bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of G protein‐coupled estrogen receptor in human and pig spermatozoa
Authors: Rago V. , Giordano F. , Brunelli E. , Zito D. , Aquila S. , Carpino A.
Published: April 2014

Estrogens are known to influence functional properties of mammalian spermatozoa inducing rapid responses through the classical estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ). Recently, the G protein‐coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has been identified as mediator of fast non‐genomic estrogen effects in different cells. This work investigated the expression of GPER in human and pig spermatozoa using immunofluorescence, Western blot analysis and RT‐PCR. GPER was found to be confined to the mid‐piece of human sperm cells, whereas it was detected in the acrosomal region, the equatorial segment and the mid‐piece of pig spermatozoa. Furthermore, in the male gametes of both species, the immunoblots of sperm extracts revealed a band at ~42 kDa, consistent with the GPER molecular weight, and RT‐PCR detected the GPER transcripts. This is the first report demonstrating the expression of GPER in human and pig mature sperm cells and evidencing its species‐specific cellular localization.
Learning essentials: What graduates of mental health nursing programmes need to know from an industry perspective
Authors: McAllister Margaret , Happell Brenda , Flynn Trudi
Published: April 2014

Aims and Objectives

To explore the perspectives of nursing directors in mental health in Queensland, Australia, regarding the skills and attributes of graduates of comprehensive nursing programme to provide an industry perspective and thus augment knowledge from theoretical and professional dimensions.

Background

There is a worldwide shortage of appropriately qualified nurses with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to work effectively in mental health services. Within Australia, this has been well documented since the introduction of comprehensive nursing education. The underrepresentation of mental health content in undergraduate curricula has been identified as the primary reason for nursing graduates not being adequately prepared for practice in this field. To date, this issue has primarily been addressed from the perspective of university academics, with the voice of industry relatively silent in the published literature.

Design

Qualitative exploratory.

Method

In‐depth telephone interviews with Director of Nursing (Mental Health) in Queensland, Australia.

Results

The concerns of participants were expressed in six main themes: (1) foundational knowledge of mental health and disorders, (2) recovery‐oriented skills, (3) physical as well as mental health skills, (4) therapeutic strategies, (5) resilience and self‐development and (6) advanced knowledge and skills.

Conclusions

The education of comprehensive nursing education needs to be reviewed as a matter of priority to ensure graduates with the attributes required to provide high‐quality care for consumers of mental health services.

Relevance to clinical practice

A skilled and knowledgeable workforce is an essential component of high‐quality mental health services. Research highlighting the current deficits and issues is therefore of the highest priority.
The impact of death and dying on nursing students: an explanatory model
Authors: Edo‐Gual Montserrat , Tomás‐Sábado Joaquín , Bardallo‐Porras Dolores , Monforte‐Royo Cristina
Published: April 2014

Aims and objectives

To explore nursing students' experiences of death and dying in clinical practice.

Background

The encounter with death constitutes one of the most stressful experiences reported by nursing students during their clinical training. In particular, it can be difficult for student nurses to cope with the patient's suffering, to provide postmortem care and to communicate with the patient and his/her family as death approaches. Although some research has been carried out in relation to this phenomenon, there remains a need to identify and understand the situations and experiences that are of most concern to students, those which may affect their ability to cope and, therefore, interfere with the care they are able to offer to the dying patient and his/her family.

Design

Qualitative descriptive and hermeneutic study.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews (n = 12) were conducted with nursing students. Data were collected in 2012–2013. Transcripts were analysed using Colaizzi's seven‐step procedure.

Findings

The analysis identified five themes: impact, training in end‐of‐life care, ethical issues, coping and learning/growth/healing connections. The central theme was the enormous impact the encounter with death had, while the other themes were a response to and/or modulators of this impact. An explanatory model was derived on the basis of the relationship between all these emergent themes.

Conclusions

It is essential to understand nursing students' experience of death so as to minimise its impact. The explanatory model described here could be a useful tool for the design of training programmes on end‐of‐life care.

Relevance to clinical practice

Adequate training of this kind would help to ensure that future nurses offer high‐quality care to patients and their families, minimising the impact of death and preventing emotional fatigue.
Sensory Difference Tests as Measurement Instruments: a Review of Recent Advances
Authors: Ennis John M. , Rousseau Benoît , Ennis Daniel M.
Published: April 2014

In the evaluation of new incarnations of existing products, difference testing is among the most commonly used sensory techniques. However, although difference testing is a classical technique, the science of difference testing continues to evolve. AsThurstonian analysis has gained increased acceptance for its ability to measure sensory differences, recent research advances have provided tools, techniques and theory to view sensory difference tests as measurement instruments. In particular, these advances promise to unite equivalence and difference testing, to help with the determination of consumer‐relevant action standards, and to inform business risk calculations.

Practical Applications

The last 5 years have brought pressure on food and personal‐care product companies to provide healthy and cost‐effective products without compromising the sensory experience these products provide. In reaction to this pressure, business management has asked sensory and product development to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a large number of modified products. These products can be modified with respect to their ingredients, packaging, production processes, formulation, or as is the case when a complex goal such as sodium reduction is pursued, with respect to many aspects at once. In this article, we review how this business need for more detailed information from difference testing programs has paralleled recent research on the use of sensory difference tests as measurement instruments.
The Masking Effect of Sucrose on Perception of Bitter Compounds in Brassica Vegetables
Authors: Beck Tove K. , Jensen Sidsel , Bjoern Gitte K. , Kidmose Ulla
Published: April 2014

This study offers insight into how taste qualities interact in food. The influence of sucrose on the perceived bitter taste of sinigrin and goitrin (compounds naturally present in cabbage) was studied. A sensory panel evaluated the tastes of sucrose; the bitter compounds goitrin, sinigrin and quinine; and binary mixtures where each bitter compound was mixed with sucrose. The compounds were dispersed in water and in food model system consisting of white cabbage juice. The results were compared with those from sensory evaluation and chemical analysis of five white cabbage cultivars.

Results showed that taste interactions occurred, and results from the liquid samples showed that sucrose had a masking effect on the bitter taste of sinigrin, goitrin and quinine. The perception of sweet taste depended on concentration and media. Examination of raw cabbage showed that bitterness correlated strongly with the total glucosinolate content, whereas sweetness correlated strongly with sucrose content.

Practical Applications

The bitter taste of Brassica vegetables is a sensory restraint for vegetable acceptance. However, reducing the content of bitter‐tasting glucosinolates (GLSs) in these vegetables is not the optimal solution as several studies demonstrate health beneficial effects associated with intake of GLSs. The sweet taste is a positive predictor for acceptance, and sugar is central for its ability to mask a taste perceived as bitter. This study provides a new approach for studying interactions between the perceived sweet and bitter taste of Brassica vegetables using three progressively more complex matrices. It is part of a larger study addressing sensory aspects of food choice with focus on bitter‐tasting vegetables, and in line with this knowledge about interaction effects between bitter and sweet‐tasting compounds naturally present in vegetables is crucial. Knowledge that might lead the way to maintain the vegetable's health benefits while also improving consumer acceptance and potentially increasing the intake.
A Contingency‐Based Approach to the Use of Product Platforms and Modules in New Product Development
Authors: Magnusson Mats , Pasche Maximilian
Published: April 2014

To face the challenges of increasing demand for variety, more specific customer demands and shortening product life cycles, firms increasingly adopt mass customization techniques. Two important such techniques are product modularization and product platform development, which allow firms to reach high levels of product variety, and at the same time, keep complexity and its related costs at a limited level. Often modularization and product platform development are treated as variants of the same basic idea. However, even if the concepts are closely related, they also have some fundamental differences, which influence their usefulness and applicability in different settings. One potential shortcoming of existing literature on modularization and product platforms is the present lack of research on their limitations and potential negative effects. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify and explore contingencies influencing the applicability of modularization and product platforms, respectively, taking their different economic effects as a starting point. Moreover, the paper addresses how different organizing solutions are interrelated with the use of modularization and product platform approaches. The empirical observations originate from studies of three Swedish manufacturing firms. The study reveals that important contingencies affecting the applicability of modularization and product platforms are demand side characteristics and the speed of environmental change. Furthermore, it is seen that firms need to organize themselves differently with respect to how they combine modularization and platforms, for example, in terms of degree of centralization, formalization, and allocation of decision‐making authority, and that this poses challenges to the combined use of the two approaches.
Investigating Adoption of Free Beta Applications in a Platform‐Based Business Ecosystem
Authors: Mäkinen Saku J. , Kanniainen Juho , Peltola Ilkka
Published: April 2014

Planning new product development (NPD) activities is becoming increasingly difficult, as contemporary businesses compete at the level of business ecosystems in addition to the firm‐level product‐market competition. These business ecosystems are built around platforms interlinking suppliers, complementors, distributors, developers, etc. together. The competitiveness of these ecosystems relies on members utilizing the shared platform for their own performance improvement, especially in terms of developing new valuable offerings for end users. Therefore, managing the development of the platform‐based applications and gaining timely end‐user input for NPD are of vital importance both to the ecosystem as a whole and to the developers. Subsequently, to succeed in NPD planning developers utilizing beta testing need a thorough understanding of the adoption dynamics of beta products. Developers need to plan for example resource allocation; development costs; and timing of commercial, end‐product launches. Therefore, the anticipation of the adoption dynamics of beta products emerges as an important antecedent in planning NPD activities when beta testing is used for gaining end‐user input to the NPD process. Consequently, we investigate how free beta software products that are built upon software platforms diffuse among their end users in a cocreation community. We specifically study whether the adoption of these beta products follows Bass or Gompertz model dynamics used in the previous literature when modeling the adoption of stand‐alone products. Further, we also investigate the forecasting abilities of these two models. Our results show that the adoption dynamics of free beta products in a cocreation community follow Gompertz's model rather than the Bass model. Additionally, we find that the Gompertz model performs better than the Bass model in forecasting both short and long out‐of‐sample time periods. We further discuss the managerial and research implications of our study.
Retrospective study of 14 cases of canine arthritis secondary to Leishmania infection
Authors: Sbrana S. , Marchetti V. , Mancianti F. , Guidi G. , Bennett D.
Published: April 2014

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical appearance, laboratory findings and response to treatment of dogs with inflammatory joint disease associated with Leishmania infection.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of case records of dogs with serologically confirmed leishmaniasis and concurrent inflammatory joint disease presented between 2005 and 2011.

RESULTS

In total, 14 cases met the inclusion criteria. Of these, five (36%) dogs were presented with monoarthritis, five (36%) with oligoarthritis and four (28%) with polyarthritis. The most frequently affected joint was the carpus. Both erosive and non‐erosive disease was identified on radiographic examination. All dogs had an inflammatory synovial fluid with a high white cell count and a preponderance of neutrophils, and in eight (57%) cases Leishmania amastigotes were found in the synovial fluid smears.

Dogs were treated with 50 mg/kg N‐methylglucamine antimoniate twice a day for 1 month and 10 mg/kg allopurinol twice a day for 6 to 9 months combined with prednisolone in five cases. At the 6‐month follow‐up, eight (57%) dogs showed improvement in general and orthopaedic signs and four (28%) dogs were stable.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Leishmaniasis should be considered a differential diagnosis in dogs with inflammatory arthritis in endemic areas.
Transrectal bladder prolapse secondary to pelvic fracture in two dogs
Authors: Crivellenti L. Z. , Silveira M. P. , Silva A. N. , Borin‐Crivellenti S. , Raposo T. M. M. , Honsho D. K.
Published: April 2014

This report describes the exteriorisation of the urinary bladder in two dogs as a result of a laceration of the rectum from a traumatic pelvic fracture. Clinical examination and contrast radiography of the bladder were used as diagnostic tools. Both patients were treated with exploratory laparotomy, where traction of the bladder was utilised to pull the bladder through the traumatic rectal laceration allowing the organ to return to its normal anatomical position. This procedure was followed by surgical reconstruction of the rectum, resulting in effective resolution of each case.
Prevalence of dermatophytes and other superficial fungal organisms in asymptomatic guinea pigs in Southern Italy
Authors: d'Ovidio D. , Grable S. L. , Ferrara M. , Santoro D.
Published: April 2014

Objectives

Guinea pigs have been indicated as a potential source of zoophilic dermatophytes that cause human dermatomycosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dermatophytes as well as saprophytic fungi in asymptomatic pet guinea pigs in Southern Italy.

Methods

Two‐hundred pet guinea pigs were enrolled from both private veterinary clinics and pet shops in the Campania region, Italy, from August 2012 to September 2013. Samples were collected using the MacKenzie’s toothbrush technique. The plates were incubated for four weeks at 25°C and identification of the fungal colonies was based on both macroscopic and microscopic characteristics.

Results

Two pathogenic dermatophytes were isolated in 9 (4·5%) of 200 guinea pigs; Epidermophyton species in 2 (1%) and Scopulariopsis species in 7 (3·5%). Saprophytic dermatophytes were isolated from 151 (75·5%) animals enrolled. No fungal growth was observed in 40 (20%) guinea pigs.

Clinical Significance

The results of this study indicate a low prevalence of pathogenic dermatophytes in pet guinea pigs in Southern Italy but the presence of Epidermophyton and Scopulariopsis species in asymptomatic pet guinea pigs.
Orgasmic Dysfunction: Prevalence and Risk Factors from a Cohort of Young Females in Mexico
Authors: Villeda Sandoval Christian I. , Calao-Pérez Manuel , Enríquez González Ana B. , Gonzalez-Cuenca Eduardo , Ibarra-Saavedra Raúl , Sotomayor Mariano , Castillejos Molina Ricardo A.
Published: April 2014

Introduction

Orgasmic dysfunction (OD) is defined as the inability to achieve an orgasm, markedly diminished intensity of orgasmic sensations, or marked delay of orgasm during any kind of sexual stimulation. OD definition and method of diagnosis vary widely across studies.

Aim

The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and risk factors that predispose Mexican women to OD.

Methods

A representative sample of women from Mexico City was surveyed using an online website. Women between 18 to 40 years old were selected, and the orgasm domain from the Female Sexual Function Index was used to identify OD. A cutoff point was calculated using a construct with a histogram and calculated median. A univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between potential risk factors and sexual function.

Main Outcome Measures

OD prevalence; significant risk factors on multivariate analysis.

Results

OD prevalence was 18.3%. Univariate analysis showed younger age (P = 0.01), lower degree of education (P = 0.02), single marital status (P = 0.038), and dissatisfaction with the thickness and/or size of partner's penis (P = 0.01) as significant variables related to OD. In multivariate analysis, younger age (P = 0.01) and dissatisfaction with the thickness/size of partner's penis (hazard ratio 3.04, P = 0.01) remained significant.

Conclusion

OD is a prevalent alteration in young women. Marital status, education, and dissatisfaction with thickness/size of partner's penis are definitely related variables.
Serum Biomarkers of Clinical and Cytologic Response in Dogs with Idiopathic Immune‐Mediated Polyarthropathy
Authors: Foster J.D. , Sample S. , Kohler R. , Watson K. , Muir P. , Trepanier L.A.
Published: April 2014

Background

Immune‐mediated polyarthopathy (IMPA) is common in dogs, and is monitored by serial arthrocenteses.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Plasma C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and CXCL8 (interleukin‐8) would serve as noninvasive markers of joint inflammation in IMPA.

Animals

Nine client‐owned dogs with idiopathic IMPA; 6 healthy controls.

Methods

Prospective study. Plasma CRP, IL‐6, and CXCL8 were measured by ELISA at baseline, 2, and 4 weeks during treatment with prednisone at 50 mg/m2/day. Arthrocenteses, the canine brief pain inventory (CBPI), and accelerometry collars were used to assess joint inflammation, lameness, and mobility at all 3 time points.

Results

C‐reactive protein concentrations were higher in IMPA dogs (median 91.1 μg/mL, range 76.7–195.0) compared with controls (median <6.3 μg/mL, <6.3–13.7; P = .0035), and were significantly lower at week 2 (10.6 μg/mL, <6.3–48.8) and week 4 (<6.3 μg/mL, <6.3–24.4; P < .001).

C‐reactive protein was correlated with median CBPI scores (r = 0.68; P = .0004), joint cellularity (r = 0.49, P = .011), and mobility by accelerometry (r = −0.42, P = .048). Plasma IL‐6 concentrations were also higher in IMPA dogs (median 45.9 pg/mL), compared with controls (median <15.7 pg/mL; P = .0008). IL‐6 was lower in IMPA dogs by week 4 (<15.7 pg/mL; P = .0099), and was modestly correlated with CBPI scores (r = 0.47, P = .023). CXCL8 did not differ significantly between IMPA and healthy dogs.

Conclusions

Plasma CRP and IL‐6 might be useful surrogate markers of synovial inflammation and disease activity in dogs with IMPA.
How are dung beetle species affected by deer population increases in a cool temperate forest ecosystem?
Authors: Koike S. , Soga M. , Nemoto Y. , Kozakai C.
Published: April 2014

Using plant–herbivore–decomposer trophic chains as an example, we have tried to clarify the key roles of multitrophic interactions in species diversity. The interactions included two‐link (herbivore–decomposer and decomposer–plant) and three‐link (decomposer–herbivore–plant) chains within a community. Specifically, we investigated how sika deer abundance impacted dung beetle populations via dung supply and vegetation changes by surveying deer and beetle abundance and community composition monthly in Japan. The forest sites were similar in canopy cover, but differed in the presence (sites A and B) or absence (sites C) of an understory and in the abundance of deer (rare at site A, moderate at sites B and C, and common at site D). Site D was patchy grassland. Beetle species fell into two groups based on whether they were more abundant at sites with more dung or at sites with an understory. We suspect that the type of dung usage and/or beetle body size affected this finding. First, one beetle group was more strongly affected by vegetation cover than dung supply, and they were mostly dwellers. The other group was affected by dung supply more than vegetation cover and comprised mostly tunnelers. Dwellers may be strongly negatively affected by decreased understory vegetation because of dung drying. Second, large beetle species were positively affected by decreasing vegetation cover and increasing dung supply; understory vegetation may negatively affect mobility in larger species. Our results suggested that increased deer abundance had both positive and negative as well as direct and indirect effects on the dung beetle community by increasing the dung supply and changing the vegetation structure, respectively. Moreover, dung beetle species responded differently depending on their ecological requirements and body sizes.
Untreated highly viraemic pregnant women from Asia or sub‐Saharan Africa often transmit hepatitis B virus despite serovaccination to newborns
Authors: Sellier Pierre , Maylin Sarah , Amarsy Rishma , Mazeron Marie‐Christine , Larrouy Lucile , Haïm‐Boukobza Stéphanie , Lopes Amanda , Moreno Maria‐Dolores , Ricbourg Aude , Simoneau Guy , Magnier Jean‐Dominique , Mercier‐Delarue Sophie , Delcey Véronique , Evans John , Cambau Emmanuelle , Barranger Emmanuel , Simon François , Bergmann Jean‐François
Published: April 2014

Background & Aims

Mother‐to‐child (MTC) hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission has been mainly studied in Asia. The geographical origins of women and HBV genotypes differ in Europe. The aims were to determine the rate and risk factors of MTC HBV transmission from women with high HBV DNA loads in a maternity hospital in Paris, France.

Methods

Retrospective study of HIV‐negative, HBs Ag‐positive pregnant women with HBV DNA loads above 5 Log10 I.U/ml who were not given lamivudine or tenofovirDF during pregnancy between 2004 and 2011.

Results

Among 11 417 pregnant women, 437 (4%) showed a positive HBs Ag. Among these women, 52 had HBV DNA loads above 5 Log10 I.U/ml: 41, 10 and 1 born in Asia, sub‐Saharan Africa and Europe respectively. Among the 52 women, 40 were eligible for the analysis: no antiviral therapy during pregnancy; children over 9 months old. Twenty‐eight (70%) women were assessed, corresponding to 41 childbirths. Eleven children (27%) had positive HBs Ag, 14 (34%) had positive HBc and HBs Ab, 16 (39%) had positive HBs Ab only. The risk of having positive HBs Ag, according to maternal HBV DNA loads, was 14% for HBV DNA loads less or equal to 8 Log10 I.U/ml, 42% for HBV DNA loads over 8 Log10 I.U/ml, P = 0.04, but not related to the women's origin, HBV genotype.

Conclusions

This study confirms that serovaccination does not fully protect newborns from MTC HBV transmission, when maternal HBV DNA loads exceed 5 Log10 I.U/ml, regardless of the women's origin or HBV genotype.
Unexpected population genetic structure of European roe deer in Poland: an invasion of the mtDNA genome from Siberian roe deer
Authors: Matosiuk Maciej , Borkowska Anetta , Świsłocka Magdalena , Mirski Paweł , Borowski Zbigniew , Krysiuk Kamil , Danilkin Aleksey A. , Zvychaynaya Elena Y. , Saveljev Alexander P. , Ratkiewicz Mirosław
Published: April 2014

Introgressive hybridization is a widespread evolutionary phenomenon which may lead to increased allelic variation at selective neutral loci and to transfer of fitness‐related traits to introgressed lineages. We inferred the population genetic structure of the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in Poland from mitochondrial (CR and cyt b) and sex‐linked markers (ZFX, SRY, DBY4 and DBY8). Analyses of CR mtDNA sequences from 452 individuals indicated widespread introgression of Siberian roe deer (C. pygargus) mtDNA in the European roe deer genome, 2000 km from the current distribution range of C. pygargus. Introgressed individuals constituted 16.6% of the deer studied. Nearly 75% of them possessed haplotypes belonging to the group which arose 23 kyr ago and have not been detected within the natural range of Siberian roe deer, indicating that majority of present introgression has ancient origin. Unlike the mtDNA results, sex‐specific markers did not show signs of introgression. Species distribution modelling analyses suggested that C. pygargus could have extended its range as far west as Central Europe after last glacial maximum. The main hybridization event was probably associated with range expansion of the most abundant European roe deer lineage from western refugia and took place in Central Europe after the Younger Dryas (10.8–10.0 ka BP). Initially, introgressed mtDNA variants could have spread out on the wave of expansion through the mechanism of gene surfing, reaching high frequencies in European roe deer populations and leading to observed asymmetrical gene flow. Human‐mediated introductions of C. pygargus had minimal effect on the extent of mtDNA introgression.
Boring Infinite Descent
Authors: Tahko Tuomas E.
Published: April 2014

In formal ontology, infinite regresses are generally considered a bad sign. One debate where such regresses come into play is the debate about fundamentality. Arguments in favour of some type of fundamentalism are many, but they generally share the idea that infinite chains of ontological dependence must be ruled out. Some motivations for this view are assessed in this article, with the conclusion that such infinite chains may not always be vicious. Indeed, there may even be room for a type of fundamentalism combined with infinite descent as long as this descent is “boring,” that is, the same structure repeats ad infinitum. A start is made in the article towards a systematic account of this type of infinite descent. The philosophical prospects and scientific tenability of the account are briefly evaluated using an example from physics.
Quorum regulatory small RNAs repress type VI secretion in Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Shao Yi , Bassler Bonnie L.
Published: April 2014

Type VI secretion is critical for Vibrio cholerae to successfully combat phagocytic eukaryotes and to survive in the presence of competing bacterial species. V. cholerae type VI secretion system genes are encoded in one large and two small clusters. In V. cholerae, type VI secretion is controlled by quorum sensing, the cell–cell communication process that enables bacteria to orchestrate group behaviours. The quorum‐sensing response regulator LuxO represses type VI secretion genes at low cell density and the quorum‐sensing regulator HapR activates type VI secretion genes at high cell density. We demonstrate that the quorum regulatory small RNAs (Qrr sRNAs) that function between LuxO and HapR in the quorum‐sensing cascade are required for these regulatory effects. The Qrr sRNAs control type VI secretion via two mechanisms: they repress expression of the large type VI secretion system cluster through base pairing and they repress HapR, the activator of the two small type VI secretion clusters. This regulatory arrangement ensures that the large cluster encoding many components of the secretory machine is expressed prior to the two small clusters that encode the secreted effectors. Qrr sRNA‐dependent regulation of the type VI secretion system is conserved in pandemic and non‐pandemic V. cholerae strains.
The HrcA repressor is the thermosensor of the heat‐shock regulatory circuit in the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Roncarati Davide , Danielli Alberto , Scarlato Vincenzo
Published: April 2014

Bacteria exploit different strategies to perceive and rapidly respond to sudden changes of temperature. In Helicobacter pylori the response to thermic stress is transcriptionally controlled by a regulatory circuit that involves two repressors, HspR and HrcA. Here we report that HrcA acts as a protein thermometer. We demonstrate that temperature specifically modulates HrcA binding to DNA, with a complete and irreversible temperature‐dependent loss of DNA binding activity at 42°C. Intriguingly, although the reduction of HrcA binding capability is not reversible in vitro, transcriptional analysis showed that HrcA exerts its repressive influence in vivo, even when the de novo repressor synthesis is blocked after the temperature challenge. Accordingly, we demonstrate the central role of the chaperonine GroESL in restoring the HrcA binding activity, lost upon heat challenge. Together our results establish HrcA as a rare example of intrinsic temperature sensing transcriptional regulator, whose activity is post‐transcriptionally modulated by the GroESL chaperonine.
Phosphorylation of transitory starch by α‐glucan, water dikinase during starch turnover affects the surface properties and morphology of starch granules
Authors: Mahlow Sebastian , Hejazi Mahdi , Kuhnert Franziska , Garz Andreas , Brust Henrike , Baumann Otto , Fettke Joerg
Published: April 2014

Glucan, water dikinase (GWD) is a key enzyme of starch metabolism but the physico‐chemical properties of starches isolated from GWD‐deficient plants and their implications for starch metabolism have so far not been described.

Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants with reduced or no GWD activity were used to investigate the properties of starch granules. In addition, using various in vitro assays, the action of recombinant GWD, β‐amylase, isoamylase and starch synthase 1 on the surface of native starch granules was analysed.

The internal structure of granules isolated from GWD mutant plants is unaffected, as thermal stability, allomorph, chain length distribution and density of starch granules were similar to wild‐type. However, short glucan chain residues located at the granule surface dominate in starches of transgenic plants and impede GWD activity. A similarly reduced rate of phosphorylation by GWD was also observed in potato tuber starch fractions that differ in the proportion of accessible glucan chain residues at the granule surface.

A model is proposed to explain the characteristic morphology of starch granules observed in GWD transgenic plants. The model postulates that the occupancy rate of single glucan chains at the granule surface limits accessibility to starch‐related enzymes.
Genetically based latitudinal variation in Artemisia californica secondary chemistry
Authors: Pratt Jessica D. , Keefover‐Ring Ken , Liu Lawrence Y. , Mooney Kailen A.
Published: April 2014

Steep climatic gradients may select for clinal adaptation in plant functional traits with implications for interspecific interactions and response to future climate change. Terpenes are common in Mediterranean environments and mediate plant interactions with both the abiotic and biotic environment, including herbivores. Clines in traits such as terpenes have received much attention because they are linked to plant fitness and experience strong selection from the abiotic and biotic environment. In this study, we tested for intraspecific variation in Artemisia californica terpene chemistry in a common garden of plants sourced from populations spanning a large precipitation gradient (6° latitude) and grown in treatments of high and low precipitation. We found genetic variation in terpene richness, diversity, concentration and composition among A. californica populations spanning this species’ range. Of these traits, terpene composition and monoterpene concentration varied clinally with respect to source site latitude. Regarding terpene composition, pairwise dissimilarity among populations increased in parallel with geographic distance between source sites. At the same time, monoterpene concentration decreased monotonically from plants of southern origin (source sites with high temperature, aridity, and precipitation variability) to plants of northern origin. Our precipitation manipulation suggests that phenotypic selection by precipitation may underlie this clinal variation in monoterpene concentration, and that monoterpene concentration and other aspects of terpene chemistry are not phenotypically plastic. In summary, this study provides novel evidence for a genetically based latitudinal cline in plant secondary chemistry and suggests that adaptation to a key aspect of the abiotic environment may contribute to this intraspecific variation. Accordingly, changes in terpene chemistry under projected future climates will likely occur solely through the relatively slow process of adaptation, with important consequences for plant interactions with the abiotic environment and a diverse community of associates.
Metacommunity size influences aquatic community composition in a natural mesocosm landscape
Authors: LeCraw Robin M. , Srivastava Diane S. , Romero Gustavo Q.
Published: April 2014

Ecosystems are often arranged in naturally patchy landscapes with habitat patches linked by dispersal of species in a metacommunity. The size of a metacommunity, or number of patches, is predicted to influence community dynamics and therefore the structure and function of local communities. However, such predictions have yet to be experimentally tested using full food webs in natural metacommunities. We used the natural mesocosm system of aquatic macroinvertebrates in bromeliad phytotelmata to test the effect of the number of patches in a metacommunity on species richness, abundance, and community composition. We created metacommunities of varying size using fine mesh cages to enclose a gradient from a single bromeliad up to the full forest. We found that species richness, abundance, and biomass increased from enclosed metacommunities to the full forest size and that diversity and evenness also increased in larger enclosures. Community composition was affected by metacommunity size across the full gradient, with a more even detritivore community in larger metacommunities, and taxonomic groups such as mosquitoes going locally extinct in smaller metacommunities. We were able to divide the effects of metacommunity size into aquatic and terrestrial habitat components and found that the importance of each varied by species; those with simple life cycles were only affected by local aquatic habitat whereas insects with complex life cycles were also affected by the amount of terrestrial matrix. This differential survival of obligate and non‐obligate dispersers allowed us to partition the beta‐diversity between metacommunities among functional groups. Our study is one of the first tests of metacommunity size in a natural metacommunity landscape and shows that both diversity and community composition are significantly affected by metacommunity size.

Synthesis

Natural food webs are sensitive to meta‐community size, i.e. the number of patches connected through dispersal. We provide an empirical test using the aquatic foodweb associated within bromeliads as a model system. When we reduced the number of bromeliad patches connect through dispersal, we found a clear change of the foodweb in terms of population sizes, beta diversity, community composition and predator‐prey ratios. The response of individual taxa was predictable based on species traits including dispersal modes, life cycle, and adult resource requirements. Our study demonstrates that community structure is strongly influenced by the interplay of species traits and landscape properties.
Concurrent biotic interactions influence plant performance at their altitudinal distribution margins
Authors: Kaarlejärvi Elina , Olofsson Johan
Published: April 2014

Recent studies have shown that biotic interactions can shape species' distributions, but empirical data on multiple biotic interactions are scarce. Therefore, we examined effects of plant–plant and plant–herbivore interactions on plant survival, growth and reproduction at different altitudes. For these purposes we conducted a factorial neighbor removal and large herbivore exclusion experiment with six transplant species (three tall forbs with their main distribution at low altitudes and three small forbs with their main distribution at high altitudes) on Låktačohkka Mountain, northern Sweden, replicated at two altitudes (ca 600 and 900 m a.s.l.) and consequently a 2.1°C difference in summer air temperatures. Overall transplant survival was 93%. Two out of three tall forbs grew better at low than at high altitudes, while no significant differences in growth between altitudes were found for any of the three small forbs. Since the main difference in abiotic conditions between the altitudes was most likely in temperature (as the sites were topographically and edaphically matched as closely as possible), this result indicates that climatic warming could induce upward migration of tall low‐altitude forbs. Negative plant–plant interactions prevailed at both altitudes, and we found indications that competition may set the lower altitudinal limits of some small tundra forbs. Thus, increased competition in response to climate warming may potentially shift the lower margins of high‐altitude forbs' distributions upward. Large mammalian grazers reduced the growth of tall forbs and enhanced the flowering of small forbs, and grazers could thus at least partly counteract the anticipated warming‐induced distribution shifts.
DETERMINANTS OF NETWORK OUTCOMES: THE IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Authors: YSA TAMYKO , SIERRA VICENTA , ESTEVE MARC
Published: April 2014

The literature on network management is extensive. However, it generally explores network structures, neglecting the impact of management strategies. In this article we assess the effect of management strategies on network outcomes, providing empirical evidence from 119 urban revitalization networks. We go beyond current work by testing a path model for the determinants of network outcomes and considering the interactions between the constructs: management strategies, trust, complexity, and facilitative leadership. Our results suggest that management strategies have a strong effect on network outcomes and that they enhance the level of trust. We also found that facilitative leadership has a positive impact on network management as well as on trust in the network. Our findings also show that complexity has a negative impact on trust. A key finding of our research is that managers may wield more influence on network dynamics than previously theorized.
SNP markers‐based map construction and genome‐wide linkage analysis in Brassica napus
Authors: Raman Harsh , Dalton‐Morgan Jessica , Diffey Simon , Raman Rosy , Alamery Salman , Edwards David , Batley Jacqueline
Published: April 2014

An Illumina Infinium array comprising 5306 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers was used to genotype 175 individuals of a doubled haploid population derived from a cross between Skipton and Ag‐Spectrum, two Australian cultivars of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). A genetic linkage map based on 613 SNP and 228 non‐SNP (DArT, SSR, SRAP and candidate gene markers) covering 2514.8 cM was constructed and further utilized to identify loci associated with flowering time and resistance to blackleg, a disease caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Comparison between genetic map positions of SNP markers and the sequenced Brassica rapa (A) and Brassica oleracea (C) genome scaffolds showed several genomic rearrangements in the B. napus genome. A major locus controlling resistance to L. maculans was identified at both seedling and adult plant stages on chromosome A07. QTL analyses revealed that up to 40.2% of genetic variation for flowering time was accounted for by loci having quantitative effects. Comparative mapping showed Arabidopsis and Brassica flowering genes such as Phytochrome A/D, Flowering Locus C and agamous‐Like MADS box gene AGL1 map within marker intervals associated with flowering time in a DH population from Skipton/Ag‐Spectrum. Genomic regions associated with flowering time and resistance to L. maculans had several SNP markers mapped within 10 cM. Our results suggest that SNP markers will be suitable for various applications such as trait introgression, comparative mapping and high‐resolution mapping of loci in B. napus.
College Students' Preferences for Health Care Providers when Accessing Sexual Health Resources
Authors: Garcia Carolyn M. , Lechner Kate E. , Frerich Ellen A. , Lust Katherine A. , Eisenberg Marla E.
Published: April 2014

Objective

Many emerging adults (18–25 year olds) report unmet health needs and disproportionately experience problems such as sexually transmitted infections. This study was conducted to examine college students' perceptions of health care providers, specifically in the context of accessing sexual health resources.

Design and Sample

Students (N = 52) were recruited from five diverse colleges in one state to participate in a one‐to‐one interview that involved walking and virtually exploring resources on and near campus. Interviews were conducted from May to November 2010.

Measures

Open‐ended one‐to‐one interview questions.

Results

Inductive qualitative analysis yielded six themes summarizing students' perceptions of provider characteristics, health care resources, the role of their peers, and students' suggestions for strengthening health care services. Importantly, students consider a variety of staff—and their student peers—to be resources for sexual health information and services.

Conclusions

Findings emphasize the importance of collaboration between health service staff and broader campus staff because students often turn to campus staff initially. Postsecondary students welcome opportunities to know a provider through interactive websites that include details about providers on campus; their decisions to seek sexual health care services are influenced by their perceptions of providers' characteristics and interpersonal skills.
Excited State Photoreaction between the Indole Side Chain of Tryptophan and Halocompounds Generates New Fluorophores and Unique Modifications
Authors: Ladner Carol L. , Tran Khai , Le Mary , Turner Raymond J. , Edwards Robert A.
Published: April 2014

Photoreaction of indole containing compounds with chloroform and other trichlorocompounds generates products with redshifted fluorescence. In proteins, this reaction can be used for the fluorescent detection of proteins. Little characterization of products generated through the photochemical reaction of indoles with halocompounds has been done, yet is fundamental for the development of other fluorophores, protein labeling agents, and bioactive indole derivatives. Here, we have characterized which isomers form in the photoreaction between tryptophan and chloroform using 1H‐NMR of tryptophan and methylated derivatives to reveal that the two major products that are formed result from modification at the 4‐ and 6‐carbon positions of the indole ring. Reaction at position 6 generates 6‐formyl tryptophan and the reaction at position 4 generates an imine because the formyl derivative that is initially formed reacts further with the tryptophan amine group. The spectroscopic properties and product molecular weights of photoproducts formed from photoreaction of tryptophan with other trihalo and monohalocompounds are also determined. The indole ring of tryptophan can be modified with various additions from halocompounds, including the addition of labels to the indole ring via methylene groups. This opens possibilities for generating novel tryptophan based fluorophores and protein labeling strategies using this photochemistry.
Creating Public Value with Tax and Spending Policies: The View from Public Economics
Authors: Kalambokidis Laura
Published: April 2014

According to the framework rooted in public economics, governments can create public value by focusing tax and spending policies on remedying market failures and addressing concerns about fairness embodied in a social welfare function. By pursuing optimal tax and spending policies, governments navigate the omnipresent trade‐offs between equity and efficiency. Of course, in practice, the process by which policies are adopted does not resemble the planner's problem in social choice theory. In addition, real fiscal policies do not look much like the recommendations that arise from the optimal tax literature. Governments operate in public choice environments that are not conducive to focused remedying of market failure, and they suffer from their own tendencies to fail to achieve their objectives. Nevertheless, many of the tools are in place to help the federal and state governments focus tax and spending in ways that can maximize public value.
Cross‐cutting organizational and demographic divides and the performance of research and development teams: two wrongs can make a right
Authors: Iseke Anja , Kocks Birgit , Schneider Martin R. , Schulze‐Bentrop Conrad
Published: April 2014

In interorganizational research and development (R&D) teams, diverse skills and insights may be combined productively, but the team members' differing organizational backgrounds may also inhibit team performance. In this paper, it is argued that interorganizational R&D teams are more likely to perform with a certain demographic composition. In particular, the problems of an organizational divide can be overcome by a second, demographic divide that cuts across organizational boundaries. With a cross‐cutting demographic divide – or faultline – interorganizational R&D teams may perform; without it, they tend to perform poorly. Supportive evidence is provided in a fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis on 51 projects conducted in a single R&D partnership. As this implies, interorganizational R&D teams should deliberately be composed to show a cross‐cutting demographic divide.