free nanoparticles are measured after they have been simultaneously released from nearby traps. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure in order for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large region of the viable parameter space of the CSL model. The effect disappears as the separation between particles exceeds the CSL length scale. The test therefore provides a means of bounding this length scale.