bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of pine invasion on land planarian communities in an area covered by Araucaria moist forest
Authors: de Oliveira Simone Machado , Boll Piter Kehoma , dos Anjos Baptista Vanessa , Leal-Zanchet Ana Maria
Published: April 2014

Background

Cultivation of exotic pine species has increased in areas ofAraucariamoist forest, which is an ecosystem with high biological diversity. Land planarians are generally susceptible to replacement of natural habitat by exotic tree species plantations. However, how planarian communities respond to the invasion of exotic species in natural habitats is unknown: (1) Are there differences in richness and abundance of land planarians between sites ofAraucariamoist forest with (AMF-P) and without (AMF) pine trees and between these areas and pine plantations (P)? (2) Does the species composition of land planarians vary among AMF, AMF-P, and P?

Results

This study shows that mean richness and abundance of land planarians per sample unit are higher in AMF sites than AMF-P sites. In addition, AMF sites have a higher estimated richness per sample unit than pine plantations and AMF-P sites. In AMF-P sites, mean richness and abundance are higher in sample units not influenced by pine trees than in those with pine needles. An ordination analysis indicated that the communities of each site are distinct, especially the communities of the AMF and P sites.

Conclusions

The present work demonstrated negative impacts from a recent invasion of an exotic species of pine on the richness and abundance of land planarians in a site ofAraucariamoist forest and significant variation in the planarian community composition between sites ofAraucariamoist forest and pine plantation.
Gene markers of cellular aging in human multipotent stromal cells in culture
Authors: Bellayr Ian H , Catalano Jennifer G , Lababidi Samir , Yang Amy X , Lo Surdo Jessica L , Bauer Steven R , Puri Raj K
Published: April 2014

Introduction

Human multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from bone marrow or other tissue sources have great potential to treat a wide range of injuries and disorders in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. In particular, MSCs have inherent characteristics to suppress the immune system and are being studied in clinical studies to prevent graft-versus-host disease. MSCs can be expanded in vitro and have potential for differentiation into multiple cell lineages. However, the impact of cell passaging on gene expression and function of the cells has not been determined.

Methods

Commercially available human MSCs derived from bone marrow from six different donors, grown under identical culture conditions and harvested at cell passages 3, 5, and 7, were analyzed with gene-expression profiling by using microarray technology.

Results

The phenotype of these cells did not change as reported previously; however, a statistical analysis revealed a set of 78 significant genes that were distinguishable in expression between passages 3 and 7. None of these significant genes corresponded to the markers established by the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) for MSC identification. When the significant gene lists were analyzed through pathway analysis, these genes were involved in the top-scoring networks of cellular growth and proliferation and cellular development. A meta-analysis of the literature for significant genes revealed that the MSCs seem to be undergoing differentiation into a senescent cell type when cultured extensively. Consistent with the differences in gene expression at passage 3 and 7, MSCs exhibited a significantly greater potential for cell division at passage 3 in comparison to passage 7.

Conclusions

Our results identified specific gene markers that distinguish aging MSCs grown in cell culture. Confirmatory studies are needed to correlate these molecular markers with biologic attributes that may facilitate the development of assays to test the quality of MSCs before clinical use.
The effect of Rho kinase inhibition on long-term keratinocyte proliferation is rapid and conditional
Authors: Chapman Sandra , McDermott David H , Shen Kui , Jang Moon Kyoo , McBride Alison A
Published: April 2014

Introduction

We previously demonstrated that the lifespan of primary human keratinocytes could be extended indefinitely by culture in the presence of the Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632. This technique has proven to be very useful in diverse areas of basic and clinical research.

Methods

In this follow-up study we determine whether the continual presence of Y-27632 is required for sustained proliferation. We also test whether different ROCK inhibitors can be used for this technique and whether it can also promote indefinite proliferation of animal keratinocytes. We measure keratinocyte gene expression, proliferation, behaviour and lifespan in the presence and absence of Y-27632.

Results

We demonstrate that the extension of lifespan observed by culture of keratinocytes in the presence of fibroblast feeders and a ROCK inhibitor is reversible and that cells senesce gradually when the inhibitor is removed from the medium. Conversely, keratinocytes that are close to the end of their replicative life span can be revived by ROCK inhibition. We demonstrate that different inhibitors of ROCK can also efficiently extend the lifespan of human keratinocytes and that ROCK inhibition extends the lifespan of animal keratinocytes derived from mouse and bovine epithelia. Gene expression analysis of human epidermal keratinocytes cells grown in the presence of Y-27632 demonstrates that ROCK inhibition primarily inhibits keratinocyte differentiation. Live-imaging of keratinocytes cultured with ROCK inhibitors show that the effect of ROCK inhibition on cellular proliferation is immediate and ROCK inhibited cells proliferate rapidly without differentiation or stratification.

Conclusions

ROCK inhibition rapidly and conditionally induces indefinite proliferation of keratinocytes. This method has far-reaching applications for basic research, as well as for regenerative and personalized medicine.
Maternal Obesity and IL-6 Lead to Aberrant Developmental Gene Expression and Deregulated Neurite Growth in the Fetal Arcuate Nucleus
Authors: Sanders Tessa R. , Kim Dong Won , Glendining Kelly A. , Jasoni Christine L.
Published: April 2014

Maternal obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of obesity in the offspring. Several observations have pointed to a causative role for the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, but whether it is present in the fetal circulation and how it acts on the developing fetus are unclear. We first observed that postnatal day 0 offspring from obese mothers had significantly reduced neuropeptide Y (NPY) innervation of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) compared with that for offspring of normal-weight controls. Thus, the growth of NPY neurites from the arcuate nucleus (ARC) was impaired in the fetal brain by maternal obesity. The neurite growth regulator, Netrin-1, was expressed in the ARC and PVN and along the pathway between the two at gestational day (GD) 17.5 in normal animals, making it likely to be involved in the development of NPY ARC-PVN projections. In addition, the expression of Dcc and Unc5d, receptors for Netrin-1, were altered in the GD17.5 ARC in obese but not normal weight pregnancies. Thus, this important developmental pathway is perturbed by maternal obesity and may explain the defect in NPY innervation of the PVN that occurs in fetuses developing in obese mothers. To investigate whether IL-6 may play a role in these developmental changes, we found first that IL-6 was significantly elevated in the fetal and maternal circulation in pregnancies of obese mice compared with those of normal-weight mice. In addition, treatment of GD17.5 ARC tissue with IL-6 in vitro significantly reduced ARC neurite outgrowth and altered developmental gene expression similar to maternal obesity in vivo. These findings demonstrate that maternal obesity may alter the way in which fetal ARC NPY neurons respond to key developmental signals that regulate normal prenatal neural connectivity and suggest a causative role for elevated IL-6 in these changes.
Inducible Neuronal Inactivation of Sim1 in Adult Mice Causes Hyperphagic Obesity
Authors: Tolson Kristen P. , Gemelli Terry , Meyer Donna , Yazdani Umar , Kozlitina Julia , Zinn Andrew R.
Published: April 2014

Germline haploinsufficiency of human or mouse Sim1 is associated with hyperphagic obesity. Sim1 encodes a transcription factor required for proper formation of the paraventricular (PVN), supraoptic, and anterior periventricular hypothalamic nuclei. Sim1 expression persists in these neurons in adult mice, raising the question of whether it plays a physiologic role in regulation of energy balance. We previously showed that Sim1 heterozygous mice had normal numbers of PVN neurons that were hyporesponsive to melanocortin 4 receptor agonism and showed reduced oxytocin expression. Furthermore, conditional postnatal neuronal inactivation of Sim1 also caused hyperphagic obesity and decreased hypothalamic oxytocin expression. PVN projections to the hindbrain, where oxytocin is thought to act to modulate satiety, were anatomically intact in both Sim1 heterozygous and conditional knockout mice. These experiments provided evidence that Sim1 functions in energy balance apart from its role in hypothalamic development but did not rule out effects of Sim1 deficiency on postnatal hypothalamic maturation. To address this possibility, we used a tamoxifen-inducible, neural-specific Cre transgene to conditionally inactivate Sim1 in adult mice with mature hypothalamic circuitry. Induced Sim1 inactivation caused increased food and water intake and decreased expression of PVN neuropeptides, especially oxytocin and vasopressin, with no change in energy expenditure. Sim1 expression was not required for survival of PVN neurons. The results corroborate previous evidence that Sim1 acts physiologically as well as developmentally to regulate body weight. Inducible knockout mice provide a system for studying Sim1’s physiologic function in energy balance and identifying its relevant transcriptional targets in the hypothalamus.
Communication, Renegotiation, and the Scope for Collusion
Authors: Cooper David J. , Kühn Kai-Uwe
Published: April 2014

We study the effect of communication in an experimental game where cooperation is consistent with equilibrium play if players share an understanding that cheating will be punished. Consistent with communication acting as a coordinating device, credible preplay threats to punish cheating are the most effective message to facilitate collusion. Promises to collude also improve cooperation. Credible threats do not occur in a treatment with a limited message space that permits threats of punishment. Contrary to some theoretical predictions, renegotiation possibilities facilitate collusion. (JEL C71, C73, D83, L12)
Vendettas
Authors: Bolle Friedel , Tan Jonathan H.W. , Zizzo Daniel John
Published: April 2014

Vendettas occur in many real-world settings where rivals compete for a prize, e.g., winning a competitive promotion or retaining a job, by engaging in aggressive, retaliatory behavior. We present a benchmark experiment where two players have an initial probability of winning a prize. Retaliatory vendettas occur and lead subjects to the worst possible outcomes in 2/3 of cases, counter to self-interest predictions, with large inefficiencies even in the absence of any immediate gain from aggression. Negative emotions are important and interact with the economic setting to produce large social inefficiencies. Allowing cooling off periods reduces aggression. (JEL C72, D74)
Detailed mark‐up of semi‐monographic legacy taxonomic works using FlorML
Authors: Hamann Thomas D. , Müller Andreas , Roos Marinus C. , Sosef Marc , Smets Erik
Published: April 2014

We present FlorML, an XML schema, specifically designed for the detailed mark‐up of highly complicated semi‐monographic legacy taxonomic works, such as large Floras and Faunas. We discuss the prerequisites for developing a suitable XML schema, and the limitations presented by the legacy taxonomic works, requirements by stakeholders and the desired output format. Furthermore, we explain how FlorML was deployed to mark up two legacy taxonomic works, Flora Malesiana and Flore du Gabon, how that deployment was improved by the use of the scripting language Perl to automate major parts of the process, and discuss the issues commonly encountered during the mark‐up process. Examples and figures are provided for clarification. Finally, we make suggestions for future research and further developments in the field of biodiversity informatics.
Genetic identity of putative Linnaean plants: Successful DNA amplification of Linnaeus's crab apple Malus baccata
Authors: Andreasen Katarina , Manktelow Mariette , Sehic Jasna , Garkava-Gustavsson Larisa
Published: April 2014

Advancements in molecular techniques enable us to extract DNA from historic herbarium specimens and facilitate genetic comparisons between herbarium material and living plant collections. These recent advances offer an exciting opportunity for identifying extant Linnaean plants by genetic comparisons of Linnaeus's own herbarium specimens with potentially remnant plants from his cultivations. DNA from the lectotype of Malus baccata (L.) Borkh. in the Linnaean Herbarium was successfully extracted and amplified for five of twelve loci of microsatellites. Results of genetic comparisons with M. baccata trees from Linnaeus's Hammarby, Sweden, show that the trees at Hammarby are closely related to each other, but not to the lectotype, which is closer to material from Russia. This suggests that Linnaeus received M. baccata from more than one source. Although not close to the lectotype and not represented by a specimen in the Linnaean Herbarium, the extant M. baccata at Hammarby may still represent Linnaean plants, that were grown by Linnaeus himself, or the descendants to such plants. Future studies on the almost 50 living, potential Linnaean plants may reveal an invaluable biological, scientific and cultural heritage from the era that saw the rise of systematic biology.
Testing the boundaries of closely related daisy taxa using metabolomic profiling
Authors: Messina Andre , Callahan Damien L. , Walsh Neville G. , Hoebee Susan E. , Green Peter T.
Published: April 2014

Advances in high‐throughput, comprehensive small molecule analytical techniques have seen the development of the field of metabolomics. The coupling of mass spectrometry with high‐resolution chromatography provides extensive chemical profiles from complex biological extracts. These profiles include thousands of compounds linked to gene expression, and can be used as taxonomic characters. Studies have shown metabolite profiles to be taxon specific in a range of organisms, but few have investigated taxonomically problematic plant taxa. This study used a phenetic analysis of metabolite profiles to test taxonomic boundaries in the Olearia phlogopappa (Asteraceae) complex as delimited by morphological data. Metabolite profiles were generated from both field‐ and shade hous‐egrown material, using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS). Aligned profiles of 51 samples from 12 taxa gave a final dataset of over 10,000 features. Multivariate analyses of field and shade house material gave congruent results, both confirming the distinctiveness of the morphologically defined species and subspecies in this complex. Metabolomics has great potential in alpha taxonomy, especially for testing the boundaries of closely related taxa where DNA sequence data has been uninformative.
Resolved phylogeny of Cleomaceae based on all three genomes
Authors: Patchell Melanie J. , Roalson Eric H. , Hall Jocelyn C.
Published: April 2014

Cleomaceae is a small pantropical family that is emerging as a promising system to investigate C4 photosynthesis, floral evolution, and comparative genomics. However, our understanding of these phenomena is hindered by a lack of a strong phylogenetic hypothesis, despite a number of previous studies. We reconstructed the phylogeny of the family using data from all three genomes, including three cpDNA (ndhF, matK, ycf1), one mtDNA (rps3), and one nrDNA (ITS) regions. Analyses strongly supported 15 clades: (1) Clade 1, which includes two Old World species, Cleome khorassanica and C. turkmena; (2) Cleome s.str., which includes the type C. ornithopodioides and Old World species; (3) Droserifolia, corresponding to three Old World species, C. droserifolia, C. fimbriata, C. quinquenervia; (4) Polanisia, equivalent to this New World genus; (5) Angustifolia, which includes four Old World species; (6) North American cleomoids, which includes four genera, Cleomella, Peritoma, Oxystylis, and Wislizenia; (7) Australian, which includes Old world species and worldwide weed Arivela viscosa; (8) Gynandropsis, equivalent to this monotypic genus; (9) Clade 6, which includes Old World species of Cleome and Dipterygium; (10) Dactylaena, corresponding to this genus and Physostemon; (11) African, which includes species distributed in Old World; (12) Andean, which includes Podandrogyne and tropical New World species of Cleome; (13) Melidiscus, which includes New World tropical species; (14) Cleoserrata, which includes New World tropical species; and (15) Tarenaya, a large New World clade. Major relationships amongst the clades are strongly supported for the first time, including North American cleomoids sister to all remaining Cleomaceae. While five genera are confirmed or newly identified here to be non‐monophyletic (Cleome, Cleomella, Hemiscola, Peritoma, Tarenaya), six are supported (Cleoserrata, Dactylaena, Melidiscus, Physostemon, Podandrogyne, Polanisia). Thus, there are many taxonomic and evolutionary implications to our revised phylogenetic hypothesis.
A molecular phylogeny and classification of the Cteniinae, Farragininae, Gouiniinae, Gymnopogoninae, Perotidinae, and Trichoneurinae (Poaceae: Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae)
Authors: Peterson Paul M. , Romaschenko Konstantin , Arrieta Yolanda Herrera
Published: April 2014

The classification of twenty Cynodonteae genera (Bewsia, Craspedorhachis, Ctenium, Dignathia, Farrago, Gouinia, Gymnopogon, Latipes, Leptocarydion, Leptothrium, Lophacme, Lopholepis, Mosdenia, Perotis, Schenckochloa, Toliara, Trichoneura, Trigonochloa, Triplasis, Vaseyochloa) has been poorly understood. The goals of this study were to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the tribe Cynodonteae, emphasizing these twenty genera using molecular data with increased species sampling. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted on 159 samples, of which 94 species (140 individuals) were in the Cynodonteae, using four plastid (rpl32‐trnL spacer, ndhA intron, rps16‐trnK spacer, rps16 intron) and nuclear ITS 1&2 (ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions) sequences to infer evolutionary relationships and revise the classification. Strong support was found for six lineages. Craspedorhachis, Ctenium, Dignathia, Gymnopogon, Trichoneura, and Triplasis appear monophyletic; Leptothrium is paraphyletic with Latipes inermis embedded within; Perotis is paraphyletic with Lopholepis and Toliara embedded within; and Gouinia is monophyletic with the resurrection of Schenckochloa. The molecular results support the recognition of six subtribes; five (Cteniinae, Farragininae, Gymnopogoninae, Perotidinae, Trichoneurinae) are newly described. A new genus, Tridentopsis, is described; five new combinations, Leptothrium inerme, Perotis arenacea, Perotis ornithocephala, Tridentopsis eragrostoides, and Tridentopsis mutica are made; and Holboellia ornithocephala is lectotypified.
Microsatellites facilitate species delimitation in Congolese Ancistrocladus (Ancistrocladaceae), a genus with pharmacologically potent naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids
Authors: Turini Florian G. , Steinert Claudia , Heubl Günther , Bringmann Gerhard , Lombe B. Kimbadi , Mudogo Virima , Meimberg Harald
Published: April 2014

Ancistrocladus (Ancistrocladaceae) is an Old World genus of woody lianas, occurring in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia. Its species produce a number of structurally unique naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids with promising activities against the pathogens of tropical infectious diseases and against HIV. Species identification for phytochemical and pharmacological research is difficult because diagnostic reproductive features are frequently not available. Using enrichment and subcloning, and a 454 shotgun sequencing technique with semi‐automatized SSR motif screening, we have successfully developed a set of primers that amplify microsatellite loci across most Ancistrocladus species. The primers are designed to support species identification of indeterminate samples. Twelve markers from a total of 99 tested loci were identified as suitable for cross‐species amplification. The markers produced distinct species clusters in a STRUCTURE analysis and a principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on a test sampling consisting of 21 samples from six different Ancistrocladus species. When applied to 74 samples of Ancistrocladus congolensis s.l., a complex of morphologically similar species from tropical Central Africa, these markers showed medium to high variability in ten populations. A STRUCTURE analysis of the A. congolensis s.l. samples revealed five distinct clusters, confirming three of the five taxonomically recognized units and also indicating the presence of a hitherto unrecognized species in the region. The taxonomic status of the recently described new species A. ileboensis is supported by our results. The novel microsatellite markers developed in this study enable rapid screening of samples and provide an efficient tool for species identification and detection of cryptic taxa.
Lectotypification of the Linnaean name Gomphrena vermicularis (Amaranthaceae)
Authors: Iamonico Duilio , Sánchez-del Pino Ivonne
Published: April 2014

The typification of the name Gomphrena vermicularis L. (Amaranthaceae) is discussed and the illustration made by Hermann in 1698 is designated as the lectotype.
Two new genera of Gentianinae (Gentianaceae): Sinogentiana and Kuepferia supported by molecular phylogenetic evidence
Authors: Favre Adrien , Matuszak Sabine , Sun Hang , Liu Ende , Yuan Yong-Ming , Muellner-Riehl Alexandra N.
Published: April 2014

Subtribe Gentianinae, encompassing Gentiana, Tripterospermum, Metagentiana and Crawfurdia, represents one of the most species‐rich clades of Gentianaceae. Only a few taxonomic uncertainties have remained at generic level in subtribe Gentianinae: the inclusion of Gentiana sect. Otophora in Gentiana, and the polyphyletic nature of Metagentiana. In both cases, data were lacking in earlier studies to resolve ambiguities and provide the baseline for a solid taxonomic treatment of these lineages. For the present study, we increased the number of species sequenced for Gentiana sect. Otophora and Metagentiana, using a combination of nuclear (ITS) and plastid (trnL‐F, atpB‐rbcL) markers. We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships in Gentianinae conducting maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Our results show that Gentiana sect. Otophora is monophyletic and more closely related to Metagentiana than to Gentiana. We suggest excluding Gentiana sect. Otophora from Gentiana and elevating this group to the rank of genus described here under the name Kuepferia. Metagentiana is monophyletic when excluding two species, M. striata and M. souliei, here described as the new genus Sinogentiana.
Genetic and morphological diversity of Sphagnum angustifolium, S. flexuosum and S. fallax in Europe
Authors: Szurdoki Erzsébet , Márton Orsolya , Szövényi Péter
Published: April 2014

Molecular and morphological evolution of species may be decoupled which can lead to contrasting delimitation of taxonomic units based on morphological and genetic characters. The moss genus Sphagnum (peat mosses) provides a good example in which morphological and genetic characters often contradict each other. We investigated morphological and genetic variability within a highly polymorphic and taxonomically controversial species complex of the genus Sphagnum in order to reveal the ultimate causes of discordance between morphology and molecular evolution. Specifically, we aimed at addressing the following questions: (1) Are the three closely related European taxa (S. angustifolium, S. fallax, S. flexuosum) of the S. recurvum group morphologically and genetically distinct entities? (2) Are morphological and genetic groups concordant? (3) Is there any sign of hybridization among taxa that might complicate their morphological delimitation? We show that European specimens of the S. recurvum group form three distinct gene pools based on 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers. Individuals defined as morphotype “fallax” appear to be genetically clearly distinct from both morphotype “angustifolium” and “flexuosum”. However, for the latter two morphotypes, traditionally used morphological and genetic markers provide partly incongruent taxonomic delimitations. We show that in about 13% of the accessions 12 traditionally used morphological characters cannot fully distinguish the genetic groups revealed. Our genetic analysis also reveals that only a low proportion of the specimens (3%) is admixed suggesting that hybridization is unlikely to explain the taxonomical controversies observed. Therefore, we hypothesize that taxonomic controversies are likely due to the extreme phenotypic plasticity of morphological characters rather than to porous species boundaries.
Molecular phylogenetic and morphological affinities of Adiantum senae (Pteridaceae)
Authors: Schuettpelz Eric , Davila Alex , Prado Jefferson , Hirai Regina Y. , Yatskievych George
Published: April 2014

Adiantum senae, a diminutive fern nearly restricted to southern Brazil, was described by Baker in 1885. In subsequent Floras, it was either completely overlooked or simply retained in the maidenhair genus Adiantum. However, a molecular phylogenetic analysis and a thorough morphological evaluation clearly demonstrate that this species does not belong in this genus. We find strong molecular support for the inclusion of A. senae within the cheilanthoid genus Adiantopsis, as a rather isolated lineage resolved as sister to the large, generally echinate‐spored clade. The position of sporangia in A. senae—along the vein tips of the main laminar tissue rather than on the abaxial tissue of the pseudoindusia—confirms the separation of this species from Adiantum, and the presence of arachnoid‐echinulate spores reinforces its resolved position within Adiantopsis. Based on the sum of this evidence, we here provide a new combination, Adiantopsis senae (Baker) Schuettp. & A.Davila. Additionally, we designate a lectotype for A. senae, as well as for a later synonym.
Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic genus Holocheila (Lamiaceae) inferred from plastid DNA sequences
Authors: Chen Ya-Ping , Li Bo , Olmstead Richard G. , Cantino Philip D. , Liu En-De , Xiang Chun-Lei
Published: April 2014

The monotypic genus Holocheila was originally placed in Teucrium sect. Holocheila but was later treated as a distinct genus and variably affiliated with subfamilies Ajugoideae, Scutellarioideae, or Lamioideae. We investigated the phylogenetic position of this enigmatic genus using likelihood, parsimony, and Bayesian methods based on six plastid DNA sequences. The preliminary results from a concatenated ndhF and rbcL dataset that covered all seven subfamilies of Lamiaceae suggested that Holocheila is part of subfamily Lamioideae. To examine its position within Lamioideae more thoroughly, a dataset was assembled that included representatives of 59 of the 63 genera of Lamioideae and data for four genetic markers: trnL intron, trnL‐trnF spacer, rps16 and matK. The results showed that Holocheila is part of tribe Pogostemoneae. Glossy mericarps and unilocular anthers are apomorphies that Holocheila shares with some members of Pogostemoneae. The genera Acrymia and Cymaria, which have been considered incertae sedis, were found to be the closest relatives of Lamioideae. Four other incertae sedis genera (Garrettia, Hymenopyramis, Peronema, Petraeovitex) appear to form a clade that is sister to the clade comprising Lamioideae, Acrymia, Cymaria, and Scutellarioideae.
Coleus barbatus Benth and Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae), New Host Plants to Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Sinop, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Authors: Pires Evaldo Martins , Manica Clovis Luiz de Moraes , Nogueira Roberta Martins , Carneiro Jeandson da Silva , Rodrigues William Costa , Soares Marcus Alvarenga
Published: April 2014

Coleus barbatus Benth and Ocimum basilicum L. are plants species commonly used for medicinal and gastronomic purposes, respectively. Caterpillars of the Spodoptera genus are generalists due to the wide variety of plants species used as food souce. The aim of this research was record the occurrence of Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Sinop, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, and also record C. barbatus and O. basilicum as potencial host plants for this insect species. It is recommended attention in inclusion of S. cosmiodides in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of this plant species.

Coleus barbatus Benth e Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae): Novas Plantas Hospedeiras para Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) em Sinop, Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil

Resumo. Coleus barbatus Benth e Ocimum basilicum L. são espécies de plantas comumente utilizadas com fins medicinais e gastronômicos, respectivamente. Lagartas do gênero Spodoptera são generalistas devido à ampla variedade de plantas que utilizam como recurso alimentar. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi registrar a ocorrência de Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) no município de Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brasil, e ainda, relatar C. barbatus e O. basilicum como potenciais plantas hospedeiras para esta espécie de inseto. Recomenda-se ainda a inclusão de S. cosmioides em monitoramentos visando o Manejo Integrado de Pragas (MIP) nestas plantas.
La aparición de Thyrinteina arnobia (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) de Eucalyptus y su depredación por Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier y Serville) (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae)
Authors: Barreto Marliton Rocha , Mojena Pastor Amador
Published: April 2014

Los lepidópteros más importantes para el cultivo de los eucaliptos son los defoliadores y en Brasil, algunas especies se encuentran desde el estado de Amazona hasta Rio Grande del Sur. Thyrinteina arnobia arnobia (Stoll) (Lepidóptera: Geometridae) se cita como el lepidóptero defoliador más importante en Brasil y algunas especies depredadoras de la familia Reduviidae están asociados con diversos cultivos forestales. En este estudio se registra la ocurrencia de Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville) depredando a T. arnobia en plantaciones de eucaliptus en la ciudad de Sorriso, estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil.

Registration of Thyrinteina arnobia arnobia (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Eucalyptus sp. (Myrtaceae) in Sorriso, Mato Grosso and its predation by Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae)

Abstract. The most important lepidopterans for eucalyptus crop are called defoliators. In Brazil, some species occur from the Amazônia to Rio Grande do Sul State and Thyrinteina arnobia arnobia (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is cited as the most important lepidopteran defoliator in Brazil and some predatory species of the family Reduviidae are associated with various forest crops. Thus, this study recorded the ocorrence of Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville) preying T. arnobia in eucaliptus crop in Sorriso city, Mato Grosso state, Brazil.
First Medicolegal Forensic Entomology Case of Central Amazon: A Suicide by Hanging with Incomplete Suspension
Authors: Souza Eduardo Rodrigues de , Rafael José Albertino , Filho Francisco Felipe Xavier , Da-Silva-Freitas Juliana Oliveira , Oliveira-Costa Janyra , Ururahy-Rodrigues Alexandre
Published: April 2014

This report describes the first medicolegal forensic entomology case of Central Amazon. A suicide by hanging took place in a “terra firme” primary forest on an upland plateau. The postmortem interval estimation was calculated on the basis of the biology of the blow fly Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius) and also on the ecological succession pattern of the silphid beetle Oxelytrum cayennense (Sturm). This is the first case where the ecological information of a beetle was used as a forensic indicator in Brazil. Preliminary studies in the urban area of the city of Manaus, state of Amazonas, and in similar habitats of primary forest in the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, close to where the case occurred, were instrumental in helping the postmortem interval estimation.

Primeiro Caso de Entomologia Médico-legal da Amazônia Central: Um Suicídio por Enforcamento com Suspensão Incompleta

Resumo. Este relato descreve o primeiro caso de entomologia forense médico-legal na Amazônia Central. Um suicídio por enforcamento ocorrido em um platô de “terra firme” em floresta primária. A estimativa de intervalo pós-morte foi calculada com base na biologia da mosca varejeira Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius) e também pelo padrão de sucessão ecológica do besouro silfídeo Oxelytrum cayennense (Sturm). Este é o primeiro caso onde as informações ecológicas de um besouro foram usadas como indicador forense no Brasil. Estudos preliminares realizados em área urbana na cidade de Manaus e em hábitat semelhante em floresta primária, na Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, próximo do local onde o caso ocorreu, foram fundamentais para ajudar para a estimativa do intervalo pós-morte.
Product Fit Uncertainty in Online Markets: Nature, Effects, and Antecedents
Authors: Hong Yili (Kevin) , Pavlou Paul A.
Published: April 2014

Product fit uncertainty (defined as the degree to which a consumer cannot assess whether a product's attributes match her preference) is proposed to be a major impediment to online markets with costly product returns and lack of consumer satisfaction. We conceptualize the nature of product fit uncertainty as an information problem and theorize its distinct effect on product returns and consumer satisfaction (versus product quality uncertainty), particularly for experience (versus search) goods without product familiarity. To reduce product fit uncertainty, we propose two Internet-enabled systems—website media (visualization systems) and online product forums (collaborative shopping systems)—that are hypothesized to attenuate the effect of product type (experience versus search goods) on product fit uncertainty.

Hypotheses that link experience goods to product returns through the mediating role of product fit uncertainty are tested with analyses of a unique data set composed of secondary data matched with primary direct data from numerous consumers who had recently participated in buy-it-now auctions. The results show the distinction between product fit uncertainty and quality uncertainty as two distinct dimensions of product uncertainty and interestingly show that, relative to product quality uncertainty, product fit uncertainty has a significantly stronger effect on product returns. Notably, whereas product quality uncertainty is mainly driven by the experience attributes of a product, product fit uncertainty is mainly driven by both experience attributes and lack of product familiarity. The results also suggest that Internet-enabled systems are differentially used to reduce product (fit and quality) uncertainty. Notably, the use of online product forums is shown to moderate the effect of experience goods on product fit uncertainty, and website media are shown to attenuate the effect of experience goods on product quality uncertainty. The results are robust to econometric specifications and estimation methods. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of reducing the increasingly prevalent information problem of product fit uncertainty in online markets with the aid of Internet-enabled systems.
Are People Risk Vulnerable?
Authors: Beaud Mickael , Willinger Marc
Published: April 2014

We report on a within-subject experiment, with substantial monetary incentives, designed to test whether or not people are risk vulnerable. In the experiment, subjects face the standard portfolio choice problem in which the investor has to allocate part of his wealth between one safe asset and one risky asset. We elicit risk vulnerability by observing each subject's portfolio choice in two different contexts that differ only by the presence or absence of an actuarially neutral background risk. Our main result is that most of the subjects are risk vulnerable: 81% chose a less risky portfolio when exposed to background risk. More precisely, 47% invested a strictly smaller amount in the risky asset, whereas 34% were indifferent. Furthermore, contrasting the predictions provided by competing decision-theoretic models, we conclude that expected utility theory best fits our experimental data.

This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.
FAST—Fast Algorithm for the Scenario Technique
Authors: Carè Algo , Garatti Simone , Campi Marco C.
Published: April 2014

The scenario approach is a recently introduced method to obtain feasible solutions to chance-constrained optimization problems based on random sampling. It has been noted that the sample complexity of the scenario approach rapidly increases with the number of optimization variables and this may pose a hurdle to its applicability to medium- and large-scale problems. We here introduce the Fast Algorithm for the Scenario Technique, a variant of the scenario optimization algorithm with reduced sample complexity.
Analyzing Scrip Systems
Authors: Johnson Kris , Simchi-Levi David , Sun Peng
Published: April 2014

Scrip systems provide a nonmonetary trade economy for exchange of resources. We model a scrip system as a stochastic game and study system design issues on selection rules to match potential trade partners over time. We show the optimality of one particular rule in terms of maximizing social welfare for a given scrip system that guarantees players' incentives to participate. We also investigate the optimal number of scrips to issue under this rule. In particular, if the time discount factor is close enough to one, or trade benefits one partner much more than it costs the other, the maximum social welfare is always achieved no matter how many scrips are in the system. When the benefit of trade and time discount are not sufficiently large, on the other hand, injecting more scrips in the system hurts most participants; as a result, there is an upper bound on the number of scrips allowed in the system, above which some players may default. We show that this upper bound increases with the discount factor as well as the ratio between the benefit and cost of service. Finally, we demonstrate similar properties for a different service provider selection rule that has been analyzed in previous literature.
Generalized Restless Bandits and the Knapsack Problem for Perishable Inventories
Authors: Graczová Darina , Jacko Peter
Published: April 2014

In this paper we introduce the knapsack problem for perishable inventories concerning the optimal dynamic allocation of a collection of products to a limited knapsack. The motivation for designing such a problem comes from retail revenue management, where different products often have an associated lifetime during which they can only be sold, and the managers can regularly select some products to be allocated to a limited promotion space that is expected to attract more customers than the standard shelves. Another motivation comes from scheduling of requests in modern multiserver data centers so that quality-of-service requirements given by completion deadlines are satisfied. Using the Lagrangian approach we derive an optimal index policy for the Whittle relaxation of the problem in which the knapsack capacity is used only on average. Assuming a certain structure of the optimal policy for the single-inventory control, we prove indexability and derive an efficient, linear-time algorithm for computing the index values. To the best of our knowledge, our paper is the first to provide indexability analysis of a restless bandit with bi-dimensional state (lifetime and inventory level). We illustrate that these index values are numerically close to the true index values when such a structure is not present. We test two index-based heuristics for the original, nonrelaxed problem: (1) a conventional index rule, which prescribes to order the products according to their current index values and promotes as many products as fit in the knapsack, and (2) a recently proposed index-knapsack heuristic, which employs the index values as a proxy for the price of promotion and proposes to solve a deterministic knapsack problem to select the products. By a systematic computational study we show that the performance of both heuristics is nearly optimal, and that the index-knapsack heuristic outperforms the conventional index rule.
The Deterrence Effects of Vicarious Punishments on Corporate Financial Fraud
Authors: Yiu Daphne W. , Xu Yuehua , Wan William P.
Published: April 2014

This study extends the research on corporate financial fraud by developing a new perspective on the deterrence effects of vicarious punishments premised on social learning theory. We posit that firms vicariously learn about punishments from their peers by picking up modeling cues, environmental cues, and social cues in the inhibitive learning process, thus being deterred from committing future fraudulence. Using a matched sample of 604 observations of Chinese listed firms between 2002 and 2008, our findings show that an observing firm is deterred from committing fraud if the peers in its industry are caught and punished. We further find that such deterrence effects are subject to how the observing firm evaluates the possibility of being caught and the likelihood it will be punished the same way if it violates similar prohibitions. In particular, inhibitive learning effects are positively moderated by punishments of prominent firms and model–observer similarity but negatively attenuated by the development of the legal system. Our study sheds light on the corporate fraud literature by illuminating the indirect, inhibitive learning process from vicarious punishments and identifying the conditions for differential learning/deterrence outcomes of the observing firms.
Contact and Group Structure: A Natural Experiment of Interracial College Roommate Groups
Authors: Chakravarti Arjun , Menon Tanya , Winship Christopher
Published: April 2014

The contact hypothesis offers a tantalizing promise, suggesting that people of different races can build positive relationships through contact. The present research situates contact in its local social structure, showing how group size and racial composition shape contact. We analyze a natural experiment at Harvard University where incoming first-year students (freshmen) were randomly assigned to freshman roommates and months later chose their own second-year roommates. Interracial dyads within two-person groups and three-person groups without a white majority were as likely to dissolve as all-white dyads. However, interracial pairs disbanded more frequently when one East Asian lived with two whites. Using a context that is both experimental and naturalistic, the findings go beyond simple contact effects, showing how the local structure within which contact is situated determines its consequences.
An Edible Moral Economy in the Motor City
Authors: Jung Yuson , Newman Andrew
Published: April 2014

Detroit has long been noted for the difficulties its residents face with basic food provisioning, but after an extended absence, national chain grocery stores are now returning to the city. Whole Foods Market is the first major national corporate grocer to reopen in the city following a period of disinvestment by the sector as a whole going back to the mid-2000s. As the city moves through a series of dramatic political and economic upheavals defined by fiscal crisis, emergency manager control, and the largest municipal Chapter 9 bankruptcy in U.S. history, food has become a focal point for debates over economic and racial inequalities, and contrasting ideals of urban governance in the city. In this research brief, we describe an ethnographic project that examines how concepts of food justice and ethical food relate to urban governance in Detroit. We seek to explore how Whole Foods Market and Detroiters engaged in shopping and activism articulate “just,” “good,” and “quality” food in ways that imply varying visions of governance for the city, community, and self. We suggest that Detroit's moral economy of food could offer a particularly fruitful venue for understanding divergent visions of the city's future and the relationship between food and politics.
The Restaurants of Paris
Authors: Weintraub J.
Published: April 2014

A brief introduction summarizing the author's professional career and his literary style and procedure precedes this annotated translation of the chapter “The Restaurants of Paris” from Eugène Briffault's 1846 text, Paris à table. Along with an historical discussion and a look back at the glorious days of the Empire's establishments, the chapter examines the specialties, the décor, and the patrons of the grand restaurants of the author's time and before. Looking at the changing restaurant scene since the fall of Napoleon, Briffault criticizes, in particular, the contemporary preference for the opulence of the surroundings over the quality of the food. Along with several anecdotes about specific meals and peculiar characters, he also observes restaurant owners and their staffs, with particular regard to the skills and temperament of the Parisian waiter. Briffault considers such celebrated restaurants as the Cadran bleu, Rocher de Cancale, and Chez Véry—restaurants famous for their cuisine, the lively crowds, and the novelists (along with many of their characters) who dined there. But he does not ignore the role of the mid-range restaurants and bourgeois tables, and he descends as well into the lower depths, visiting the eateries catering to workers and the students on the Left Bank, the gargotes, the tapis francs, the prix fixes, the Flicoteaus and Rougets.
Don’t Mono-crop the Movement
Authors: Cohen B. R.
Published: April 2014

Over the past generation, advocates for healthier food and agriculture have drawn on the farm-to-fork trope to define spatial arrangements in the foodshed. Consider farmers' markets, food hubs, community supported agriculture (CSA), co-ops, rooftop, community, and schoolyard gardens, 100-Mile Diets, and urban farms: the architecture of reform is endless, but every part seeks to reduce the distance between food producers (farms) and consumers (forks). For all the intuitive appeal of the farm-to-fork trope, however, there are other ways to think about the local food movement's spatial configurations that could be more inclusive, multidimensional, and politically potent. This article argues that instead of a distance versus proximity orientation, good-food advocates might envision a kind of cultural ecology of various efforts toward healthier food and agriculture. This perspective shows the various organizational efforts of a region interacting like species in a healthy ecosystem. Where farmers' markets might be gentrified, for example, community gardens and urban farms might not; where urban farms might be labor intensive, food hubs might not and could offer healthier food in urban spaces; where food hubs might not be convenient enough, virtual marketplaces might. The downsides of one part are carried by the advantages of another; the limitations of the first are helped by the strengths of the next. What matters here are not just the particular individual innovations—farmers' markets, CSAs, food hubs, etc.—but the ways in which they overlap to build an interdependent whole. No longer one-dimensional, this cultural ecology adds political and organizational integrity to the physical integrity of food.