bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Icerya purchasi (Homoptera: Margarodidae) on Rosmarinus officinalis (Lamiaceae), a new host plant record for Greece
Authors: Papadopoulou S. , Chryssohoides C.
Published: April 2012

Since July 2008, Rosmarinus officinalis plants in Greece have been observed to be infested by the cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi Maskell. This is the first time that I. purchasi has been found on R. officinalis in Greece. Observations made have shown that this scale insect prefers to initially attack the stems of R. officinalis plants.
Urocerus albicornis(Fabricius, 1781) (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), a new exotic horntail for the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: López S. , González M. , Goldarazena A.
Published: April 2012

First records ofUrocerus albicornis(Fabricius, 1781) (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) for the Iberian Peninsula are reported. Samples of males and females were obtained unintentionally during surveys ofIps sexdentatus(Boerner, 1767) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) using multiple funnel traps baited with anI. sexdentatus‐specific attractant in different sawmills and timber processing industries of Basque Country (Northern Spain) during 2003 and 2011.
Nitrogen deposition drives lichen community changes through differential species responses
Authors: Johansson Otilia , Palmqvist Kristin , Olofsson Johan
Published: April 2012

Nitrogen (N) deposition has increased globally over the last 150 years and further increases are predicted. Epiphytic lichens decline in abundance and diversity in areas with high N loads, and the abundance of lichens decreases along gradients of increased deposition. Thus, although N is an essential nutrient for lichens, excessive loads may be detrimental for them. However, these gradients include many correlated pollutants and the mechanisms behind the decline are thus poorly known. The aim of this study was to assess effects of N deposition, alone, on the epiphytic lichen community composition in a naturally N‐poor boreal forest. For this purpose, whole spruce trees were fertilized daily with N at five levels, equivalent to 0.6, 6, 12.5, 25, and 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1, during four consecutive growing seasons (2006–2009), and changes in the abundance of lichens were monitored each autumn from the preceding year (2005). The studied lichen communities were highly dynamic and responded strongly to the environmental perturbation. N deposition detectably altered the direction of succession and reduced the species richness of the epiphytic lichen communities, even at the lowest fertilization application (6 kg N ha−1 yr−1). The simulated N deposition caused significant changes in the abundance of Alectoria sarmentosa, Bryoria spp., and Hypogymnia physodes, which all increased at low N loads and decreased at high loads, but with species‐specific optima. The rapid decline of A. sarmentosa may have been caused by the added nitrogen reducing the stability of the lichen thalli, possibly due to increases in the photobiont: mycobiont ratio or parasitic fungal attacks. We conclude that increases in nitrogen availability, per se, could be responsible for the reductions in lichen abundance and diversity observed along deposition gradients, and those community responses may be due to physiological responses of the individual species rather than changes in competitive interactions.
Pharmacokinetics and safety of OBI‐1, a recombinant B domain‐deleted porcine factor VIII, in subjects with haemophilia A
Authors: KEMPTON C. L. , ABSHIRE T. C. , DEVERAS R. A. , HOOTS W. K. , GILL J. C. , KESSLER C. M. , KEY N. S. , KONKLE B. A. , KURIAKOSE P. , MACFARLANE D. E. , BERGMAN G.
Published: April 2012

Summary.  OBI‐1 is a recombinant B‐domain deleted porcine factor VIII (FVIII). FVIII treatment in those with haemophilia A may be complicated by the development of anti‐FVIII antibodies (inhibitors) leading to a failure to respond to treatment with human FVIII. To compare the pharmacokinetics and safety of a single dose of OBI‐1 with Hyate:C in subjects with haemophilia A and inhibitors, subjects were randomized to receive either Hyate:C followed by placebo or placebo followed by OBI‐1 in a double‐blind fashion. FVIII levels were assayed using both a one‐stage coagulation assay (OSCA) and chromogenic assay. Pharmacokinetic parameters for FVIII were calculated for 6/9 subjects randomized; in three subjects baseline anti‐porcine FVIII inhibitors led to a lack of measurable FVIII activity. Mean Cmax appeared higher for OBI‐1 (OSCA: 176.00 U dL−1, standard deviation ± 88.00; chromogenic: 151.00 ± 31.51 U dL−1) than Hyate:C (OSCA: 82.3 ± 19.22 U dL−1; chromogenic: 52.67 ± 13.8 U dL−1). Mean AUC also appeared higher for OBI‐1 (OSCA: 2082.87 ± 1323.43 U h−1dL−1; chromogenic: 1817.28 ± 625.14 U h−1dL−1) than Hyate:C (OSCA: 1177.8 ± 469.49 U h−1dL−1; chromogenic: 707.61 ± 420.05 U h−1dL−1). Two infusion‐related events occurred: one with Hyate:C, one with placebo. Four of five subjects without anti‐porcine FVIII inhibitors at baseline remained porcine FVIII inhibitor negative 29 days after infusion. A single dose of OBI‐1 appears to have higher bioavailability than Hyate:C in subjects with haemophilia A without measurable anti‐porcine FVIII inhibitors, and is well tolerated. These results should be confirmed in a larger phase 2/3 study.
Divergent natural selection with gene flow along major environmental gradients in Amazonia: insights from genome scans, population genetics and phylogeography of the characin fishTriportheus albus
Authors: COOKE GEORGINA M. , CHAO NING L. , BEHEREGARAY LUCIANO B.
Published: April 2012

The unparalleled diversity of tropical ecosystems like the Amazon Basin has been traditionally explained using spatial models within the context of climatic and geological history. Yet, it is adaptive genetic diversity that defines how species evolve and interact within an ecosystem. Here, we combine genome scans, population genetics and sequence‐based phylogeographic analyses to examine spatial and ecological arrangements of selected and neutrally evolving regions of the genome of an Amazonian fish,Triportheus albus. Using a sampling design encompassing five major Amazonian rivers, three hydrochemical settings, 352 nuclear markers and two mitochondrial DNA genes, we assess the influence of environmental gradients as biodiversity drivers in Amazonia. We identify strong divergent natural selection with gene flow and isolation by environment across craton (black and clear colour)‐ and Andean (white colour)‐derived water types. Furthermore, we find that heightened selection and population genetic structure present at the interface of these water types appears more powerful in generating diversity than the spatial arrangement of river systems and vicariant biogeographic history. The results from our study challenge assumptions about the origin and distribution of adaptive and neutral genetic diversity in tropical ecosystems. In addition, they have important implications for measures of biodiversity and evolutionary potential in one of the world’s most diverse and iconic ecosystems.
Innate immunity and the evolution of resistance to an emerging infectious disease in a wild bird
Authors: BONNEAUD CAMILLE , BALENGER SUSAN L. , ZHANG JIANGWEN , EDWARDS SCOTT V. , HILL GEOFFREY E.
Published: April 2012

Innate immunity is expected to play a primary role in conferring resistance to novel infectious diseases, but few studies have attempted to examine its role in the evolution of resistance to emerging pathogens in wild vertebrate populations. Here, we used experimental infections and cDNA microarrays to examine whether changes in the innate and/or acquired immune responses likely accompanied the emergence of resistance in house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) in the eastern United States subject to a recent outbreak of conjunctivitis‐causing bacterium (Mycoplasma gallisepticum—MG). Three days following experimental infection with MG, we observed differences in the splenic transcriptional responses between house finches from eastern U.S. populations, with a 12‐year history of MG exposure, versus western U.S. populations, with no history of exposure to MG. In particular, western birds down‐regulated gene expression, while eastern finches showed no expression change relative to controls. Studies involving poultry have shown that MG can manipulate host immunity, and our observations suggest that pathogen manipulation occurred only in finches from the western populations, outside the range of MG. Fourteen days after infection, eastern finches, but not western finches, up‐regulated genes associated with acquired immunity (cell‐mediated immunity) relative to controls. These observations suggest population differences in the temporal course of the response to infection with MG and imply that innate immune processes were targets of selection in response to MG in the eastern U.S. population.
YeeU enhances the bundling of cytoskeletal polymers of MreB and FtsZ, antagonizing the CbtA (YeeV) toxicity in Escherichia coli
Authors: Masuda Hisako , Tan Qian , Awano Naoki , Wu Kuen‐Phon , Inouye Masayori
Published: April 2012

All free‐living bacteria carry the toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems controlling cell growth and death under stress conditions. YeeU–YeeV (CbtA) is one of the Escherichia coli TA systems, and the toxin, CbtA, has been reported to inhibit the polymerization of bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, MreB and FtsZ. Here, we demonstrate that the antitoxin, YeeU, is a novel type of antitoxin (type IV TA system), which does not form a complex with CbtA but functions as an antagonist for CbtA toxicity. Specifically, YeeU was found to directly interact with MreB and FtsZ, and enhance the bundling of their filamentous polymers in vitro. Surprisingly, YeeU neutralized not only the toxicity of CbtA but also the toxicity caused by other inhibitors of MreB and FtsZ, such as A22, SulA and MinC, indicating that YeeU‐induced bundling of MreB and FtsZ has an intrinsic global stabilizing effect on their homeostasis. Here we propose to rename YeeU as CbeA for cytoskeleton bundling‐enhancing factor A.
Weed seed survival following ensiling and mesophilic anaerobic digestion in batch reactors
Authors: WESTERMAN P R , HILDEBRANDT F , GEROWITT B
Published: April 2012

Westerman PR, Hildebrandt F & Gerowitt B (2012). Weed seed survival following ensiling and mesophilic anaerobic digestion in batch reactors. Weed Research52, 286–295.

Digestate, the semi‐solid leftover after anaerobic digestion in biogas reactors, is frequently used as a crop fertiliser. The ability of seeds from various weed species to survive anaerobic digestion was tested, because surviving seeds could be spread via the digestate. Experiments were conducted in experimental mesophilic batch reactors, either with or without ensiling as a pre‐treatment to simulate biomass storage in silage prior to use in reactors. The emphasis was on weed species whose seeds have a water‐impermeable layer, because these may be more thermoresistant. Species with hard seeds were more likely to survive ensiling (up to 98%) and mesophilic anaerobic digestion (up to 58%) compared with species whose seeds lack a water‐impermeable layer (≤1%). There was considerable variation in survival probability between and within species, and between silages and reactors. For hard‐seeded species, survival depended on the proportion of hard seeds and on the ability to remain hard‐seeded during treatment. Freshly harvested seeds lost their water impermeability and survived poorly. The survival of tomato seeds, an indicator species used in the sanitation of composts, was comparable with that of the best surviving species without physical dormancy, but was not comparable with that of hard‐seeded species. Tomato could therefore only represent species that are not hard‐seeded.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha promoter‐308G/A polymorphism in Mexican patients with patchy alopecia areata
Authors: Cristina Cantú‐Salinas , Mauricio Salinas‐Santander , Armando Lagos‐Rodríguez , Celia Sánchez‐Domínguez , Clara Rios‐Ibarra , Rocío Ortiz‐López , Oliverio Welsh , Jorge Ocampo‐Candiani
Published: April 2012

Background  Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by hair loss, most frequently from the scalp. Its etiopathogenesis is currently unknown, but inflammatory traits and associations with autoimmune diseases suggest that AA shares a similar origin. The tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) gene, located on chromosome 6 within the major histocompatibility complex class III gene, may carry previously described polymorphisms – particularly in the promoter region, such as TNFα‐308G/A – known to be risk factors in a wide variety of inflammatory pathologies. In Mexican populations, this polymorphism has been associated with augmented TNFα production and, thus, renders carriers more susceptible to developing autoimmune diseases; however, as yet it has not been associated with AA.

Objectives  To assess a possible association between the presence of TNFα‐308G/A and patchy AA.

Materials and methods  Blood samples were taken from 59 patients affected by patchy AA and 103 control subjects without AA, all from the northeastern Mexican population. Genomic DNA was isolated using the phenol‐chloroform method and samples subjected to polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism in order to detect the TNFα‐308G/A polymorphism.

Results  TNFα‐308G/A (TNF2) allele [odds ratio (OR) = 3.22, P = 0.026, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.99–11.61], when segregated in the heterozygous (TNF1/TNF2) genotype (OR = 3.53, P = 0.023, 95% CI = 1.01–12.89) confers a significant risk for developing AA, compared with the genotype TNF1/TNF1 observed in controls (OR = 0.28, P = 0.023, 95% CI = 0.08–0.99).

Conclusions  Our data suggest that there is a plausible association between the presence of the TNFα‐308G/A polymorphism and a higher susceptibility for developing patchy AA. This risk might be due to overproduction of TNFα, which would facilitate an autoimmune response against the hair follicle.
If patient‐reported outcome measures are considered key health‐care quality indicators, who is excluded from participation?
Authors: Kroll Thilo , Wyke Sally , Jahagirdar Deepa , Ritchie Karen
Published: April 2012

Patient‐reported outcome measures have received increasing attention with regard to ensuring quality improvement across the health service. However, there is a risk that people with disabilities and low literacy are systematically excluded from the development of these measures as well as their application in clinical practice. This editorial highlights some of these risks and the potential consequences of exclusion for these groups.
Informed choice in bowel cancer screening: a qualitative study to explore how adults with lower education use decision aids
Authors: Smith Sian K , Kearney Paul , Trevena Lyndal , Barratt Alexandra , Nutbeam Don , McCaffery Kirsten J
Published: April 2012

Background  Offering informed choice in screening is increasingly advocated, but little is known about how evidence‐based information about the benefits and harms of screening influences understanding and participation in screening.

Objective  We aimed to explore how a bowel cancer screening decision aid influenced decision making and screening behaviour among adults with lower education and literacy.

Methods  Twenty‐one men and women aged 55–64 years with lower education levels were interviewed about using a decision aid to make their screening decision. Participants were purposively selected to include those who had and had not made an informed choice.

Results  Understanding the purpose of the decision aid was an important factor in whether participants made an informed choice about screening. Participants varied in how they understood and integrated quantitative risk information about the benefits and harms of screening into their decision making; some read it carefully and used it to justify their screening decision, whereas others dismissed it because they were sceptical of it or lacked confidence in their own numeracy ability. Participants’ prior knowledge and beliefs about screening influenced how they made sense of the information.

Discussion and conclusions  Participants valued information that offered them a choice in a non‐directive way, but were concerned that it would deter people from screening. Healthcare providers need to be aware that people respond to screening information in diverse ways involving a range of literacy skills and cognitive processes.
Genetic characterization of healthy and sebaceous adenitis affected Standard Poodles from the United States and the United Kingdom
Authors: Pedersen N. C. , Liu H. , McLaughlin B. , Sacks B. N.
Published: April 2012

The degree of heterogeneity associated with geographic origin and sebaceous adenitis (SA) status in Standard Poodles from the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) was assessed. Healthy and SA‐affected Standard Poodles from the US and the UK shared a major mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype and a single Y chromosome haplotype. However, minor mtDNA haplotypes and frequencies were somewhat different between US and UK dogs and were significantly less associated with SA than major haplotypes across both populations. The US and UK populations exhibited recent divergence from a common gene pool, based on allele frequencies of 24 highly polymorphic short tandem repeats and principle coordinates and cluster analyses of genotype frequencies. However, there was no differentiation between SA affected and unaffected dogs. Over 90% of US and UK Poodles shared a common dog leukocyte antigen (DLA) class II haplotype, but showed some differentiation in minor haplotype frequency. No difference was observed in haplotype heterozygosity between SA affected and unaffected dogs from the same country and no disease association for SA was found within the DLA region by a high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scan. Zygosity mapping in the DLA region of Poodles indicated much lower site‐specific diversity than in an outbred population of street dogs from Bali, Indonesia, reflecting the degree that breed associated historical bottlenecks have reduced diversity in a polymorphic region of the genome. This study shows possible pitfalls in more extensive genome‐wide association studies, such as case and control numbers, population stratification, the involvement of multiple genes, and/or the possibility that SA susceptibility is fixed or nearly fixed within the breed, which can reduce power to detect genetic associations.
Role of lymphadenectomy in the management of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and the upper urinary tract
Authors: Kondo Tsunenori , Tanabe Kazunari
Published: April 2012

The role of lymphadenectomy has been controversial in urological malignancies. Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and upper urinary tract has a high potential to spread through the lymphatic network compared with other malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma or prostate cancer. In urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, lymphadenectomy of pelvic nodes had been considered as the standard procedure when radical cystectomy was carried out. Recently, many investigators have examined the influence of its extent, and the majority of the studies have supported the beneficial role of extended lymphadenectomy in accurate staging or in improving patient survival. Although randomized controlled trials are required to establish a greater level of evidence, more urological surgeons have already noticed the necessity for extended lymphadenectomy in bladder cancer. In contrast to bladder cancer, there have been far fewer studies on urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract. This might be because of the smaller number of the patients with urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract and the lack of understanding of regional nodes. However, studies of lymph node mapping and the retrospective analyses with respect to the benefit of lymphadenectomy have been carried out in urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract by some investigators, although the results are still controversial. However, the results from multi‐institutional studies by high volume centers have supported the beneficial role of lymphadenectomy in urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract, as it has been proposed in bladder cancer. Thus, lymphadenectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and the upper urinary tract might have a potential role in staging and improving the oncological outcomes.
Revisiting ecological integrity 30 years later: non‐native species and the misdiagnosis of freshwater ecosystem health
Authors: Hermoso Virgilio , Clavero Miguel
Published: April 2012

Assessing the ecological integrity of freshwater ecosystems has become a priority to protect the threatened biodiversity they hold and secure future accessibility to the services they provide. Some of the most widespread applications of biological indicators are fish‐based indices. These have mostly mirrored the approach proposed by Karr 30 years ago (Index of Biotic Integrity; IBI), based on the comparison of observed and expected composition and structure of local fish assemblages in the absence of major perturbations, using the so‐called reference condition approach. Despite the notable success of the implementation of fish‐based indices, most of them overlook non‐native species as a source of ecosystem degradation, and evaluations are focused on the physico‐chemical condition of freshwater ecosystems and their effects on freshwater biodiversity. Almost 90% of 83 reviewed IBIs did not consider non‐native species when defining reference conditions. Most IBIs used non‐native species in conjunction with native ones to construct the metrics that conform to the index. The response of the IBI to the effect of non‐native species has hardly ever been tested. When developing and evaluating IBIs, attention was mostly directed to ensuring the correct response of the index to physico‐chemical parameters, which could otherwise be characterized more effectively using alternative methods. Current application of IBIs entails a misuse of biological indicators by overlooking some types of degradation that cannot be otherwise evaluated by traditional methods. This constrains the capacity to adequately respond to one of the most challenging and common threats to the conservation of freshwater fish diversity.
Incorporating Regional Priorities into Global Conferences: A Review of the Regional Preparatory Committee Meetings for Rio+20
Authors: Chasek Pamela
Published: April 2012

This year, the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) marks the fortieth anniversary of the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, the twentieth anniversary of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro and the tenth anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. As part of the preparations for Rio+20, the five UN Regional Economic Commissions convened regional preparatory meetings. These regional meetings have become de rigueur in the run‐up to international conferences or summits. This article examines the regional contribution to Rio+20 by looking at the history of the UN Regional Economic Commissions and their role in preparing for the global sustainable development conferences, with specific emphasis on the Rio+20 process, and how the regional preparatory meetings examined some of the major issues on the agenda.
Enabling a Flourishing Earth: Challenges for the Green Economy, Opportunities for Global Governance
Authors: Bosselmann Klaus , Brown Peter G. , Mackey Brendan
Published: April 2012

This article addresses the two key themes of the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), taking an integrative perspective. The case is being made that a ‘green economy’ remains illusionary without major reforms of the UN system of global governance; and that reforms in governance require the implementation of a new economic vision. An integrative perspective requires a commonly shared moral basis, as exemplified by the Earth Charter.
International Law, Natural Resources and Post‐conflict Peacebuilding: From Rio to Rio+20 and Beyond
Authors: Bruch Carl , Boulicault Marion , Talati Shuchi , Jensen David
Published: April 2012

Since the end of the Cold War, peacebuilding efforts and international environmental law have developed independently and in very different manners. Experiences in managing natural resources to support post‐conflict peacebuilding in dozens of countries over the past twenty years, however, highlight the critical role that natural resources often play. The 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) provides an opportunity to consider the lessons from these experiences and provide a vision for future consolidation of approaches. This article reviews the development of peacebuilding, highlighting the importance of natural resources. It then surveys the status of international law governing post‐conflict peacebuilding, including international environmental law. Looking forward, it considers the likely directions of international law in governing post‐conflict peacebuilding, concluding with thoughts on how to capitalize on Rio+20 to advance more effective approaches.
Identity Work: Sustaining Transnational Collective Action at General Motors Europe
Authors: GREER IAN , HAUPTMEIER MARCO
Published: April 2012

What are the conditions under which transnational collective action is initiated and sustained? This article presents a case study of General Motors Europe, where labor leaders have mobilized the workforce and bargained with management at the transnational level repeatedly over more than a decade as a response to management whipsawing and threats of plant closures. In contrast to structuralist interest‐based theories of union behavior, we identify a process of “identity work” that was necessary to sustain transnational worker cooperation.
Pension reform and income inequality among older people in 15 European countries
Authors: van Vliet Olaf , Been Jim , Caminada Koen , Goudswaard Kees
Published: April 2012

van Vliet O, Been J, Caminada K, Goudswaard K. Pension reform and income inequality among older people in 15 European countries

The ageing of populations and hampering of economic growth have increased pressure on public finances in many advanced capitalist societies. Consequently, governments have adopted pension reforms in order to relieve pressure on public finances. These reforms have contributed to a relative shift from public to private pension schemes. As private social security plans are generally less redistributive than public social security, it can be hypothesised that the privatisation of pension plans has led to higher levels of income inequality among older people. This study contributes to the income inequality and pension literature by empirically analysing the distributional effects of shifts from public to private pension provision in 15 European countries for the period 1995–2007. We do not find evidence that shifts from public to private pension provision lead to higher levels of income inequality or poverty among older people. The results appear to be robust for a wide range of econometric specifications.
Has support for Social Security declined? Attitudes toward the public pension scheme in the USA, 2000 and 2010
Authors: Quadagno Jill , Pederson JoEllen
Published: April 2012

Quadagno J, Pederson J. Has support for Social Security declined? Attitudes toward the public pension scheme in the USA, 2000 and 2010

Given rising public budgets and population aging, many nations have made significant changes to their public pensions. Between 2000 and 2010, the USA experienced an economic crisis as deep as the Great Depression of the 1930s. Yet despite charges that Social Security, the public pension benefit, was responsible for the federal deficit, no reforms were enacted during this period. This study used the General Social Survey for 2000 and 2010 to determine whether public support for Social Security has declined and whether attitudes have changed among some groups more than others. Between 2000 and 2010, attitudes have shifted somewhat toward the view that too much is being spent on Social Security. The shift is greatest among the young and those who believe in less government. Despite this shift, the vast majority of citizens still believe that the government is spending too little or just the right amount.
Stratum corneum dysfunction in dandruff
Authors: Turner G. A. , Hoptroff M. , Harding C. R.
Published: April 2012

Synopsis

Dandruff is characterized by a flaky, pruritic scalp and affects up to half the world’s population post‐puberty. The aetiology of dandruff is multifactorial, influenced by Malassezia, sebum production and individual susceptibility. The commensal yeast Malassezia is a strong contributory factor to dandruff formation, but the presence of Malassezia on healthy scalps indicates that Malassezia alone is not a sufficient cause. A healthy stratum corneum (SC) forms a protective barrier to prevent water loss and maintain hydration of the scalp. It also protects against external insults such as microorganisms, including Malassezia, and toxic materials. Severe or chronic barrier damage can impair proper hydration, leading to atypical epidermal proliferation, keratinocyte differentiation and SC maturation, which may underlie some dandruff symptoms. The depleted and disorganized structural lipids of the dandruff SC are consistent with the weakened barrier indicated by elevated transepidermal water loss. Further evidence of a weakened barrier in dandruff includes subclinical inflammation and higher susceptibility to topical irritants. We are proposing that disruption of the SC of the scalp may facilitate dandruff generation, in part by affecting susceptibility to metabolites from Malassezia. Treatment of dandruff with cosmetic products to directly improve SC integrity while providing effective antifungal activity may thus be beneficial.
The origin and evolution of the ectodermal placodes
Authors: Graham Anthony , Shimeld Sebastian M.
Published: April 2012

Many of the features that distinguish the vertebrates from other chordates are found in the head. Prominent amongst these differences are the paired sense organs and associated cranial ganglia. Significantly, these structures are derived developmentally from the ectodermal placodes. It has therefore been proposed that the emergence of the ectodermal placodes was concomitant with and central to the evolution of the vertebrates. More recent studies, however, indicate forerunners of the ectodermal placodes can be readily identified outside the vertebrates, particularly in urochordates. Thus the evolutionary history of the ectodermal placodes is deeper and more complex than was previously appreciated with the full repertoire of vertebrate ectodermal placodes, and their derivatives, being assembled over a protracted period rather than arising collectively with the vertebrates.
Global patterns of the dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following afforestation: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Dejun , Niu Shuli , Luo Yiqi
Published: April 2012

Afforestation has been proposed as an effective method of carbon (C) sequestration; however, the magnitude and direction of soil carbon accumulation following afforestation and its regulation by soil nitrogen (N) dynamics are still not well understood.

We synthesized the results from 292 sites and carried out a meta‐analysis to evaluate the dynamics of soil C and N stocks following afforestation.

Changes in soil C and N stocks were significantly correlated and had a similar temporal pattern. Significant C and N stock increases were found 30 and 50 yr after afforestation, respectively. Before these time points, C and N stocks were either depleted or unchanged. Carbon stock increased following afforestation on cropland and pasture, and in tropical, subtropical and boreal zones. The soil N stock increased in the subtropical zone. The soil C stock increased after afforestation with hardwoods such as Eucalyptus, but did not change after afforestation with softwoods such as pine. Soil N stocks increased and decreased, respectively, after afforestation with hardwoods (excluding Eucalyptus) and pine.

These results indicate that soil C and N stocks both increase with time after afforestation, and that C sequestration through afforestation depends on prior land use, climate and the tree species planted.
No evidence of assortative mating on the basis of putative ornamental traits in Long‐tailed Finches Poephila acuticauda
Authors: VAN ROOIJ ERICA P. , GRIFFITH SIMON C.
Published: April 2012

When multiple ornaments are expressed in both sexes, they are generally assumed to be maintained by mutual sexual selection and have a function in mate choice. In the Long‐tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda both sexes exhibit multiple ornaments that vary in their expression in either size (pintail and throat patch) or colour (bill) between individuals and sexes. We assessed whether these ornaments are maintained by mutual sexual selection by exploring whether individuals in a wild population paired assortatively with respect to these ornamental traits, and the degree to which the expression of these ornamental traits was indicative of reproductive success. We found no evidence of assortative pairing with respect to variation in homologous ornaments or body condition in the two sexes. In addition, we found no effect of ornament expression on the reproductive success of either males or females. Our findings suggest that the expression of these apparently ornamental traits in both sexes of this species may play no current role in mutual mate selection or as indicator traits of reproductive performance. We are currently unable to identify any function for these very elaborate ornaments in either sex of this species and suggest that the typical assumption that all such traits have an ornamental function may need further examination.
Improving the accuracy of population size estimates for burrow‐nesting seabirds
Authors: SUTHERLAND DUNCAN R. , DANN PETER
Published: April 2012

Seabird numbers can change rapidly as a result of environmental processes, both natural and anthropogenic. Informed management and conservation of seabirds requires accurate and precise monitoring of population size. However, for burrow‐nesting species this is rarely achieved due to spatial and temporal heterogeneity in burrow occupancy. Here, we describe a novel method for deriving more accurate population size estimates that employs mark‐recapture methods to correct for unknown variation in nest occupancy throughout a breeding season. We apply it to estimate breeding numbers of a colonial, burrowing seabird, the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor, on the Summerland Peninsula, Phillip Island, Australia. Estimates of active burrow numbers during the September 2008 to February 2009 breeding season were adjusted to numbers of breeding birds based on burrow occupation and modelled population demographics at six, fortnightly monitored reference sites. The population was estimated to be 26 100 (95% CI: 21 100–31 100) and 28 400 (23 800–33 000) breeding Penguins in two temporally separated surveys within one breeding season. We demonstrate using simulation that the method is robust to variation in burrow occupancy throughout the breeding season, providing consistent and more accurate estimates of population size. The advantage of using the corrected method is that confidence intervals will include the true population size. Confidence limits widened as burrow occupancy declined, reflecting the increased uncertainty as larger adjustments for low burrow occupancy were required. In contrast, the uncorrected method that uses burrow occupancy alone as a measure of breeding numbers was inconsistent and significantly underestimated population size across much of the breeding season. Although requiring considerably more survey effort, the corrected approach provides a more accurate means for monitoring population changes in colonially breeding animals while collecting demographic data that can help diagnose the drivers of population change.
The influence of input data quality in determining areas suitable for crop growth at the global scale – a comparative analysis of two soil and climate datasets
Authors: Avellan T. , Zabel F. , Mauser W.
Published: April 2012

The assessment of biophysical crop suitability requires datasets on soil and climate. In this study, we investigated the differences in topsoil properties for the dominant soil mapping units between two global soil datasets. We compared the ISRIC World Soil Information Center’s World Inventory of Soil Emissions Potential 5 by 5 arc min Soil Map of the World (ISRIC‐WISE 5by5 SMW ) with the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) in 0.5 arc min. We also incorporated annual mean temperature and mean precipitation from two global climate datasets that were the WorldClim measurement‐based climate dataset and the Kiel Climate Model (KCM) modelled results of global climate from 1960 to 1990. We then applied a fuzzy logic approach using different combinations and resolutions of the datasets to determine the effects on the extent and distribution of suitable areas for 15 crops. We only used the spatially dominant soil class in the mapping units in the soil databases (resampled to the same resolution of 5 arc min), and we found that the estimates of topsoil properties (0–20 cm in ISRIC‐WISE and 0–30 cm in HWSD) of the seven analysed parameters were up to 40% lower in most of the HWSD than in the ISRIC‐WISE 5by5 SMW. Results from the KCM are 0.1 °C (1%) lower in mean global annual temperature and 20% higher in average global annual precipitation compared with the WorldClim data. The HWSD‐based runs resulted in 10% less crop‐suitable land than the ISRIC‐WISE 5by5 SMW‐based results. The KCM simulations predicted 1% less crop‐suitable land than the WorldClim model. Despite generalizations, our results demonstrate that discrepancies in crop suitable areas are largely due to the differences in the soil databases rather than to climate.
Chronic Illness and Patient Satisfaction
Authors: Carlin Caroline S. , Christianson Jon B. , Keenan Patricia , Finch Michael
Published: April 2012

Objective

To examine how the relationship between patient characteristics, patient experience with the health care system, and overall satisfaction with care varies with illness complexity.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Telephone survey in 14 U.S. geographical areas.

Study Design

Structural equation modeling was used to examine how relationships among patient characteristics, three constructs representing patient experience with the health care system, and overall satisfaction with care vary across patients by number of chronic illnesses.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Random digital dial telephone survey of adults with one or more chronic illnesses.

Principal Findings

Patients with more chronic illnesses report higher overall satisfaction. The total effects of better patient–provider interaction and support for patient self‐management are associated with higher satisfaction for all levels of chronic illness. The latter effect increases with illness burden. Older, female, or insured patients are more satisfied; highly educated patients are less satisfied.

Conclusions

Providers seeking to improve their patient satisfaction scores could do so by considering patient characteristics when accepting new patients or deciding who to refer to other providers for treatment. However, our findings suggest constructive actions that providers can take to improve their patient satisfaction scores without selection on patient characteristics.
Auditors’ Liability, Investments, and Capital Markets: A Potential Unintended Consequence of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act
Authors: DENG MINGCHERNG , MELUMAD NAHUM , SHIBANO TOSHI
Published: April 2012

To restore investors’ confidence in the reliability of corporate financial disclosures, the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002 mandated stricter regulations and arguably increased auditors’ liability. In this paper, we analyze the effects of increased auditor liability on the audit failure rate, the cost of capital, and the level of new investment. We focus on a setting in which, with imperfect auditing, a firm has better information than investors about its prospects and seeks to raise capital for new investments in a lemons market. The equilibrium analysis derives corporate reporting and investing choices by the firm, attestation opinions by the auditor, and valuation by rational investors. Three empirically testable predictions emerge: although increasing auditor liability decreases the audit failure rate and the cost of capital for new projects, it also decreases the level of new profitable investments.
Contrasting the consumptive and non‐consumptive cascading effects of natural enemies on vector‐borne pathogens
Authors: Finke Deborah L.
Published: April 2012

Predicting disease dynamics requires a community perspective, incorporating multi‐species interactions involving hosts, pathogens, vectors, and consumers. In systems where pathogens are dependent on a vector for transmission from one host to another, predators can indirectly influence disease risk through direct effects on vectors. These effects may be consumptive if predators reduce vector abundance by capturing and killing vectors, or non‐consumptive if predators induce anti‐predator behavioral responses by vectors. Studies are accumulating that document cascading effects of predators on vector‐borne disease risk, but the mechanisms underlying these effects are often uncertain. Using a previously developed epidemiological model as a framework, I outline several mechanistic pathways by which predators can have consumptive and non‐consumptive effects on vectors, and present theoretical predictions about the cascading influence of these pathways on pathogen prevalence. I then review selected examples from the literature of vector‐borne plant pathogen systems where particular mechanistic pathways have been implicated. Together, the model predictions and the literature review reveal that, depending on the particular mechanisms at work, predators may reduce, leave unaffected, or even increase pathogen prevalence. In general, the consumptive effects of predators on vectors result in consistent reductions in pathogen prevalence. However, the non‐consumptive effects of predators that arise as a result of changes in pathogen transmission rates, vector birth rates, and non‐predation vector mortality rates are more variable, with the potential for context‐dependency and counter‐intuitive outcomes. Interactions among pathways are also possible, such that the magnitude of consumptive effects can depend upon the strength of non‐consumptive effects and vice versa. I conclude by highlighting the importance of teasing apart the various mechanistic pathways by which predators may indirectly influence pathogen prevalence, and clarifying the relationships among them, to accurately predict the consequences of predation for disease risk and the usefulness of biological control of vectors for suppression of plant pathogens.
The partly epithelialized free gingival graft (pe‐fgg) at lower incisors. A pilot study with implications for alignment of the mucogingival junction
Authors: Cortellini Pierpaolo , Tonetti Maurizio , Prato Giovanpaolo Pini
Published: April 2012

Aims

A partly epithelialized free gingival graft (PE‐FGG) is described for the treatment of isolated and multiple gingival recessions in lower incisors to improve root coverage potential and mucogingival junction (MGJ) alignment.

Methods

Twelve single gingival recessions in 12 patients and 16 multiple recessions in 7 patients at lower incisors were included. A FGG partly deprived of epithelium was harvested from the palate. The epithelialized coronal part of the graft extended from the CEJ to the “ideal” position of the MGJ of the recession site/s. The apical part of the PE‐FGG deprived of the epithelium was inserted between the alveolar mucosal flap and the recipient bed periostium. An aesthetic evaluation was performed.

Results

Treatment resulted in 94 ± 11% and 96 ± 11% root coverage and 75% and 87.5% of the treated teeth completely covered in the single recession and in the multiple recession groups respectively. The 1‐year KT was associated with the baseline extent of the epithelialized part of the graft in both groups. As a consequence, the MGJ resulted in properly aligned teeth in 14 of 19 patients. Three independent clinicians assigned an aesthetic score ranging from 6.36 ± 2.5 to 7.91 ± 1.7 in the single REC group and from 6.62 ± 2.2 to 7.87 ± 1.8 in the multiple REC group.

Conclusions

The application of the M‐FGG resulted in high percentage of recessions completely covered with excellent alignment of the MGJ and appreciable aesthetic outcomes.
Somatostatin‐immunoreactive senile plaque‐like structures in the frontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of aged tree shrews and Japanese macaques
Authors: Yamashita Akiko , Fuchs Eberhard , Taira Masato , Yamamoto Takamitsu , Hayashi Motoharu
Published: April 2012

Background  Previously, we demonstrated decreased expression of somatostatin mRNA in aged macaque brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. To investigate whether or not this age‐dependent decrease in mRNA is related to morphological changes, we analyzed somatostatin cells in the cerebra of aged Japanese macaques and compared them with those in rats and tree shrews, the latter of which are closely related to primates.

Methods  Brains of aged macaques, tree shrews, and rats were investigated by immunohistochemistry with special emphasis on somatostatin.

Results  We observed degenerating somatostatin‐immunoreactive cells in the cortices of aged macaques and tree shrews. Somatostatin‐immunoreactive senile plaque‐like structures were found in areas 6 and 8 and in the nucleus accumbens of macaques, as well as in the nucleus accumbens and the cortex of aged tree shrews, where amyloid accumulations were observed.

Conclusions  Somatostatin degenerations may be related to amyloid accumulations and may play roles in impairments of cognitive functions during aging.
The effect of negative wound pressure therapy on haemodynamics in a laparostomy wound model
Authors: Lindstedt Sandra , Hansson Johan , Hlebowicz Joanna
Published: April 2012

We have recently shown that negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) induces a decrease in microvascular blood flow in the small intestinal loop close to the dressing. The effect of NPWT is thus thought to be local. In this study, we investigate whether the application of NPWT in laparostomy affects the haemodynamics. Midline incisions were made in six pigs followed by NPWT at −120 mmHg for 20 minutes. The cardiac output, mean systemic arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressu re, central venous pressure, left atrial pressure and superior mesenteric artery blood flow were recorded. The blood flow in a small branch of the superior mesenteric artery was then recorded under NPWT between −50 and −175 mmHg. Cardiac output was not affected by NPWT [P = not significant (n.s.)]. Neither the mean arterial pressure nor the mean pulmonary artery pressure was affected by NPWT (P = n.s.). Negative pressures of −50, −75, −100 and −125 mmHg did not alter the blood flow in the small branch of the superior mesenteric artery (P = n.s.). After application of −150 mmHg, a significant decrease in blood flow was seen (P < 0·01), while the application of −175 mmHg resulted in only a slight decrease in blood flow (P = n.s.). The effect of NPWT in laparotomy seems to be local and to have no influence on central haemodynamics or the blood flow to the superior mesenteric artery.