bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lettuce chlorosis virus P23 Suppresses RNA Silencing and Induces Local Necrosis with Increased Severity at Raised Temperatures
Authors: Kubota Kenji , Ng James C. K.
Published: February 2016

RNA silencing functions as an antivirus defense strategy in plants, one that plant viruses counter by producing viral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSRs). VSRs have been identified in three members of the genus Crinivirus but they do not all share identical suppression mechanisms. Here, we used Agrobacterium co-infiltration assays to investigate the suppressor activity of proteins encoded by Lettuce chlorosis virus (LCV). Of 7 LCV proteins (1b, P23, HSP70 homolog, P60, CP, CPm, and P27) tested for the suppression of silencing of green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in wild-type Nicotiana benthamiana plants, only P23 suppressed the onset of local silencing. Small-interfering (si)RNA accumulation was reduced in leaves co-infiltrated with P23, suggesting that P23 inhibited the accumulation or enhanced the degradation of siRNA. P23 also inhibited the cell-to-cell and systemic movement of RNA silencing in GFP-expressing transgenic N. benthamiana plants. Expression of P23 via agroinfiltration of N. benthamiana leaves induced local necrosis that increased in severity at elevated temperatures, a novelty given that a direct temperature effect on necrosis severity has not been reported for the other crinivirus VSRs. These results further affirm the sophistication of crinivirus VSRs in mediating the evasion of host’s antiviral defenses and in symptom modulation.
First isolation of Nocardia grenadensis from a clinical sample
Authors: Ercibengoa María , Bell Melissa , Vicente Diego , Marimón Jose María
Published: February 2016

Introduction:

Nocardia species have a worldwide distribution and are commonly found as saprophytes of soil or water. However, they can cause human disease especially in immunocompromised patients, with respiratory infection being the most frequent clinical manifestation of the disease. The aim of the present work was to describe the first clinical isolation of Nocardia grenadensis from the sputum of a patient from the north of Spain suspected of having tuberculosis.

Case Presentation:

In November 2012, a chest X-ray showed a mass in the left upper lobe of the lung of a 75-year-old man with persistent cough with bloody expectoration. The patient was sent to the outpatient pulmonology consultation for further studies. In the sputum sent for mycobacterial study, a Nocardia isolate was present that was identified by sequencing a 1440 bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene as N. grenadensis at the Special Bacteriology Reference Laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA).

Conclusion:

The clinical significance of N. grenadensis in the sputum of this patient was uncertain, as symptoms of persistent cough with haemoptysis in the absence of other identified causes suggested the possible involvement of N. grenadensis in a bronchial lung infection. However, the spontaneous resolution of symptoms without specific antimicrobial treatment pointed to the possibility of a transient colonization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence in the literature of the isolation of N. grenadensis in humans.
The evolutionary turnover of recombination hot spots contributes to speciation in mice
Authors: Smagulova Fatima , Brick Kevin , Pu Yongmei , Camerini-Otero R. Daniel , Petukhova Galina V.
Published: February 2016

Meiotic recombination is required for the segregation of homologous chromosomes and is essential for fertility. In most mammals, the DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate meiotic recombination are directed to a subset of genomic loci (hot spots) by sequence-specific binding of the PRDM9 protein. Rapid evolution of the DNA-binding specificity of PRDM9 and gradual erosion of PRDM9-binding sites by gene conversion will alter the recombination landscape over time. To better understand the evolutionary turnover of recombination hot spots and its consequences, we mapped DSB hot spots in four major subspecies ofMus musculuswith differentPrdm9alleles and in their F1 hybrids. We found that hot spot erosion governs the preferential usage of somePrdm9alleles over others in hybrid mice and increases sequence diversity specifically at hot spots that become active in the hybrids. As crossovers are disfavored at such hot spots, we propose that sequence divergence generated by hot spot turnover may create an impediment for recombination in hybrids, potentially leading to reduced fertility and, eventually, speciation.
Enrichment of Mammary Basal and Luminal Cells for Cell-of-Origin Metastasis Studies
Authors: Kabeer Farhia , Podsypanina Katrina , Darrasse-Jèze Guillaume
Published: February 2016

The mammary gland is an important model system in metastasis research. Mammary epithelial stem cells are of particular interest because of their capacity for regeneration and their role in cancer initiation. This protocol describes how to enrich for mammary basal and luminal epithelial cells using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
Iodixanol Gradient Centrifugation to Separate Components of the Low-Density Membrane Fraction from 3T3-L1 Adipocytes
Authors: Sadler Jessica B.A. , Lamb Christopher A. , Gould Gwyn W. , Bryant Nia J.
Published: February 2016

We optimized a set of fractionation techniques to facilitate the isolation of subcellular compartments containing insulin-sensitive glucose transporter isoform 4 (GLUT4), which is mobilized from GLUT4 storage vesicles (GSVs) in fat and muscle cells in response to insulin. In the absence of insulin, GLUT4 undergoes a continuous cycle of GSV formation and fusion with other compartments. Full membrane fractionation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes produces a low-density membrane fraction that contains both the constitutive recycling pool (the endosomal recycling compartments) and the insulin-sensitive pool (the GSVs). These two pools can be separated based on density using iodixanol gradient centrifugation, described here.
RNAi-Mediated Inactivation of Autophagy Genes in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Palmisano Nicholas J. , Meléndez Alicia
Published: February 2016

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process that results in the sequence-specific silencing of endogenous mRNA through the introduction of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, RNA inactivation can be used at any specific developmental stage or during adulthood to inhibit a given target gene. Investigators can take advantage of the fact that, in C. elegans, RNAi is unusual in that it is systemic, meaning that dsRNA can spread throughout the animal and can affect virtually all tissues except neurons. Here, we describe a protocol for the most common method to achieve RNAi in C. elegans, which is to feed them bacteria that express dsRNA complementary to a specific target gene. This method has various advantages, including the availability of libraries that essentially cover the whole genome, the ability to treat animals at any developmental stage, and that it is relatively cost effective. We also discuss how RNAi specific to autophagy genes has proven to be an excellent method to study the role of these genes in autophagy, as well as other cellular and developmental processes, while also highlighting the caveats that must be applied.
Methods to Study Metastasis in Genetically Modified Mice
Authors: Kabeer Farhia , Beverly Levi J. , Darrasse-Jèze Guillaume , Podsypanina Katrina
Published: February 2016

Metastasis is often modeled by xenotransplantation of cell lines in immunodeficient mice. A wealth of information about tumor cell behavior in the new environment is obtained from these efforts. Yet by design, this approach is “tumor-centric,” as it focuses on cell-autonomous determinants of human tumor dissemination in mouse tissues, in effect using the animal body as a sophisticated “Petri dish” providing nutrients and support for tumor growth. Transgenic or gene knockout mouse models of cancer allow the study of tumor spread as a systemic disease and offer a complimentary approach for studying the natural history of cancer. This introduction is aimed at describing the overall methodological approach to studying metastasis in genetically modified mice, with a particular focus on using animals with regulated expression of potent human oncogenes in the breast.
Detection of Autophagy inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Palmisano Nicholas J. , Meléndez Alicia
Published: February 2016

Autophagy is a dynamic and catabolic process that results in the breakdown and recycling of cellular components through the autophagosomal–lysosomal pathway. Many autophagy genes identified in yeasts and mammals have orthologs in the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans.In recent years, gene inactivation by RNA interference (RNAi) and chromosomal mutations has been useful to probe the functions of autophagy inC. elegans, and a role for autophagy has been shown to contribute to multiple processes, such as the adaptation to stress, longevity, cell death, cell growth control, clearance of aggregation-prone proteins, degradation of P granules during embryogenesis, and apoptotic cell clearance. Here, we discuss some of these roles and describe methods that can be used to study autophagy inC. elegans. Specifically, we summarize how to visualize autophagy in embryos, larva, or adults, how to detect the lipidation of the ubiquitin-like modifier LGG-1 by western blot, and how to inactivate autophagy genes by RNAi.
Editing the Mouse Genome Using the CRISPR–Cas9 System
Authors: Williams Adam , Henao-Mejia Jorge , Flavell Richard A.
Published: February 2016

The ability to modify the murine genome is perhaps one of the most important developments in modern biology. However, traditional methods of genomic engineering are costly and relatively clumsy in their approach. The use of programmable nucleases such as zinc finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases significantly improved the precision of genome-editing technology, but the design and use of these nucleases remains cumbersome and prohibitively expensive. The CRISPR–Cas9 system is the next installment in the line of programmable nucleases; it provides highly efficient and precise genome-editing capabilities using reagents that are simple to design and inexpensive to generate. Furthermore, with the CRISPR–Cas9 system, it is possible to move from a hypothesis to an in vivo mouse model in less than a month. The simplicity, cost effectiveness, and speed of the CRISPR–Cas9 system allows researchers to tackle questions that otherwise would not be technically or financially viable. In this introduction, we discuss practical considerations for the use of Cas9 in genome engineering in mice.
Fraud and firm performance: keeping the good times (apparently) rolling
Authors: Finnerty John D. , Hegde Shantaram , Malone Chris B
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the hypothesis that a period of sustained supernormal firm performance (for up to five years before fraud commission) creates financial pressure on actors/agents so they have a propensity to behave fraudulently to keep the good times (apparently) rolling.

Design/methodology/approach

– Applying the Fama and French (1993) three-factor model using a range of calendar time portfolio methodologies, the authors measure abnormal drifts in stock performance in periods up to five years before alleged fraud commission dates. The authors examine a sample of 561 US firms subject to enforcement actions initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) over 1968-2009.

Findings

– The authors find that sustained firm-specific positive stock price performance for up to five years followed by the almost inevitable adverse shock, which eventually brings the good times to an end, generally precedes corporate fraud. Fraud occurs when firm managers engage in misconduct in a misguided attempt to keep the good times (apparently) rolling despite the negative shock.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample is restricted to firms with trading histories on the stock market prior to the misconduct, and to firms contained in the Federal Securities Regulation database of US firms subject to enforcement actions initiated by the SEC and the DOJ over 1968-2009.

Practical implications

– The desire to keep the good times rolling appears to be a very important driver of fraudulent behavior, even after controlling for the executive compensation incentive effects and business cycle effects emphasized in prior studies. The robust findings of positive abnormal returns for up to five years preceding initial fraud commission suggest that regulators and investors would be well-advised to scrutinize the behavior of firms that exhibit surprisingly persistent superior performance over an extended period. If the financial results appear too good to be true, a closer examination might just reveal that they indeed are.

Social implications

– While most investors generally like to see the “good times keep rolling” this pressure can create ethical dilemmas for managers.

Originality/value

– Unlike most other papers in this area of the literature, which concentrate on the pre-fraud disclosure, the authors investigate the firm’s performance in the pre-fraud commission period. The authors find that the commission of the alleged fraud is preceded by a sustained period of surprisingly good performance of up to five years in length. The authors believe that the paper provides empirical evidence that supports the hypothesis that a period of sustained supernormal firm performance (for up to five years before fraud commission) creates financial pressure on actors/agents so they have a propensity to behave fraudulently to keep the good times (apparently) rolling.
International stock market liquidity: a review
Authors: Ma Rui , Anderson Hamish D. , Marshall Ben R.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on liquidity in international stock markets, highlights differences and similarities in empirical results across existing studies, and identifies areas requiring further research.

Design/methodology/approach

– International cross-country studies on stock market liquidity are categorized and reviewed. Important relevant single-country studies are also discussed.

Findings

– Market liquidity is influenced by exchange characteristics (e.g. the presence of market makers) and regulations (e.g. short-sales constraints). The literature has identified the most appropriate liquidity measures for global research, and for emerging and frontier markets, respectively. Major empirical facts are as follows. Liquidity co-varies within and across countries. Both the liquidity level and liquidity uncertainty are priced internationally. Liquidity is positively associated with firm transparency and share issuance, and negatively related to dividends paid out. The impact of internationalization on liquidity is not universal across firms and countries. Some suggested areas for future studies include: dark pools, high-frequency trading, commonality in liquidity premium, funding liquidity, liquidity and capital structure, and liquidity and transparency.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper focusses on international stock markets and does not consider liquidity in international bond or foreign exchange markets.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a comprehensive survey of empirical studies on liquidity in international developed and emerging stock markets.
Effects of branch expansion on bank efficiency: evidence from Japanese regional banks
Authors: Harimaya Kozo , Kondo Kazumine
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether branch expansions have realized efficiency gains by focussing on regional banks in Japan.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a single-step estimation procedure, where both cost frontier parameters and inefficiency effects are addressed simultaneously, and examine the impact of expanding branch networks on bank performance.

Findings

– The findings show that regional banks expanding their branch networks to certain levels exhibit lower cost inefficiencies. Robustness results are also obtained from the samples, excluding the regional banks located in urban regions.

Originality/value

– The findings suggest that adequate levels of branch expansion have beneficial impacts for regional banks, although this result is contrary to the current region-based relationship banking policy promoted by Japan’s financial regulators.
Reflective assessment: opportunities and challenges
Authors: Graf Anne Jumonville , Harris Benjamin R.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– Librarians engage in assessment for several purposes, such as to improve teaching and learning, or to report institutional value. In turn, these assessments shape our perspectives and priorities. How can we participate critically in the assessment of information literacy instruction and library programming while broadening our view and making room for questions about what we do? This paper aims to explore self-reflection as a method for building on existing assessment practices with a critical consciousness.

Design/methodology/approach

– In tracing the trajectory of assessment and reflective practice in library literature, the authors conducted a selective literature review and analyzed the potential impact of incorporating librarian self-reflection into assessment practices, particularly for instructional services. The authors’ experiences with strategies informed by these conversations were also described.

Findings

– Self-reflection has typically been used to improve teaching or as a method of assessing student learning. However, it can also be used to develop a critical awareness of what one accomplishes through the act of assessing. The authors develop and present self-reflective strategies and discuss their benefits and limitations.

Practical implications

– An extensive list of strategies was developed to illustrate practical examples of a reflective approach to assessment.

Originality/value

– Although librarians have used reflection as a type of assessment strategy, self-reflection has not been viewed as a method for evaluating other assessment techniques. Librarians interested in exploring reflective practice and thinking critically about assessment will find strategies and suggestions for doing so.
Production of set yoghurt analogue through replacement of milk fat with canola and sesame oil
Authors: Farmani Jamshid , Edalatkhah Mahsa , Motamedzadegan Ali , Mardani Mohsen
Published: February 2016

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fat level and composition on chemical, textural, microbial and sensory properties of set yoghurt analogue. The best fat level for production of yoghurt analogue was found to be 2% (w/v). Studies on the effect of fat composition (canola‐to‐sesame oil ratios of 2.0/0, 1.3/0.7, 0.7/1.3, 2.0/0) indicated the superior performance of pure sesame oil. Increasing the canola‐to‐sesame oil ratio generally resulted in an inferior product. Replacement of milk fat by vegetable oils yielded yoghurts with a lower saturated fatty acid content and less firmness.
Gene and whole genome analyses reveal that the mycobacterial strain JS623 is not a member of the species Mycobacterium smegmatis
Authors: Garcia Maria J. , Gola Susanne
Published: February 2016

Unexpected differences were found between the genome of strain JS623, used in bioremediation studies, and the genome of strain mc2155, a model organism for investigating basic biology of mycobacteria. Both strains are currently assigned in the databases to the species Mycobacterium smegmatis and, consequently, the environmental isolate JS623 is increasingly included as a representative of that species in comparative genome‐based approaches aiming at identifying distinctive traits of the different members of the genus Mycobacterium. We applied traditional molecular taxonomic procedures – inference of single and concatenated gene trees – to re‐evaluate the membership of both strains to the same species, adopting the latest accepted cut‐off values for species delimitation. Additionally, modern whole genome‐based in silico methods where performed in a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of JS623 and other members of the genus Mycobacterium. These analyses showed that all relevant genome parameters of JS623 clearly separate this strain from M. smegmatis. The strain JS623 should be corrected as Mycobacterium sp. not only in the literature but, even more importantly, in the database entries, as inclusion of the genome wrongly attributed to the M. smegmatis species in comparative studies will result in misleading conclusions.
Comparative studies of the composition of bacterial microbiota associated with the ruminal content, ruminal epithelium and in the faeces of lactating dairy cows
Authors: Liu Jun‐hua , Zhang Meng‐ling , Zhang Rui‐yang , Zhu Wei‐yun , Mao Sheng‐yong
Published: February 2016

The objective of this research was to compare the composition of bacterial microbiota associated with the ruminal content (RC), ruminal epithelium (RE) and faeces of Holstein dairy cows. The RC, RE and faecal samples were collected from six Holstein dairy cows when the animals were slaughtered. Community compositions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes from RC, RE and faeces were determined using a MiSeq sequencing platform with bacterial‐targeting universal primers 338F and 806R. UniFrac analysis revealed that the bacterial communities of RC, RE and faeces were clearly separated from each other. Statistically significant dissimilarities were observed between RC and faeces (P = 0.002), between RC and RE (P = 0.003), and between RE and faeces (P = 0.001). A assignment of sequences to taxa showed that the abundance of the predominant phyla Bacteroidetes was lower in RE than in RC, while a significant higher (P < 0.01) abundance of Proteobacteria was present in RE than in RC. When compared with the RC, the abundance of Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia was higher in faeces, and RC contained a greater abundance of Bacteroidetes and Tenericutes. A higher proportions of Butyrivibrio and Campylobacter dominated RE as compared to RC. The faecal microbiota was less diverse than RC and dominated by genera Turicibacter and Clostridium. In general, these findings clearly demonstrated the striking compositional differences among RC, RE and faeces, indicating that bacterial communities are specific and adapted to the harbouring environment.
γδT Cells and Related Diseases
Authors: Lu Han , Li Da‐Jin , Jin Li‐Ping
Published: February 2016

Discovered 30 years ago, γδT cells remain an enigmatic T‐cell subset. Although they account for a small portion of the total human circulating T‐cell pool, their associations with other immune cells and their potential regulatory roles in related diseases have been explored but still require further investigation. γδT cells which are MHC‐unrestricted innate‐like lymphocytes with more unique antigen receptors than αβT cells and B cells are considered to bridge innate and adaptive immunity. They have APC functions and initiate adaptive immunity. Due to their distribution in specific tissues, secretion of Th1‐, Th2‐, and Th17‐type cytokines, and other characteristics, they are involved in a variety of physiology and pathology processes. They are barometers in HIV infection. However, different γδT cell subsets play opposing roles in HBV infections, autoimmune diseases, and several types of tumors. Moreover, decidual γδT cells have protective roles during pregnancies by synthesizing several cytokines. This emerging evidence provides an improved understanding of the immune mechanism of infection, autoimmunity, cancer, and other related disorders and better insights regarding the potential roles of γδT cells in immunological therapeutic strategies.
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing as a Tool for Diagnosing Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Hirashiki Akihiro , Kondo Takahisa , Okumura Takahiro , Kamimura Yoshihiro , Nakano Yoshihisa , Fukaya Kenji , Sawamura Akinori , Morimoto Ryota , Adachi Shiro , Takeshita Kyosuke , Murohara Toyoaki
Published: February 2016

Background

Recently, it has become increasingly recognized that pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a particularly threatening result of left‐sided heart disease. However, there have been few investigations of the impact of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) variables on PH in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We evaluated the usefulness of crucial CPX variables for detecting elevated pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in patients with DCM.

Methods

Ninety subjects with DCM underwent cardiac catheterization and CPX at our hospital. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the ability of CPX variables to distinguish between the presence and absence of PH.

Results

Overall mean values were: mean PAP (mPAP), 18.0 ± 9.6 mmHg; plasma brain natriuretic peptide, 233 ± 295 pg/mL; and left ventricular ejection fraction, 30.2 ± 11.0%. Patients were allocated to one of two groups on the basis of mean PAP, namely DCM without PH [mean PAP (mPAP) <25 mmHg; n = 75] and DCM with PH (mPAP ≥25 mmHg; n = 15). A cutoff achieved percentage of predicted peak VO2 (%PPeak VO2) of 52.5% was the best predictor of an mPAP ≥25 mmHg in the ROC analysis (area under curve: 0.911). In the multivariate analysis, %PPeak VO2 was the only significant independent predictor of PH (Wald 6.52, odds ratio 0.892, 95% CI 0.818–0.974; P = 0.011).

Conclusions

%PPeak VO2 was strongly associated with the presence of PH in patients with DCM. Taken together, these findings indicate that CPX variables could be important for diagnosing PH in patients with DCM.
Lessons from Queer Bioethics: A Response to Timothy F. Murphy
Authors: Richie Cristina
Published: February 2016

‘Bioethics still has important work to do in helping to secure status equality for LGBT people’ writes Timothy F. Murphy in a recent Bioethics editorial. The focus of his piece, however, is much narrower than human rights, medical care for LGBT people, or ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Rather, he is primarily concerned with sexuality and gender identity, and the medical intersections thereof (i.e. DSM diagnosis; access to SrS or ARTs). It is the objective of this response to provide an alternate account of bioethics from a Queer perspective.

I will situate Queer bioethics within Queer studies, and offer three ‘lessons’ that bioethics can derive from this perspective. These are not definitive rules for Queer bioethics, since it is a field which fundamentally opposes categorizations, favoring pastiche over principles. These lessons are exploratory examples, which both complement and contradict LGBT bioethics. My latter two lessons – on environmental bioethics and disability – overlap with some of Murphy's concerns, as well as other conceptions of LGBT bioethics. However, the first lesson takes an antithetical stance to Murphy's primary focus by resisting all forms of heteroconformity and disavowing reproduction as consonant with Queer objectives and theory. The first lesson, which doubles as a primer in Queer theory, does heavy philosophical lifting for the remainder of the essay. This response to Timothy F. Murphy, whose work is certainly a legacy in bioethics, reveals the multiplicity of discourses in LGBT/Queer studies, many of which are advantageous – even essential – to other disciplines like bioethics.
Sentient Nonpersons and the Disvalue of Death
Authors: DeGrazia David
Published: February 2016

Implicit in our everyday attitudes and practices is the assumption that death ordinarily harms a person who dies. A far more contested matter is whether death harms sentient individuals who are not persons, a category that includes many animals and some human beings. On the basis of the deprivation account of the harm of death, I argue that death harms sentient nonpersons (whenever their lives would be worth continuing). I next consider possible bases for the commonsense judgment that death ordinarily harms persons more than it harms sentient nonpersons. Contrary to what some philosophers believe, it is doubtful that the familiar resources of prudential value theory can vindicate this judgment. I show that the approach that at first glance seems most promising for supporting this judgment – namely, invoking an objective account of well‐being – faces substantial challenges, before arguing that McMahan's time‐relative interest account supplies the needed theoretical basis. I then go on to extract a significant practical implication of the first thesis, that death ordinarily harms sentient nonpersons: We should find a way to discontinue the routine killing of animal subjects following their use in experiments.
Moral Enhancement and Those Left Behind
Authors: Archer Alfred
Published: February 2016

Opponents to genetic or biomedical human enhancement often claim that the availability of these technologies would have negative consequences for those who either choose not to utilize these resources or lack access to them. However, Thomas Douglas has argued that this objection has no force against the use of technologies that aim to bring about morally desirable character traits, as the unenhanced would benefit from being surrounded by such people. I will argue that things are not as straightforward as Douglas makes out. The widespread use of moral enhancement would raise the standards for praise and blame worthiness, making it much harder for the unenhanced to perform praiseworthy actions or avoid performing blameworthy actions. This shows that supporters of moral enhancement cannot avoid this challenge in the way that Douglas suggests.
Memory for incidentally perceived social cues: Effects on person judgment
Authors: Pawling Ralph , Kirkham Alexander J. , Tipper Steven P. , Over Harriet
Published: February 2016

Dynamic face cues can be very salient, as when observing sudden shifts of gaze to a new location, or a change of expression from happy to angry. These highly salient social cues influence judgments of another person during the course of an interaction. However, other dynamic cues, such as pupil dilation, are much more subtle, affecting judgments of another person even without awareness. We asked whether such subtle, incidentally perceived, dynamic cues could be encoded in to memory and retrieved at a later time. The current study demonstrates that in some circumstances changes in pupil size in another person are indeed encoded into memory and influence judgments of that individual at a later time. Furthermore, these judgments interact with the perceived trustworthiness of the individual and the nature of the social context. The effect is somewhat variable, however, possibly reflecting individual differences and the inherent ambiguity of pupil dilation/constriction.
Recombinant human thyrotropin‐stimulated thyroglobulin level at the time of radioactive iodine ablation is an independent prognostic marker of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in the setting of prophylactic central neck dissection
Authors: Moon Jae Hoon , Choi June Young , Jeong Woo‐Jin , Ahn Soon‐Hyun , Lee Won Woo , Kim Kyoung Min , Choi Sung Hee , Lim Soo , Park Young Joo , Yi Ka Hee , Park Do Joon , Jang Hak Chul
Published: February 2016

Objective

We investigated the value of the stimulated thyroglobulin (Tg) level at the time of recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH)‐aided remnant ablation for predicting disease status 1 year later in patients with DTC who underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection (CND).

Design, setting, and participant

This was a prospective observational study of 253 consecutive patients with DTC who underwent rhTSH‐aided RAI ablation after total thyroidectomy and prophylactic CND. Patients with evidence of initial distant metastasis or positive Tg antibodies were excluded.

Major outcome measure

We compared rhTSH‐stimulated Tg level at RAI ablation according to the disease status at 1 year and evaluated optimal cut‐off value of rhTSH‐stimulated Tg. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the independent predictive factors for disease status 1 year after ablation.

Results

Among study participants, 228 (90·1%) were considered disease free at 1 year after remnant ablation. Patients with persistent or recurrent disease were more likely to be aged ≥45 years, and to have N1b stage, TNM stage III or IV, and higher rhTSH‐stimulated Tg level at RAI ablation. The optimal cut‐off of rhTSH‐stimulated Tg for predicting persistent or recurrent disease was 1·79 ng/ml, with a negative predictive value of 99·5%. A serum rhTSH‐stimulated Tg level ≥1·79 at the time of ablation was independently associated with persistent or recurrent disease 1 year later. N1b stage tended to be associated with persistent or recurrent disease.

Conclusion

A low stimulated serum Tg level at rhTSH‐aided RAI ablation may be a favourable prognostic marker in the setting of prophylactic CND.
Mutational characteristics of ANK1 and SPTB genes in hereditary spherocytosis
Authors: Park J. , Jeong D.‐C. , Yoo J. , Jang W. , Chae H. , Kim J. , Kwon A. , Choi H. , Lee J.W. , Chung N.‐G. , Kim M. , Kim Y.
Published: February 2016

The aim of this study was to describe the mutational characteristics in Korean hereditary spherocytosis (HS) patients. Relevant literatures including genetically confirmed cases with well‐documented clinical summaries and relevant information were also reviewed to investigate the mutational gene‐ or domain‐specific laboratory and clinical association. Twenty‐five HS patients carried one heterozygous mutation of ANK1 (n = 13) or SPTB (n = 12) but not in SPTA1, SLC4A1, or EPB42. Deleterious mutations including frameshift, nonsense, and splice site mutations were identified in 91% (21/23), and non‐hotspot mutations were dispersed across multiple exons. Genotype–phenotype correlation was clarified after combined analysis of the cases and the literature review; anemia was most severe in HS patients with mutations on the ANK1 spectrin‐binding domain (p < 0.05), and SPTB mutations in HS patients spared the tetramerization domain in which mutations of hereditary elliptocytosis and pyropoikilocytosis are located. Splenectomy (17/75) was more frequent in ANK1 mutant HS (32%) than in HS with SPTB mutation (10%) (p = 0.028). Aplastic crisis occurred in 32.0% of the patients (8/25; 3 ANK1 and 5 SPTB), and parvovirus B19 was detected in 88%. The study clarifies ANK1 or SPTB mutational characteristics in HS Korean patients. The genetic association of laboratory and clinical aspects suggests comprehensive considerations for genetic‐based management of HS.
Are children driving the gender wage gap?
Authors: Cukrowska‐Torzewska Ewa , Lovasz Anna
Published: February 2016

We examine how much children and the responsibilities related to them contribute to the divergence of men's and women's wages, and consequently, to the formation of the gender wage gap. To derive the relative contribution of gender‐specific parent gaps to the overall gender wage gap, we provide a modification of the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition and include simultaneous corrections for selection into employment and parenthood. The results show that the fatherhood wage premium contributes most significantly to the gender wage gap, especially in Poland. The motherhood penalty is also significant, while the role of the gender gap among childless individuals is small.
March of the sculpin: measuring and predicting short‐term movement of banded sculpin Cottus carolinae
Authors: Wells William G. , Johnson Thomas C. , Gebhard Amy E. , Paine Robert T. R. , Hix Lucas A. , Ferrell Heather N. , Engle Andrea N. , Perkin Joshuah S.
Published: February 2016

Movement of fishes through space and time is critical for population regulation and community structuring, but the dispersal of many benthic stream fishes remains unstudied. We used passive integrated transponders to track the short‐term dispersal of 51 banded sculpin Cottus carolinae throughout a 600 m reach of Little Creek in central Tennessee during April and May. Our objectives were to assess the efficacy of recently developed dispersal models, evaluate temporal variability in movement and determine whether individuals switched between stationary and mobile movement behaviours. Observed movement distances did not differ from modelled leptokurtic dispersal kernels estimated using the fishmove package in the R Statistical Environment for 12 of 13 recapture occasions. Leptokurtic dispersal kernel parameters including the mobile component (σmob) and shared stationary component (p) were temporally dynamic and differed from static median values reported for fishes in fishmove, while the more abundant stationary component (σstat) showed agreement with fishmove. The recapture occasion during which model predictions were not validated was associated with a large flow pulse that stimulated increased movement at the population scale. At the individual scale, 28 of 51 fish switched between stationary and mobile dispersal behaviour and the frequency distribution of switches was leptokurtic. Collectively, our findings reveal an emergent property characterised by consistent upstream movement of banded sculpin despite variability in population‐scale responses to flow and individual‐scale switches in movement behaviour. This paradox represents the march of the sculpin, in which fish diffusively spread upstream at a constant rate despite multiscale variability in movement behaviours.
Neurochemical and behavioural indices of exercise reward are independent of exercise controllability
Authors: Herrera Jonathan J. , Fedynska Sofiya , Ghasem Parsa R. , Wieman Tyler , Clark Peter J. , Gray Nathan , Loetz Esteban , Campeau Serge , Fleshner Monika , Greenwood Benjamin N.
Published: February 2016

Brain reward circuits are implicated in stress‐related psychiatric disorders. Exercise reduces the incidence of stress‐related disorders, but the contribution of exercise reward to stress resistance is unknown. Exercise‐induced stress resistance is independent of exercise controllability; both voluntary running (VR) and forced running (FR) protect rats against the anxiety‐like and depression‐like behavioural consequences of stress. Voluntary exercise is a natural reward, but whether rats find FR rewarding is unknown. Moreover, the contribution of dopamine (DA) and striatal reward circuits to exercise reward is not well characterized. Adult, male rats were assigned to locked wheels, VR, or FR groups. FR rats were forced to run in a pattern resembling the natural wheel running behavior of rats. Both VR and FR increased the reward‐related plasticity marker ΔFosB in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens, and increased the activity of DA neurons in the lateral ventral tegmental area, as revealed by immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase and pCREB. Both VR and FR rats developed conditioned place preference (CPP) to the side of a CPP chamber paired with exercise. Re‐exposure to the exercise‐paired side of the CPP chamber elicited conditioned increases in cfos mRNA in direct‐pathway (dynorphin‐positive) neurons in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens in both VR and FR rats, and in tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive neurons in the lateral ventral tegmental area of VR rats only. The results suggest that the rewarding effects of exercise are independent of exercise controllability and provide insight into the DA and striatal circuitries involved in exercise reward and exercise‐induced stress resistance.
Single substitutions to closely related amino acids contribute to the functional diversification of an insect‐inducible, positively selected plant cystatin
Authors: Rasoolizadeh Asieh , Goulet Marie‐Claire , Sainsbury Frank , Cloutier Conrad , Michaud Dominique
Published: February 2016

A causal link has been reported between positively selected amino acids in plant cystatins and the inhibitory range of these proteins against insect digestive cysteine (Cys) proteases. Here we assessed the impact of single substitutions to closely related amino acids on the contribution of positive selection to cystatin diversification. Cystatin sequence alignments, while confirming hypervariability, indicated a preference for related amino acids at positively selected sites. For example, the non‐polar residues leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile) and valine (Val) were shown to predominate at positively selected site 2 in the N–terminal region, unlike selected sites 6 and 10, where polar residues are preferred. The model cystatin SlCYS8 and single variants with Leu, Ile or Val at position 2 were compared with regard to their ability to bind digestive proteases of the coleopteran pest Leptinotarsa decemlineata and to induce compensatory responses in this insect. A functional proteomics procedure to capture target Cys proteases in midgut extracts allowed confirmation of distinct binding profiles for the cystatin variants. A shotgun proteomics procedure to monitor whole Cys protease complements revealed protease family specific compensatory responses in the insect, dependent on the variant ingested. Our data confirm the contribution of closely related amino acids to the functional diversity of positively selected plant cystatins in a broader structure/function context imposing physicochemical constraints to primary structure alterations. They also underline the complexity of protease/inhibitor interactions in plant–insect systems, and the challenges still to be met in order to harness the full potential of ectopically expressed protease inhibitors in crop protection.
Effects of nanoparticles in fresh waters: risks, mechanisms and interactions
Authors: Bundschuh Mirco , Seitz Frank , Rosenfeldt Ricki R. , Schulz Ralf
Published: February 2016

Ecotoxicology is often criticised for its simplistic approach, which does not normally consider the complexity of field conditions. Simple laboratory experiments can still be useful, however, especially for assessing effects of emerging stressors such as nanoparticles, which exhibit fates, exposure profiles and modes of action substantially different from those of traditional chemicals.

Here we argue that it is important to understand the potential effects of environmental conditions (e.g. UV radiation, dissolved organic matter, chemical stressors) on the fate and ecotoxicological potential of nanoparticles by using simple and well‐controlled experiments, while aiming to mimic realistic environmental conditions as closely as possible.

The observation that increasingly complex test systems may yield lower effect thresholds for nanoparticles than standardised tests suggests that current approaches require modification. Specifically, research is encouraged on interactions among trophic levels, community composition and ecosystem and evolutionary processes, so that effects observed in complex environmental settings can be explained mechanistically.

We highlight recent discoveries in ecotoxicology and ecology that suggest nanoparticle‐induced consequences on evolutionary and ecosystem processes as well as their potential transfer across ecosystem boundaries. These insights may encourage further research on nanoparticle effects informed by ecological theory.
Multiple‐stressor effects on stream invertebrates: a mesocosm experiment manipulating nutrients, fine sediment and flow velocity
Authors: Elbrecht Vasco , Beermann Arne J. , Goessler Gunnar , Neumann Janis , Tollrian Ralph , Wagner Rüdiger , Wlecklik Andre , Piggott Jeremy J. , Matthaei Christoph D. , Leese Florian
Published: February 2016

Land‐use changes have degraded ecosystems worldwide. A particular concern for freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem function are stressors introduced by intensified agriculture. Typically several stressors affect freshwater ecosystems simultaneously. However, the combined effects of these multiple stressors on streams and rivers are still poorly understood, yet of critical importance to improve freshwater management.

We investigated responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to three globally important agricultural stressors affecting streams (nutrient enrichment, fine sediment deposition and reduced current velocity), using 64 stream mesocosms (full‐factorial 2 × 2 × 2 design, eight replicates of each treatment combination) established on the banks of the Breitenbach Stream (Hesse, Germany). The experiment ran for 1 month (16 days of colonisation, 14 days of manipulations), and all invertebrates in the mesocosms were collected at the end of this period.

Fourteen of the 17 studied invertebrate response variables were affected by one or more stressors each. Negative effects on richness or abundance of pollution‐sensitive Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa were particularly common. Overall, both sediment addition and stream flow velocity reduction had pervasive and strong effects. Responses to sediment addition were mostly negative, whereas decreased current velocity reduced several EPT metrics but increased the abundances of some of the other common taxa. Nutrient enrichment had few effects, but these were consistently negative.

Combined stressor effects were mainly additive, with only two interactions found in total, both between reduced velocity and nutrients (on the crustacean Gammarus spp. and ceratopogonid midges). This finding implies that multiple‐stressor responses may be predicted from knowledge of single‐stressor effects in this stream community (unlike the often synergistic or antagonistic responses observed elsewhere). However, further taxon‐specific responses and interactions among stressors may have been obscured by limited taxonomic resolution, especially for the numerically dominant Chironomidae. Genetic approaches are required to address this limitation in the future.
Linking basin‐scale connectivity, oceanography and population dynamics for the conservation and management of marine ecosystems
Authors: Dubois Mélodie , Rossi Vincent , Ser‐Giacomi Enrico , Arnaud‐Haond Sophie , López Cristóbal , Hernández‐García Emilio
Published: February 2016

Aim

Assessing the spatial structure and dynamics of marine populations is still a major challenge in ecology. The need to manage marine resources from ecosystem and large‐scale perspectives is recognized, but our partial understanding of oceanic connectivity limits the implementation of globally pertinent conservation planning. Based on a biophysical model for the entire Mediterranean Sea, this study takes an ecosystem approach to connectivity and provides a systematic characterization of broad‐scale larval dispersal patterns. It builds on our knowledge of population dynamics and discusses the ecological and management implications.

Location

The semi‐enclosed Mediterranean Sea and its marine ecosystems are used as a case study to investigate broad‐scale connectivity patterns and to relate them to oceanography and population dynamics.

Methods

A flow network is constructed by evenly subdividing the basin into sub‐regions which are interconnected through the transport of larvae by ocean currents. It allows for the computation of various connectivity metrics required to evaluate larval retention and exchange.

Results

Our basin‐scale model predicts that retention processes are weak in the open ocean while they are significant in the coastal ocean and are favoured along certain coastlines due to specific oceanographic features. Moreover, we show that wind‐driven divergent (convergent, respectively) oceanic regions are systematically characterized by larval sources (sinks, respectively). Finally, although these connectivity metrics have often been studied separately in the literature, we demonstrate they are interrelated under particular conditions. Their integrated analysis facilitates the appraisal of population dynamics, informing both genetic and demographic connectivities.

Main conclusions

This modelling framework helps ecologists and geneticists to formulate improved hypotheses of population structures and gene flow patterns and to design their sampling strategy accordingly. It is also useful in the implementation and assessment of future protection strategies, such as coastal and offshore marine reserves, by accounting for large‐scale dispersal patterns, a missing component of current ecosystem management.