bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of PDE10 inhibition on attentional set-shifting do not depend on the activation of dopamine D1 receptors
Authors: Nikiforuk Agnieszka , Potasiewicz Agnieszka , Rafa Dominik , Drescher Karla , Bespalov Anton , Popik Piotr
Published: November 2015

Inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) represent a novel class of potential antipsychotic compounds. These principles increase the level of cAMP and cGMP in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum and resemble the neurochemical consequences of dopamine D2 receptor inhibition and dopamine D1 receptor stimulation. Cognitive dysfunctions, including an impaired ability to shift perceptual attentional set, are core features of schizophrenia. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of D1 receptors in the procognitive action of the PDE10A inhibitor using the attentional set-shifting task in rats. The performance of the rats in the extradimensional shift stage of the attentional set-shifting task was taken as an index of cognitive flexibility. We first assessed the effects of the D1 agonist in otherwise untreated animals and in animals pretreated with the D1 receptor antagonist. We then investigated the procognitive effects of the PDE10A inhibitor, MP-10, in otherwise untreated animals and in animals pretreated with the D1 receptor antagonist. The dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390 produced cognitive impairment at the dose of 0.0125 mg/kg, but not at 0.0063 mg/kg. The D1 receptor agonist, SKF-81,297, produced a procognitive effect that was abolished by 0.0063 mg/kg of SCH-23390. The compound MP-10 produced a procognitive effect at the dose of 0.3 mg/kg, but not at 0.1 mg/kg. Rat pretreatment with 0.0063 mg/kg of SCH-23390 did not block the procognitive effect of 0.3 mg/kg of MP-10. The present study demonstrates that the blockade of dopamine D1 receptors is unlikely to affect the procognitive effects of PDE10A inhibition.
Automated Detection of Glaucoma From Topographic Features of the Optic Nerve Head in Color Fundus Photographs
Authors: Chakrabarty Lipi , Joshi Gopal Datt , Chakravarty Arunava , Raman Ganesh V. , Krishnadas S.R. , Sivaswamy Jayanthi
Published: November 2015

Objective:

To describe and evaluate the performance of an automated CAD system for detection of glaucoma from color fundus photographs.

Design and Setting:

Color fundus photographs of 2252 eyes from 1126 subjects were collected from 2 centers: Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai and Coimbatore, India. The images of 1926 eyes (963 subjects) were used to train an automated image analysis-based system, which was developed to provide a decision on a given fundus image. A total of 163 subjects were clinically examined by 2 ophthalmologists independently and their diagnostic decisions were recorded. The consensus decision was defined to be the clinical reference (gold standard). Fundus images of eyes with disagreement in diagnosis were excluded from the study. The fundus images of the remaining 314 eyes (157 subjects) were presented to 4 graders and their diagnostic decisions on the same were collected. The performance of the system was evaluated on the 314 images, using the reference standard. The sensitivity and specificity of the system and 4 independent graders were determined against the clinical reference standard.

Results:

The system achieved an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.792 with a sensitivity of 0.716 and specificity of 0.717 at a selected threshold for the detection of glaucoma. The agreement with the clinical reference standard as determined by Cohen κ is 0.45 for the proposed system. This is comparable to that of the image-based decisions of 4 ophthalmologists.

Conclusions and Relevance:

An automated system was presented for glaucoma detection from color fundus photographs. The overall evaluation results indicated that the presented system was comparable in performance to glaucoma classification by a manual grader solely based on fundus image examination.
Successful elimination of a lethal wildlife infectious disease in nature
Authors: Bosch Jaime , Sanchez-Tomé Eva , Fernández-Loras Andrés , Oliver Joan A. , Fisher Matthew C. , Garner Trenton W. J.
Published: November 2015

Methods to mitigate the impacts of emerging infectious diseases affecting wildlife are urgently needed to combat loss of biodiversity. However, the successful mitigation of wildlife pathogens
in situ
has rarely occurred. Indeed, most strategies for combating wildlife diseases remain theoretical, despite the wealth of information available for combating infections in livestock and crops. Here, we report the outcome of a 5-year effort to eliminate infection with
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
affecting an island system with a single amphibian host. Our initial efforts to eliminate infection in the larval reservoir using a direct application of an antifungal were successful
ex situ
but infection returned to previous levels when tadpoles with cleared infections were returned to their natal sites. We subsequently combined antifungal treatment of tadpoles with environmental chemical disinfection. Infection at four of the five pools where infection had previously been recorded was eradicated, and remained so for 2 years post-application.
There is no ‘Conundrum’ of InsP
6
Authors: Irvine Robin F. , Bulley Simon J. , Wilson Miranda S. , Saiardi Adolfo
Published: November 2015

Indirect assays have claimed to quantify phytate (InsP
6
) levels in human biofluids, but these have been based on the initial assumption that InsP
6
is there, an assumption that our more direct assays disprove. We have shown that InsP
6
does not and cannot (because of the presence of an active InsP
6
phosphatase in serum) exist in mammalian serum or urine. Therefore, any physiological effects of dietary InsP
6
can only be due either to its actions in the gut as a polyvalent cation chelator, or to inositol generated by its dephosphorylation by gut microflora.
The parasite's long arm: a tapeworm parasite induces behavioural changes in uninfected group members of its social host
Authors: Beros Sara , Jongepier Evelien , Hagemeier Felizitas , Foitzik Susanne
Published: November 2015

Parasites can induce alterations in host phenotypes in order to enhance their own survival and transmission. Parasites of social insects might not only benefit from altering their individual hosts, but also from inducing changes in uninfected group members.Temnothorax nylanderiant workers infected with the tapewormAnomotaenia brevisare known to be chemically distinct from nest-mates and do not contribute to colony fitness, but are tolerated in their colonies and well cared for. Here, we investigated how tapeworm- infected workers affect colony aggression by manipulating their presence in ant colonies and analysing whether their absence or presence resulted in behavioural alterations in their nest-mates. We report a parasite-induced shift in colony aggression, shown by lower aggression of uninfected nest-mates from parasitized colonies towards conspecifics, potentially explaining the tolerance towards infected ants. We also demonstrate that tapeworm-infected workers showed a reduced flight response and higher survival, while their presence caused a decrease in survival of uninfected nest-mates. This anomalous behaviour of infected ants, coupled with their increased survival, could facilitate the parasites' transmission to its definitive hosts, woodpeckers. We conclude that parasites exploiting individuals that are part of a society not only induce phenotypic changes within their individual hosts, but in uninfected group members as well.
First- and second-order sociality determine survival and reproduction in cooperative cichlids
Authors: Jungwirth Arne , Taborsky Michael
Published: November 2015

Cooperative breeders serve as a model to study the evolution of cooperation, where costs and benefits of helping are typically scrutinized at the level of group membership. However, cooperation is often observed in multi-level social organizations involving interactions among individuals at various levels. Here, we argue that a full understanding of the adaptive value of cooperation and the evolution of complex social organization requires identifying the effect of different levels of social organization on direct and indirect fitness components. Our long-term field data show that in the cooperatively breeding, colonial cichlid fish
Neolamprologus pulcher
, both large group size and high colony density significantly raised group persistence. Neither group size nor density affected survival at the individual level, but they had interactive effects on reproductive output; large group size raised productivity when local population density was low, whereas in contrast, small groups were more productive at high densities. Fitness estimates of individually marked fish revealed indirect fitness benefits associated with staying in large groups. Inclusive fitness, however, was not significantly affected by group size, because the direct fitness component was not increased in larger groups. Together, our findings highlight that the reproductive output of groups may be affected in opposite directions by different levels of sociality, and that complex forms of sociality and costly cooperation may evolve in the absence of large indirect fitness benefits and the influence of kin selection.
Downregulation of the evolutionary capacitor Hsp90 is mediated by social cues
Authors: Peuß Robert , Eggert Hendrik , Armitage Sophie A. O. , Kurtz Joachim
Published: November 2015

The relationship between robustness and evolvability is a long-standing question in evolution. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a molecular chaperone, has been identified as a potential capacitor for evolution, since it allows for the accumulation and release of cryptic genetic variation, and also for the regulation of novel genetic variation through transposon activity. However, to date, it is unknown whether Hsp90 expression is regulated upon demand (i.e. when the release of cryptic genetic variation is most needed). Here, we show that Hsp90 has reduced transcription under conditions where the mobilization of genetic variation could be advantageous. We designed a situation that indicates a stressful environment but avoids the direct effects of stress, by placing untreated (focal) red flour beetles,Tribolium castaneum, into groups together with wounded conspecifics, and found a consistent reduction in expression of two Hsp90 genes (Hsp83andHsp90) in focal beetles. We moreover observed a social transfer of immunity in this non-eusocial insect: there was increased activity of the phenoloxidase enzyme and downregulation of the immune regulator,imd. Our study poses the exciting question of whether evolvability might be regulated through the use of information derived from the social environment.
Sperm number trumps sperm size in mammalian ejaculate evolution
Authors: Lüpold Stefan , Fitzpatrick John L.
Published: November 2015

Postcopulatory sexual selection is widely accepted to underlie the extraordinary diversification of sperm morphology. However, why does it favour longer sperm in some taxa but shorter in others? Two recent hypotheses addressing this discrepancy offered contradictory explanations. Under the sperm dilution hypothesis, selection via sperm density in the female reproductive tract favours more but smaller sperm in large, but the reverse in small, species. Conversely, the metabolic constraint hypothesis maintains that ejaculates respond positively to selection in small endothermic animals with high metabolic rates, whereas low metabolic rates constrain their evolution in large species. Here, we resolve this debate by capitalizing on the substantial variation in mammalian body size and reproductive physiology. Evolutionary responses shifted from sperm length to number with increasing mammalian body size, thus supporting the sperm dilution hypothesis. Our findings demonstrate that body-size-mediated trade-offs between sperm size and number can explain the extreme diversification in sperm phenotypes.
Health trajectories reveal the dynamic contributions of host genetic resistance and tolerance to infection outcome
Authors: Lough Graham , Kyriazakis Ilias , Bergmann Silke , Lengeling Andreas , Doeschl-Wilson Andrea B.
Published: November 2015

Resistance and tolerance are two alternative strategies hosts can adopt to survive infections. Both strategies may be genetically controlled. To date, the relative contribution of resistance and tolerance to infection outcome is poorly understood. Here, we use a bioluminescentListeria monocytogenes(Lm) infection challenge model to study the genetic determination and dynamic contributions of host resistance and tolerance to listeriosis in four genetically diverse mouse strains. Using conventional statistical analyses, we detect significant genetic variation in both resistance and tolerance, but cannot capture the time-dependent relative importance of either host strategy. We overcome these limitations through the development of novel statistical tools to analyse individual infection trajectories portraying simultaneous changes in infection severity and health. Based on these tools, early expression of resistance followed by expression of tolerance emerge as important hallmarks for survivingLminfections. Our trajectory analysis further reveals that survivors and non-survivors follow distinct infection paths (which are also genetically determined) and provides new survival thresholds as objective endpoints in infection experiments. Future studies may use trajectories as novel traits for mapping and identifying genes that control infection dynamics and outcome. A Matlabscript for user-friendly trajectory analysis is provided.
Macroevolutionary assembly of ant/plant symbioses:Pseudomyrmexants and their ant-housing plants in the Neotropics
Authors: Chomicki Guillaume , Ward Philip S. , Renner Susanne S.
Published: November 2015

Symbioses include some of the clearest cases of coevolution, but their origin, loss or reassembly with different partners can rarely be inferred. Here we use ant/plant symbioses involving three plant clades to investigate the evolution of symbioses. We generated phylogenies for the big-eyed arboreal ants (Pseudomyrmecinae), including 72% of their 286 species, as well as for five of their plant host groups, in each case sampling more than 61% of the species. We show that the ant-housingVachellia(Mimosoideae) clade and its ants co-diversified for the past 5 Ma, with some species additionally colonized by younger plant-nesting ant species, some parasitic. An apparent co-radiation of ants andTachigali(Caesalpinioideae) was followed by waves of colonization by the same ant clade, and subsequent occupation by a younger ant group. Wide crown and stem age differences between the ant-housing genusTriplaris(Polygonaceae) and its obligate ant inhabitants, and stochastic trait mapping, indicate that its domatium evolved earlier than the ants now occupying it, suggesting previous symbioses that dissolved. Parasitic ant species evolved from generalists, not from mutualists, and are younger than the mutualistic systems they parasitize. Our study illuminates the macroevolutionary assembly of ant/plant symbioses, which has been highly dynamic, even in very specialized systems.
Campylobacter jejuni ssp. jejuni bacteraemia in a patient with BCR-ABL-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia in remission on dasatinib therapy
Authors: Karrasch Matthias , Pfister Wolfgang , Edel Birgit , Stallmach Andreas , Hagel Stefan , Hochhaus Andreas , Rödel Jürgen
Published: November 2015

Introduction:

We report an unusual case of Campylobacter jejuni bacteraemia in a patient with Philadelphia chromosome-positive, BCR-ABL-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia in complete cytogenetic and major molecular remission after dasatinib/IFN therapy.

Case presentation:

On admission, the patient presented with fever and acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea. Initial empiric antibiotics consisted of ceftriaxone and metronidazole. Stool and blood culture samples were collected and submitted for evaluation; these specimens were processed as per laboratory protocol. Several Gram-negative, spiral rods could be identified microscopically in Gram-stained slides from bottled blood and stool cultures. Isolate identification was performed on the Vitek 2 system using a GN identification card and API Campy strips and by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Discrepant identification was obtained between the Vitek versus the API Campy test and MALDI-TOF. Erythromycin susceptibility testing was done using an Etest, whereas all other susceptibility testing and breakpoint analysis was done following the EUCAST procedure. Initial empiric antibiotic treatment was switched from ceftriaxone to ciprofloxacin according to antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) and Etest (ciprofloxacin MIC of 0.094 μg ml− 1) results. C. jejuni bacteraemia was successfully eradicated after 1 week of ciprofloxacin therapy.

Conclusion:

This case describes the rare event of a Campylobacter bacteraemia, which could have been falsely interpreted because of non-specific colony morphology and the initial Vitek result. Only the combination of microscopy, MALDI-TOF and an API Campy test was able to rapidly identify this bacterium as C. jejuni. This case also shows the importance of immediate AST- and MIC-adapted antibiotic treatment in immunocompromised febrile patients suffering from Campylobacter-induced bloody diarrhoea.
Thermal age, cytosine deamination and the veracity of 8,000 year old wheat DNA from sediments
Authors: Kistler Logan , Smith Oliver , Ware Roselyn , Momber Garry , Bates Richard , Garwood Paul , Fitch Simon , Pallen Mark , Gaffney Vincent , Allaby Robin G.
Published: November 2015

Recently, the finding of 8,000 year old wheat DNA from submerged marine sediments (1) was challenged on the basis of a lack of signal of cytosine deamination relative to three other data sets generated from young samples of herbarium and museum specimens, and a 7,000 year old human skeleton preserved in a cave environment (2). The study used a new approach for low coverage data sets to which tools such as mapDamage cannot be applied to infer chemical damage patterns. Here we show from the analysis of 148 palaeogenomic data sets that the rate of cytosine deamination is a thermally correlated process, and that organellar generally shows higher rates of deamination than nuclear DNA in comparable environments. We categorize four clusters of deamination rates (α,β,γ,ε) that are associated with cold stable environments, cool but thermally fluctuating environments, and progressively warmer environments. These correlations show that the expected level of deamination in the sedaDNA would be extremely low. The low coverage approach to detect DNA damage by Weiss et al. (2) fails to identify damage samples from the cold class of deamination rates. Finally, different enzymes used in library preparation processes exhibit varying capability in reporting cytosine deamination damage in the 5’ region of fragments. The PCR enzyme used in the sedaDNA study would not have had the capability to report 5’ cytosine deamination, as they do not read over uracil residues, and signatures of damage would have better been sought at the 3’ end. The 8,000 year old sedaDNA matches both the thermal age prediction of fragmentation, and the expected level of cytosine deamination for the preservation environment. Given these facts and the use of rigorous controls these data meet the criteria of authentic ancient DNA to an extremely stringent level.
Diversity of fate outcomes in cell pairs under lateral inhibition
Authors: Guisoni Nara , Martinez-Corral Rosa , Garcia Ojalvo Jordi , de Navascués Joaquín
Published: November 2015

Cell fate determination by lateral inhibition via Notch/Delta signalling has been extensively studied. Most formalised models consider Notch/Delta interactions in fields of cells, with parameters that typically lead to symmetry breaking of signalling states between neighbouring cells, commonly resulting in salt-and-pepper fate patterns. Here we consider the case of signalling between isolated cell pairs, and find that the bifurcation properties of a standard mathematical model of lateral inhibition can lead to stable symmetric signalling states. We apply this model to the adult intestinal stem cell (ISC) ofDrosophila, whose fate is stochastic but dependent on the Notch/Delta pathway. We observe a correlation between signalling state in cell pairs and their contact area. We interpret this behaviour in terms of the properties of our model in the presence of population variability in signalling thresholds. Our results suggest that the dynamics of Notch/Delta signalling can contribute to explain stochasticity in stem cell fate decisions, and that the standard model for lateral inhibition can account for a wider range of developmental outcomes than previously considered.

Summary statement

Notch/Delta-mediated lateral inhibition in cell pairs can result in symmetric signalling depending on the activation threshold, which can modulate cell-fate decisions depending on contact area.
EHMT2 directs DNA methylation for efficient gene silencing in mouse embryos
Authors: Auclair Ghislain , Borgel Julie , Sanz Lionel A. , Vallet Judith , Guibert Sylvain , Dumas Michael , Cavelier Patricia , Girardot Michael , Forné Thierry , Feil Robert , Weber Michael
Published: November 2015

The extent to which histone modifying enzymes contribute to DNA methylation in mammals remains unclear. Previous studies suggested a link between the lysine methyltransferase EHMT2 (also known as G9A and KMT1C) and DNA methylation in the mouse. Here, we used a model of knockout mice to explore the role of EHMT2 in DNA methylation during mouse embryogenesis. The Ehmt2 gene is expressed in epiblast cells but is dispensable for global DNA methylation in embryogenesis. In contrast, EHMT2 regulates DNA methylation at specific sequences that include CpG-rich promoters of germline-specific genes. These loci are bound by EHMT2 in embryonic cells, are marked by H3K9 dimethylation, and have strongly reduced DNA methylation in Ehmt2−/− embryos. EHMT2 also plays a role in the maintenance of germline-derived DNA methylation at one imprinted locus, the Slc38a4 gene. Finally, we show that DNA methylation is instrumental for EHMT2-mediated gene silencing in embryogenesis. Our findings identify EHMT2 as a critical factor that facilitates repressive DNA methylation at specific genomic loci during mammalian development.
Morphology of crystalline–amorphous olefin block copolymers in solution characterized by small-angle neutron scattering and microscopy
Authors: Radulescu Aurel , Goerigk Günter , Fetters Lewis , Richter Dieter
Published: November 2015

The single-chain properties and self-assembly behavior in dilute solution of olefin block copolymers obtained by chain-shuttling technology and consisting of alternating crystallizable and amorphous ethylene/1-octene blocks were investigated by pinhole and focusing small-angle neutron scattering techniques, optical microscopy in bright-field and crossed-polarizer modes, and differential scanning calorimetry. The complex hydrocarbon soluble (precipitant free) macro-aggregates formed with decreasing temperature are characterized by spherulitic textures. The spherulites yield, on one hand, a morphology that depends on the chain structure properties and, on the other hand, multiple structural levels with a hierarchical organization that ranges from 10 Å up to tens of micrometres. This morphology displays peculiarities dictated by the polydisperse character of these materials.
Al-Muqassah model
Authors: Bilal Muhammad , Mydin Meera Ahamed Kameel
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a new Islamic credit card model that is in line with Shariah principles and can be adopted as an alternative to contemporary Islamic credit card models by Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is theoretical in nature and mainly based on descriptive research method approach.

Findings

– The overall findings indicate that the contemporary practice of Islamic credit card in Malaysia is still controversial in its design and operation. Moreover, the adoption and practice of Shariah contracts in bay’ al-inah, tawarruq and ujrah models are not in line with fundamental doctrines of Shariah and are imbued with the practice of hilah (legal trick), which allows them to circumvent the prohibition of riba. The paper indicates that Al-Muqassah model possibly has a comparative advantage in design and operation when compared with the bay’ al-inah, tawarruq or ujrah models.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper is limited to develop a new Shariah-compliant Islamic credit card model. The paper presents a design and defines the underlying Islamic financial contracts and their working mechanisms in the proposed model. However, it will not address other related areas like consumer perception, legal and regulatory requirements.

Practical implications

– The paper will have direct implications on contemporary practice of Islamic credit card in Malaysia and elsewhere. The practice of Al-Muqassah model can also possibly have effects on common well-being and economic development.

Originality/value

– The paper has relevance for Islamic financial institutions offering Islamic credit cards. The proposed model is fully in line with fundamental doctrines of Shariah and performs the key functions of an Islamic credit card.
The need for Shariah harmonization in financial reporting standardization
Authors: Mukhlisin Murniati , Hudaib Mohammad , Azid Toseef
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to analyze IFIs’ stakeholders’ perception on Shariah harmonization for financial reporting standards inIndonesia as a part of the development effort of linking the emerging global Islamic banking to Indonesian financial and industrial markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– A sample of 160 respondents, who were stakeholders of Islamic banks, was taken from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia and its surrounding major districts to examine the stakeholders’ perception on Shariah harmonization effort toward the implementation of a uniformed financial reporting standard for Islamic financial institutions. Data for this study were collected using a structured questionnaire.

Findings

– Through this study, the authors found several measures to be taken to ensure Shariah harmonization efforts in Indonesia such as deep understanding on the fatawā brought into practices and strict monitoring on the Islamic banks in applying the financial reporting standards that imply practicing the fatawā, both de jure and de facto. However, the respondents differ in their opinion on the possibility of Shariah harmonization, both de jure and de facto. The role of various actors involved in the financial reporting standardization may impede Shariah harmonization to take place.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is only looking at one case study, which is Indonesia. Therefore, future studies should consider more countries and significant number of respondents. Different research instruments to measure the perception can also be an interesting research exploration. In addition, adopting deep Islamic political economy of accounting theory may support better analysis on the issue of financial reporting standardization for Islamic financial institutions.

Originality/value

– This paper has practical significance for financial reporting standard setters for Islamic banks and policy-makers to understand the key behavioral and demographical dimensions of their stakeholders and using these dimensions to effectively position important aspects in financial reporting standards setting.
Productivity of MENA Islamic banks: a bootstrapped Malmquist index approach
Authors: Bahrini Raéf
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the total factor productivity (TFP)[1] change and to investigate its determinants in the case of MENA Islamic banks.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the first stage, bootstrapped Malmquist index approach is used to provide a robust analysis of the changes in the productivity of 33 Islamic banks operating in 10 MENA countries during the period 2006-2011. In the second stage, panel data models are used to investigate the determinants of TFP change.

Findings

– The results of the first stage show that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) banks have known a productivity decline between 2006 and 2011 due to technical regress and scale inefficiency. In contrast, non-GCC banks have improved their productivity by benefiting from scale economies. The results of the second stage show that the productivity growth of MENA Islamic banks was mainly determined by bank-specific factors and that TFP indices decreased in the period of global financial crisis.

Practical implications

– This paper provides relevant recommendations for improving the productivity of Islamic banks operating in the MENA countries.

Originality/value

– This paper attempts to fill a demanding gap in the literature by examining productivity change and investigating its determinants using cross-country data of MENA Islamic banks. In addition, it is one of the few studies that have applied the bootstrapped Malmquist index approach in the case of Islamic banking.
The historic development of modern US advertising regulation
Authors: Petty Ross D.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to examine the US history of advertising regulation, both formal and informal and public and private – particularly focused on advertising that is likely to mislead consumers about attributes, characteristics or performance of advertised products.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research examines both primary sources such as legal challenges and contemporary writings as well as secondary sources.

Findings

– Although early court decisions were reluctant to find advertising to be dishonest, the Post Office was the first government agency to challenge blatantly false advertisements through criminal prosecution. At the end of the 1800s, the nascent advertising industry developed an interest in regulating truthfulness to enhance advertising credibility. It proposed a model state criminal code and advertising clubs, followed by local Better Business Bureaus, began to informally resolve advertising dispute. In 1914, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was established with authority to prevent unfair methods of competition which it used to challenge advertising that was likely to injure competitors. This authority was later expanded to cover advertising that was likely to mislead consumers regardless of competitive injury. The FTC experimented with trade association advertising provisions and expanding its concepts and tools overtime until a period of retrenchment in the 1980s that set the foundations of modern advertising regulation.

Originality/value

– This is the first treatment of advertising regulatory history that simultaneously covers and compares various sources of advertising regulation to develop a comprehensive exposition of advertising regulation history.
Forgotten classics: Marketing Methods by Ralph Starr Butler (1918)
Authors: Powers Thomas L.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a retrospective review of an early marketing text, Marketing Methods (1918) by Ralph Starr Butler.

Design/methodology/approach

– Marketing Methods is summarized, and perspectives of scholars that have occurred since its publication are provided.

Findings

– Marketing Methods represents the first college textbook to use the term “marketing” and, thus, represents a major and important early work in the field.

Originality/value

– This review of Marketing Methods provides a retrospective on the development, structure, critical reviews and influence of this text.
Facilitating organizational learning in the Russian business context
Authors: Molodchik Mariia , Jardon Carlos
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The paper aims to identify particular traits of the Russian context which condition two key enablers of organizational learning: organizational culture and transformational leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on a literature review, the study determines management challenges by implementation of organizational learning in the Russian business context. Taking this into account, the authors suggest specific model of organizational learning which contains organizational learning processes, organizational culture oriented towards learning and transformational leadership. Empirical justification of this model is provided using a sample of more than 100 respondents. Partial least squares-analysis is applied to define structural relationships between the elements of proposed model.

Findings

– The study reveals the positive and significant influence of transformational leadership and an organizational culture on organizational learning processes. Moreover, transformational leadership is shown to have a positive impact on an organizational culture, confirming the hypothesis regarding the pivotal role of leaders in the Russian business context.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of this study can assist managers doing business in Russia to improve organizational learning processes. The size of the sample appears to be the main limitation of this study. Questions that might also be addressed in additional research concern the influence of organizational learning on the performance of Russian companies.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to a better understanding of the barriers and stimuli exacted on organizational learning and provides empirical evidence of organizational learning practices of Russian companies.
Enhanced effect of BCG vaccine against pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice with lung Th17 response to mycobacterial heparin‐binding hemagglutinin adhesin antigen
Authors: Fukui Masayuki , Shinjo Kikuko , Umemura Masayuki , Shigeno Satoko , Harakuni Tetsuya , Arakawa Takeshi , Matsuzaki Goro
Published: November 2015

Although the BCG vaccine can prevent tuberculosis (TB) in infants, its ability to prevent adult pulmonary TB is reportedly limited. Therefore, development of a novel effective vaccine against pulmonary TB has become an international research priority. We have previously reported that intranasal vaccination of mice with a mycobacterial heparin‐binding hemagglutinin adhesin (HBHA) plus mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin (CT) enhances production of IFN‐γ and anti‐HBHA antibody and suppresses extrapulmonary bacterial dissemination after intranasal infection with BCG. In the present study, the effects of intranasal HBHA + CT vaccine on murine pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection were examined. Intranasal HBHA + CT vaccination alone failed to reduce the bacterial burden in the infected lung. However, a combination vaccine consisting of s.c. BCG priming and an intranasal HBHA + CT booster significantly enhanced protective immunity against pulmonary Mtb infection on day 14 compared with BCG vaccine alone. Further, it was found that intranasal HBHA + CT vaccine enhanced not only IFN‐γ but also IL‐17A production by HBHA‐specific T cells in the lung after pulmonary Mtb infection. Therefore, this combination vaccine may be a good candidate for a new vaccine strategy against pulmonary TB.
Quantifying fish and mobile invertebrate production from a threatened nursery habitat
Authors: zu Ermgassen Philine S. E. , Grabowski Jonathan H. , Gair Jonathan R. , Powers Sean P.
Published: November 2015

Quantification of ecosystem services is increasingly valuable for conservation and restoration decision‐making. Structured habitats serve as nursery grounds by enhancing juvenile fish and mobile crustacean survival and abundance. This service is challenging to quantify due to ontogenetic shifts in habitat use by many species.

We reviewed available literature on the increased abundance of juvenile fish and mobile crustaceans in a key nursery habitat – Crassostrea virginica reefs in the USA. We modelled the growth and mortality of the enhanced species using three different natural mortality (M) estimates to provide estimates of the gross and net lifetime production and uncertainty that can be attributed to the habitat.

Recruitment of nineteen and twelve species were found to be enhanced by the addition of C. virginica reefs to previously unstructured habitat in the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic and Mid‐Atlantic USA, respectively. This increased recruitment is estimated to result in a mean lifetime enhancement in production of 397 ± 115 (1 SD) g m−2 year−1 in the Gulf of Mexico and 281 ± 56 g m−2 year−1 in the South Atlantic and Mid‐Atlantic.

The two regions differed with regard to the identity of the enhanced species and their degree of augmentation. Thus, our results highlight the inadequacy of applying regional estimates of ecosystem services to global scales. Furthermore, estimates of total enhancement varied by up to a factor of 2·8 across the three methods of M estimation.

Our estimates are quantitative predictions of the ecological benefits derived from the restoration or conservation of a threatened habitat, and advance the field of restoration science beyond qualitative statements that just predict direction of benefit (e.g. increased or decreased). Quantification of the uncertainty in the production estimates further increases their utility for decision‐makers.

Synthesis and applications. Our results can be applied to the restoration or conservation of nursery habitats where habitat is limiting the recruitment of fish species. Quantitative estimates of fisheries productivity enhancement by habitats can be used by managers to determine the expected return on investment in restoration activities, provide testable predictions for monitoring programs and communicate the value of restoring or conserving habitat.
Effects of mammalian herbivores and termites on the performance of native and exotic plantation tree seedlings
Authors: Moe Stein R. , Loe Leif Egil , Jessen Malin , Okullo Paul
Published: November 2015

Invasion of exotic species is a global challenge and the potential for adverse effects on local biodiversity is particularly high in protected areas. Protected African savanna areas support globally important biodiversity. At the same time, forest plantations are widespread throughout Africa and exotic tree species frequently invade natural areas. To evaluate the potential invasiveness of plant species, it is pertinent to know to what extent, if at all, consumption by native herbivore assemblages differentially affects exotic and indigenous plants.

We studied how two globally widespread exotic trees Eucalyptus grandis and Grevillea robusta and two common indigenous trees Milicia excelsa and Maesopsis eminii responded to natural herbivory by large herbivores and termites. We experimentally exposed 720 tree seedlings to: (i) no large herbivores or termites; (ii) termites only; (iii) large herbivores only; and (iv) both large herbivores and termites.

When exposed to large herbivores and termites, the total survival was much higher for the exotics with 45% (E. grandis) and 63% (G. robusta) compared to the indigenous species (both 20%). Exposure to large herbivores affected early seedling survival of natives more than the exotics. Apart from the indigenous M. excelsa, survival did not decrease when seedlings were exposed to termites. Large herbivores retarded seedling growth for all species. The exotic E. grandis was the only species capable of growth when exposed to large herbivores. Exposure to termites had only a small, but significant effect resulting in a 7% size difference in all species.

Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight how browsing might, for some tree species, adversely affect native seedling survival and growth more than exotic species in protected African savanna. If exotic species are to be used in plantations, managers should consider planting tree species and varieties that are sensitive to ungulate browsing. This will not compromise economic gain because large herbivores are generally less common in plantations. Consequently, local ungulates could function as biological control agents outside plantations and reduce the potential risk of exotic plants proliferating in protected areas.
Inclusionary Zoning and Exclusionary Development: The Politics of ‘Affordable Housing' in North Brooklyn
Authors: Stabrowski Filip
Published: November 2015

A key element of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's New Housing Marketplace program has been the use of voluntary inclusionary zoning, through which private developers have been offered tax breaks and density bonuses to develop affordable housing on newly rezoned land. While this program has failed to alleviate the housing affordability crisis in New York City, little attention has been paid to its political effects on community‐based struggles over housing. This article addresses this question by examining the 2005 Greenpoint‐Williamsburg Waterfront Rezoning, which combined a voluntary inclusionary zoning program with a tenant services contract intended to mitigate the residential displacement effects of the rezoning. I critically examine its design, execution and monitoring, based on two years of work as an organizer and administrator of the tenant services contract. I argue that technologies of consent and control have reshaped the politics of housing in North Brooklyn by replacing resistance to gentrification with amelioration of its effects, through the anticipated creation of affordable housing. The upshot has been an emergent politics of housing in which real estate‐led development is regarded not as a cause of gentrification but as its solution.
Impact of Radio Frequency, Microwaving, and High Hydrostatic Pressure at Elevated Temperature on the Nutritional and Antinutritional Components in Black Soybeans
Authors: Zhong Yu , Wang Zhuyi , Zhao Yanyun
Published: November 2015

In this study, the effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at elevated temperature (60 °C) and 2 dielectric heating (DH) methods (radio frequency [RF], and microwaving [MW]) on the nutritional compositions and removal of antinutritional factors in black soybeans were studied. Each treatment caused <2% reduction in protein, and 3.3% to 7.0% decline in total amino acid content. However, the proportion of essential amino acid slightly increased in DH treated samples. The treatment decreased fat content (14.0% to 35.7%), but had small influence on fatty acid proportion. Antinutritional factors including trypsin inhibitor, tannins, saponins, and phytic acid were all declined by the 3 treatments, and DH treatment was generally more efficient. The most abundant saponins was decreased >22% in DH treated samples. MW and HHP led to higher in vitro protein digestibility, RF and MW promoted protein aggregation from atomic force microscope topography, but HHP caused more damages on protein subunits as seen from SDS‐PAGE image.
Exposure to Chronic Mild Stress Differentially Alters Corticotropin‐Releasing Hormone and Arginine Vasopressin mRNA Expression in the Stress‐Responsive Neurocircuitry of Male and Female Rats Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol
Authors: Lan Ni , Hellemans Kim G. C. , Ellis Linda , Weinberg Joanne
Published: November 2015

Background

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) results in dysregulation of the offspring hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing sensitivity to stressors and vulnerability to stress‐related disorders. We have previously shown that exposure to chronic mild stress (CMS) in adulthood significantly increases anxiety‐like behaviors (elevated plus maze) in PAE males and females compared to controls. To explore neurobiological mechanisms linking HPA dysregulation and altered anxiety‐like behavior, we investigated neuropeptide (corticotropin‐releasing hormone [CRH] and arginine vasopressin [AVP]) expression in brain areas involved in the stress neurocircuitry of animals from this previous behavioral study.

Methods

Adult PAE, pair‐fed (PF), and ad libitum fed control (C) male and female offspring exposed to CMS or remaining undisturbed (non‐CMS) were terminated 30 minutes following behavioral testing.

Results

In the paraventricular nucleus, CMS increased CRH mRNA levels in PAE compared to PF and C males and increased AVP mRNA levels in PAE compared to C males, with no differential effects for CRH or AVP in females. In the central nucleus of the amygdala, there was an increase in CRH mRNA expression overall, regardless of CMS condition or sex, in PAE compared to C animals. Moreover, in PF males, CMS increased AVP mRNA levels in the paraventricular nucleus, resulting in a decreased CRH/AVP ratio compared to PAE males, and decreased amygdala CRH mRNA compared to that in the non‐CMS condition.

Conclusions

CMS differentially altered central HPA peptide expression in PAE and PF animals compared to their control counterparts, with a possible shift toward greater CRH mediation of HPA regulation in PAE males, and greater AVP mediation of HPA regulation in PF males. However, changes in CRH and AVP expression do not align fully with the anxiogenic profile observed in our previous behavior study, suggesting that other neuronal substrates and limbic forebrain regions also contribute to increased anxiety‐like behavior following CMS.
Rivaroxaban compared with standard thromboprophylaxis after major orthopaedic surgery: co‐medication interactions
Authors: Kreutz Reinhold , Haas Sylvia , Holberg Gerlind , Lassen Michael R. , Mantovani Lorenzo G. , Schmidt André , Turpie Alexander G. G.
Published: November 2015

Aim

The aim of the present study was to analyse concomitant drug use and its association with outcome in patients (N = 17 701) receiving rivaroxaban or standard of care (SOC) for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after major orthopaedic surgery in the non‐interventional, phase IV XAMOS (Xarelto® in the prophylaxis of post‐surgical venous thromboembolism after elective major orthopaedic surgery of hip or knee) study.

Methods

Concomitant drug use was at the discretion of the treating physician. Prespecified co‐medications of interest were cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4/P‐glycoprotein inhibitors/inducers, platelet aggregation inhibitors (PAIs) and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Crude event incidences were compared between rivaroxaban and SOC groups.

Results

CYP3A4/P‐glycoprotein inhibitor/inducer use was infrequent, in contrast to PAI (~7%) and NSAID (~52%) use. Rivaroxaban was associated with a lower incidence of overall symptomatic thromboembolic events compared with SOC, regardless of co‐medication use. In both treatment groups, PAI users, with higher age and prevalence of cardiovascular co‐morbidities, had similar higher (>7‐fold) incidences of symptomatic arterial but not venous thromboembolic events compared with non‐users. NSAID use had no influence on thromboembolic events. However, odds ratios (ORs) for major bleeding events (European Medicines Agency definition) were higher in NSAID users compared with non‐users in rivaroxaban [OR = 1.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06, 2.13] and SOC (OR = 1.70; CI 1.16, 2.49) groups. In PAI users, ORs for major bleeding events were no different from those of non‐users in both the rivaroxaban (OR = 1.49; CI 0.84, 2.65) and SOC (OR = 1.46; CI 0.82, 2.62) groups.

Conclusions

Use of NSAIDs in XAMOS was frequent and associated with a higher frequency of bleeding events in patients receiving rivaroxaban or SOC, although the benefit–risk profile of rivaroxaban compared with SOC was maintained.