bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic and phenotypic population divergence on a microgeographic scale in brown trout
Authors: STELKENS RIKE B. , JAFFUEL GEOFFREY , ESCHER MATTHIAS , WEDEKIND CLAUS
Published: May 2012

Salmonid populations of many rivers are rapidly declining. One possible explanation is that habitat fragmentation increases genetic drift and reduces the populations’ potential to adapt to changing environmental conditions. We measured the genetic and eco‐morphological diversity of brown trout (Salmo trutta)in a Swiss stream system, using multivariate statistics and Bayesian clustering. We found large genetic and phenotypic variation within only 40 km of stream length. Eighty‐eight percent of all pairwiseFSTcomparisons and 50% of the population comparisons in body shape were significant. High success rates of population assignment tests confirmed the distinctiveness of populations in both genotype and phenotype. Spatial analysis revealed that divergence increased with waterway distance, the number of weirs, and stretches of poor habitat between sampling locations, but effects of isolation‐by‐distance and habitat fragmentation could not be fully disentangled. Stocking intensity varied between streams but did not appear to erode genetic diversity within populations. A lack of association between phenotypic and genetic divergence points to a role of local adaptation or phenotypically plastic responses to habitat heterogeneity. Indeed, body shape could be largely explained by topographic stream slope, and variation in overall phenotype matched the flow regimes of the respective habitats.
Genetic architecture in a marine hybrid zone: comparing outlier detection and genomic clines analysis in the bivalve Macoma balthica
Authors: LUTTIKHUIZEN P. C. , DRENT J. , PEIJNENBURG K. T. C. A. , Van Der VEER H. W. , JOHANNESSON K.
Published: May 2012

The role of natural selection in speciation has received increasing attention and support in recent years. Different types of approaches have been developed that can detect genomic regions influenced by selection. Here, we address the question whether two highly different methods—FST outlier analysis and admixture analysis—detect largely the same set of non‐neutral genomic elements or, instead, complementary sets. We study genetic architecture in a natural secondary contact zone where extensive admixture occurs. The marine bivalves Macoma balthica rubra and M. b. balthica descend from two independent trans‐Arctic invasions of the north Atlantic and hybridize extensively where they meet, for example in the Kattegat–Danish Straits–Baltic Sea region. The Kattegat–Danish Straits region forms a steep salinity cline and is the only entrance to the recently (ca. 8000 years ago) established brackish water basin the Baltic Sea. Salinity along the contact zone drops from 30‰ (Skagerrak, M.b.rubra) to 3‰ (Baltic, M.b.balthica). Both outlier analysis and genomic clines analysis suggest that large parts of the genome are influenced by non‐neutral effects. Contrasting samples from well outside the hybrid zone, outlier analysis detects 16 of 84 amplified fragment length polymorphism markers as significant FST outliers. Genomic clines analysis detects 31 of 84 markers as non‐neutral inside the hybrid zone. Remarkably, only three markers are detected by both methods. We conclude that the two methods together identify a suite of markers that are under the influence of non‐neutral effects.
Spatial genetic structure of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak in western Canada: historical patterns and contemporary dispersal
Authors: GAYATHRI SAMARASEKERA G. D. N. , BARTELL NICHOLAS V. , LINDGREN B. STAFFAN , COOKE JANICE E. K. , DAVIS COREY S. , JAMES PATRICK M. A. , COLTMAN DAVID W. , MOCK KAREN E. , MURRAY BRENT W.
Published: May 2012

Environmental change has a wide range of ecological consequences, including species extinction and range expansion. Many studies have shown that insect species respond rapidly to climatic change. A mountain pine beetle epidemic of record size in North America has led to unprecedented mortality of lodgepole pine, and a significant range expansion to the northeast of its historic range. Our goal was to determine the spatial genetic variation found among outbreak population from which genetic structure, and dispersal patterns may be inferred. Beetles from 49 sampling locations throughout the outbreak area in western Canada were analysed at 13 microsatellite loci. We found significant north‐south population structure as evidenced by: (i) Bayesian‐based analyses, (ii) north‐south genetic relationships and diversity gradients; and (iii) a lack of isolation‐by‐distance in the northernmost cluster. The north‐south structure is proposed to have arisen from the processes of postglacial colonization as well as recent climate‐driven changes in population dynamics. Our data support the hypothesis of multiple sources of origin for the outbreak and point to the need for population specific information to improve our understanding and management of outbreaks. The recent range expansion across the Rocky Mountains into the jack/lodgepole hybrid and pure jack pine zones of northern Alberta is consistent with a northern British Columbia origin. We detected no loss of genetic variability in these populations, indicating that the evolutionary potential of mountain pine beetle to adapt has not been reduced by founder events. This study illustrates a rapid range‐wide response to the removal of climatic constraints, and the potential for range expansion of a regional population.
Heterozygosity–fitness correlations in zebra finches: microsatellite markers can be better than their reputation
Authors: FORSTMEIER WOLFGANG , SCHIELZETH HOLGER , MUELLER JAKOB C. , ELLEGREN HANS , KEMPENAERS BART
Published: May 2012

Numerous studies have reported associations between heterozygosity in microsatellite markers and fitness‐related traits (heterozygosity–fitness correlations, HFCs). However, it has often been questioned whether HFCs reflect general inbreeding depression, because a small panel of microsatellite markers does not reflect very well an individual’s inbreeding coefficient (F) as calculated from a pedigree. Here, we challenge this prevailing view. Because of chance events during Mendelian segregation, an individual’s realized proportion of the genome that is identical by descent (IBD) may substantially deviate from the pedigree‐based expectation (i.e.F). This Mendelian noise may result in a weak correlation betweenFand multi‐locus heterozygosity, but this does not imply that multi‐locus heterozygosity is a bad estimator of realized IBD. We examined correlations between 11 fitness‐related traits measured in up to 1192 captive zebra finches and three measures of inbreeding: (i) heterozygosity across 11 microsatellite markers, (ii) heterozygosity across 1359 single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and (iii)F, based on a 5th‐generation pedigree. All 11 phenotypic traits showed positive relationships with measures of heterozygosity, especially traits that are most closely related to fitness. Remarkably, the small panel of microsatellite markers produced equally strong HFCs as the large panel of SNP markers. Both marker‐based approaches produced stronger correlations with phenotypes than the pedigree‐basedF, and this did not seem to result from the shortness of our pedigree. We argue that a small panel of microsatellites with high allelic richness may better reflect an individual’s realized IBD than previously appreciated, especially in species like the zebra finch, where much of the genome is inherited in large blocks that rarely experience cross‐over during meiosis.
A cationic lumen in the Wzx flippase mediates anionic O‐antigen subunit translocation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1
Authors: Islam Salim T. , Fieldhouse Robert J. , Anderson Erin M. , Taylor Véronique L. , Keates Robert A. B. , Ford Robert C. , Lam Joseph S.
Published: May 2012

Heteropolymeric B‐band O‐antigen (O‐Ag) biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 follows the Wzy‐dependent pathway, beginning with translocation of undecaprenyl pyrophosphate‐linked anionic O‐Ag subunits (O units) from the inner to the outer leaflets of the inner membrane (IM). This translocation is mediated by the integral IM flippase Wzx. Through experimentally based and unbiased topological mapping, our group previously observed that Wzx possesses many charged and aromatic amino acid residues within its 12 transmembrane segments (TMS). Herein, site‐directed mutagenesis targeting 102 residues was carried out on the TMS and loops of Wzx, followed by assessment of each construct's ability to restore B‐band O‐Ag production, identifying eight residues important for flippase function. The importance of various charged and aromatic residues was highlighted, predominantly within the TMS of the protein, revealing functional ‘hotspots’ within the flippase, particularly within TMS2 and TMS8. Construction of a tertiary structure homology model for Wzx indicated that TMS2 and TMS8 line a central cationic lumen. This is the first report to describe a charged flippase lumen for mediating anionic O‐unit translocation across the hydrophobic IM.
Genetic and hormonal regulation of cambial development
Authors: Ursache Robertas , Nieminen Kaisa , Helariutta Ykä
Published: May 2012

The stems and roots of most dicot plants increase in diameter by radial growth, due to the activity of secondary meristems. Two types of meristems function in secondary plant body formation: the vascular cambium, which gives rise to secondary xylem and phloem, and the cork cambium, which produces a bark layer that replaces the epidermis and protects the plant stem from mechanical damage and pathogens. Cambial development, the initiation and activity of the vascular cambium, leads to an accumulation of wood, the secondary xylem tissue. The thick, cellulose‐rich cell walls of wood provide a source of cellulose and have the potential to be used as a raw material for sustainable and renewable energy production. In this review, we will discuss what is known about the mechanisms regulating the cambium and secondary tissue development.
Natural selection in the water: freshwater invasion and adaptation by water colour in the Amazonian pufferfish
Authors: COOKE G. M. , CHAO N. L. , BEHEREGARAY L. B.
Published: May 2012

Natural selection and ecological adaptation are ultimately responsible for much of the origin of biodiversity. Yet, the identification of divergent natural selection has been hindered by the spatial complexity of natural systems, the difficulty in identifying genes under selection and their relationship to environment, and the confounding genomic effects of time. Here, we employed genome scans, population genetics and sequence‐based phylogeographic methods to identify divergent natural selection on population boundaries in a freshwater invader, the Amazonian pufferfish,Colomesus asellus. We sampled extensively across markedly different hydrochemical settings in the Amazon Basin and use ‘water colour’ to test for ecological isolation. We distinguish the relative contribution of natural selection across hydrochemical gradients from biogeographic history in the origin and maintenance of population boundaries within a single species and across a complex ecosystem. We show that spatially distinct population structure generated by multiple forces (i.e. water colour and vicariant biogeographic history) can be identified if the confounding effects of genetic drift have not accumulated between selective populations. Our findings have repercussions for studies aimed at identifying engines of biodiversity and assessing their temporal progression in understudied and ecologically complex tropical ecosystems.
A simulation study on the performance of differentiation‐based methods to detect selected loci using linked neutral markers
Authors: VILAS A. , PÉREZ‐FIGUEROA A. , CABALLERO A.
Published: May 2012

We investigated the performance of two of the most popular differentiation‐based methods to detect loci under selection (dfdist/fdist and bayescan) in order to ascertain the average chromosome map distance between the detected outlier markers and the nearest loci under selection. We used a model of neutral markers genetically linked to selected loci (QTL) controlling a quantitative trait subject to divergent selection in two subpopulations connected by migration. The results are not particularly encouraging because for chromosome lengths above 0.5 morgan, at least 30% of outliers detected were positioned in chromosomes where QTL were absent, clearly denoting false positives. Outliers linked to QTL were on average closer to the nearest QTL than randomly chosen markers, but the methods showed a substantial uncertainty about the genetic association between markers and selected loci, as this association could be shown significantly only in a moderate number of replicates for most scenarios. At equal conditions, bayescan seemed to perform somewhat more efficiently than dfdist/fdist, with little difference between results for dominant and codominant markers.
‘Smoker's paradox’ in young patients with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Chen Kang‐Yin , Rha Seung‐Woon , Li Yong‐Jian , Jin Zhe , Minami Yoshiyasu , Park Ji Young , Poddar Kanhaiya L , Ramasamy Sureshkumar , Wang Lin , Li Guang‐Ping , Choi Cheol‐Ung , Oh Dong Joo , Jeong Myung Ho ,   for the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry Investigators
Published: May 2012

Of the patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction (AMI), smokers are younger than non‐smokers, which may be a major confounding factor causing ‘smoker's paradox’. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated the ‘smoker's paradox’ in young patients with AMI.

In all, 1218 young AMI patients (≤ 45 years of age), comprising 990 smokers and 228 non‐smokers, were enrolled in the present study. In‐hospital and 8 months clinical outcomes were compared between the smokers and non‐smokers.

Baseline clinical characteristics showed that smokers were more likely to be male (97.9% vs 72.4%; P < 0.001) and had a higher rate of ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (71.3% vs 59.5%; P = 0.001) than non‐smokers. Clinical outcomes showed that smokers had lower rates of in‐hospital cardiac death (0.8% vs 3.5%; P = 0.004), total death (0.8% vs 3.5%; P = 0.004) and 8 months cardiac death (1.1% vs 3.9%; P = 0.006) and total death (1.3% vs 4.4%; P = 0.005) than non‐smokers. Multivariable logistic analysis showed that current smoking was an independent protective predictor of 8 months cardiac death (odds ratio (OR) 0.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07–0.92; P = 0.037) and total death (OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.09–0.82; P = 0.021). Subgroup analysis in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention after AMI showed that current smoking was an independent protective predictor of 8 months total major adverse cardiac events (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.23–0.97; P = 0.041).

Current smoking seems to be associated with better clinical outcomes in young patients with AMI, suggesting the existence of the ‘smoker's paradox’ in this particular subset of patients.
Exercise and diet modification in non‐obese non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease: Analysis of biopsies of living liver donors
Authors: Jin Young‐Joo , Kim Kang Mo , Hwang Shin , Lee Sung Gyu , Ha Tae‐Yong , Song Gi‐Won , Jung Dong‐Hwan , Kim Ki‐Hun , Yu Eunsil , Shim Ju Hyun , Lim Young‐Suk , Lee Han Chu , Chung Young‐Hwa , Lee YungSang , Suh Dong‐Jin
Published: May 2012

Background and Aims:  We evaluated efficacy of exercise and diet modification for steatosis improvement of non‐obese non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.

Methods:  We analyzed retrospectively the clinical and histological parameters of consecutive living liver donors, who experienced repeated liver biopsies due to steatosis and were treated using exercise and diet modification.

Results:  From 1995 to 2009, among a total of 1365 potential living liver donors with NAFLD seen on the initial liver biopsy, 120 consecutive donors with steatosis ≥ 30% or an estimated donor‐recipient weight ratio < 0.8, underwent exercise and diet modification and received follow‐up liver biopsy at our institution. Median age was 33 years, and median interval between the two consecutive biopsies was 10 weeks (range, 1–39). At the time of initial biopsy, the number of normal body mass index, overweight, and obese donors was 49 (40.8%), 65 (54.2%), and 6 (5.0%), respectively. After lifestyle modification, weight reduction and steatosis improvement were observed in 92 (76.7%) and 103 (85.8%) donors, respectively, at the time of follow‐up biopsy. On multivariate analysis, initially higher steatosis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.03, P = 0.02), total cholesterol reduction ≥ 10% (HR 5.59, P = 0.02), and weight reduction ≥ 5% (HR 6.63, P = 0.03) were significantly associated with ≥ 20% steatosis improvement in 120 donors with NAFLD, after exercise and diet modification.

Conclusions:  Exercise and diet modification were effective in reducing steatosis in potential living liver donors with non‐obese NAFLD. Total cholesterol reduction ≥ 10% could be used as a non‐invasive predictor for steatosis improvement in liver donors with NAFLD, after exercise and diet modification.
Hepatic hemodynamics in 24 patients with nodular regenerative hyperplasia and symptomatic portal hypertension
Authors: Bissonnette Julien , Généreux Alexandre , Côté Jean , Nguyen Bich , Perreault Pierre , Bouchard Louis , Pomier‐Layrargues Gilles
Published: May 2012

Background and Aim:  To evaluate hepatic hemodynamics in patients with nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver (NRH) with portal hypertension (PHT).

Methods:  We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 24 patients referred for PHT related to biopsy‐proven NRH. Hemodynamic measurements included wedged hepatic vein (WHVP) and inferior vena cava (IVCP), and, in 12 patients, portal vein pressure (PVP). Hepatic vein pressure gradient (HVPG: WHVP–IVCP) and portal vein pressure gradient (PVPG: PVP–IVCP) were calculated.

Results:  Nodular regenerative hyperplasia was associated in 24 patients with various diseases (oxaliplatin chemotherapy, treatment with purine antagonists, post liver transplantation, hematologic and rheumatologic conditions and HIV infection). Liver function parameters were either completely normal or slightly impaired. Patients were referred for gastroesophageal varices (n = 18), and/or ascites (n = 11), and/or splenomegaly (n = 20). In patients with varices or ascites, HVPG was lower than 10 mmHg (a cut‐off point for the presence of varices and/or ascites) in 15/21, suggesting a pre‐sinusoidal component to their PHT confirmed by a PVP higher than 12 mmHg in 12/12 patients.

The mean difference between HVPG and PVPG was 8.7 mmHg in these patients. Ten patients were treated by transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. None of them re‐bled, and one presented transient hepatic encephalopathy.

Conclusions:  Presinusoidal PHT associated with NRH is probably related to compression of portal venules by the regenerative nodules. In patients with HTP and a HVPG < 10 mmHg, the diagnosis of NRH must be suspected and PVP measured, which is important in the management of these patients.
Increase in platelet count based on inosine triphosphatase genotype during interferon beta plus ribavirin combination therapy
Authors: Nomura Hideyuki , Miyagi Yugo , Tanimoto Hironori , Yamashita Nobuyuki , Ito Kiyoaki , Masaki Naohiko , Mizokami Masashi
Published: May 2012

Background and Aim:  The inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) genotype is associated with ribavirin‐induced anemia and pegylated interferon α (PEG IFN‐α)‐induced platelet reduction during PEG IFN‐α plus ribavirin combination therapy. Natural IFN‐β plus ribavirin therapy is associated with increases in platelet counts during treatment. We investigated decreases in platelet counts according to ITPA genotype during natural IFN‐β/ribavirin therapy to determine if patients with low platelet counts were eligible for this combination therapy.

Methods:  A total of 187 patients with chronic hepatitis C received PEG IFN‐α/ribavirin or natural IFN‐β/ribavirin therapy. Decreases in platelet counts based on ITPA genotype were investigated during treatment through 24 weeks.

Results:  Platelet counts decreased during week 1 of PEG IFN‐α/ribavirin therapy, but increased during week 2, after which platelet counts decreased gradually. Platelet counts decreased until week 4 of natural IFN‐β/ribavirin therapy, after which platelet counts increased. Platelet counts after week 8 were higher relative to pretreatment platelet counts. Patients with the ITPA‐CC genotype showed a smaller decrease in platelet counts during natural IFN‐β/ribavirin therapy than those with the ITPA‐CA/AA genotype; platelet counts after week 8 of this therapy were higher than pretreatment platelet counts, regardless of pretreatment platelet counts. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that natural INF‐β/ribavirin therapy was the only significant independent predictor for an increase in platelets through week 8.

Conclusion:  Natural IFN‐β/ribavirin therapy is safe for patients with the ITPA‐CC genotype, even if their pretreatment platelet counts are low.
Des‐γ‐carboxyl prothrombin is associated with tumor angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Matsubara Minoru , Shiraha Hidenori , Kataoka Jyunro , Iwamuro Masaya , Horiguchi Shigeru , Nishina Shin‐ichi , Takaoka Nobuyuki , Uemura Masayuki , Takaki Akinobu , Nakamura Shinichiro , Kobayashi Yoshiyuki , Nouso Kazuhiro , Yamamoto Kazuhide
Published: May 2012

Background and Aim:  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascular tumor, and angiogenesis plays an important role in its development. Previously, we demonstrated that des‐γ‐carboxyl prothrombin (DCP) promotes both cell proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by inducing the autophosphorylation of kinase insert domain receptor (KDR). In the present study, DCP‐associated tumor angiogenesis was assessed by comparing hypovascular and common hypervascular HCC.

Methods:  The solitary HCCs of 827 patients were classified into two groups according to the tumor density at the arterial phase of a dynamic computed tomography scan; the initial clinical data of patients with the hyper‐ and hypovascular types were compared. The HCC tissues from 95 tumors were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining for DCP and phosphorylated KDR, and intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) was analyzed to evaluate microvessel angiogenesis.

Results:  The serum DCP levels (320 ± 3532 mAU/mL) and tumor size (18.4 ± 9.0 mm) of patients with hypervascular HCC were significantly greater than those with hypovascular HCC (38.7 ± 80 mAU/mL and 14.6 ± 5.2 mm, P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expressions of DCP and phospho‐KDR were significantly greater in hypervascular HCC (71.4% and 31.0%, respectively) than in hypovascular HCC (7.6% and 5.7%, respectively). Intratumoral MVD was significantly correlated with DCP (r = 0.48, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:  des‐γ‐carboxyl prothrombin production is associated with tumor angiogenesis in HCC.
THE EFFECTS OF SINGLE MOTHERS' WELFARE USE AND EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS ON CHILDREN'S COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Authors: CHYI HAU , OZTURK ORGUL DEMET
Published: May 2012

We examine the effects of single mothers' welfare use and employment decisions on children's short‐run cognitive development, as measured by their preschool standardized math test scores. We control for three mechanisms through which these decisions might affect children's outcomes: direct monetary benefits, parental time invested in the child, and nonpecuniary benefits from in‐kind transfer programs such as Medicaid. We employ a correction function approach and control for state‐fixed effects to address the endogenous nature of welfare participation and employment decisions. Our estimates suggest that although each additional quarter of either mother's employment or welfare use results in only a small increase in a child's standardized math test score, the total effects after several quarters are sizable. We allow mothers' decisions to have varying effects on attainment by children's observed innate ability and by the intensity of welfare use and employment. A child who has the mean level of observed innate ability with a mother who simultaneously worked and used welfare in all 20 quarters after childbirth experiences an 8.25 standardized‐point increase in standardized scores. The positive impact is more pronounced for the more disadvantaged children, who tend to be born to mothers with low Armed Forces Qualification Test scores, or have lower birth weights. We also examine the effects using timing of employment and welfare use, as well as children's maturity and gender. (JEL I3, J13, J22)
Sub‐National Institutional Contingencies, Network Positions, and IJV Partner Selection
Authors: Shi Weilei (Stone) , Sun Sunny Li , Peng Mike W.
Published: May 2012

abstract

The differences in sub‐national institutions within large and complex emerging economies have been increasingly noted. Drawing on social network theory and the institution‐based view, we argue that two network structural attributes of domestic firms – centrality and structural holes – have distinctive values in different sub‐national regions where institutional contexts differ widely. In addition, these sub‐national institutional contingencies influence the attractiveness of different network attributes to foreign entrants seeking international joint venture (IJV) partners. Specifically, in regions where the degree of marketization is high, centrally positioned domestic firms are more likely to be selected by foreign entrants as IJV partners. In regions where the degree of marketization is low, domestic broker firms are more attractive IJV partners. Results from the electrical and information technology industries in 18 provinces in China largely support our hypotheses.
The overexpression ofOsNAC9alters the root architecture of rice plants enhancing drought resistance and grain yield under field conditions
Authors: Redillas Mark C.F.R. , Jeong Jin S. , Kim Youn S. , Jung Harin , Bang Seung W. , Choi Yang D. , Ha Sun‐Hwa , Reuzeau Christophe , Kim Ju‐Kon
Published: May 2012

Drought conditions limit agricultural production by preventing crops from reaching their genetically predetermined maximum yields. Here, we present the results of field evaluations of rice overexpressingOsNAC9,a member of the rice NAC domain family. Root‐specific (RCc3) and constitutive (GOS2) promoters were used to overexpressOsNAC9and produced the transgenicRCc3:OsNAC9andGOS2:OsNAC9plants. Field evaluations over two cultivating seasons showed that grain yields of theRCc3:OsNAC9and theGOS2:OsNAC9plants were increased by 13%–18% and 13%–32% under normal conditions, respectively. Under drought conditions,RCc3:OsNAC9plants showed an increased grain yield of 28%–72%, whilst theGOS2:OsNAC9plants remained unchanged. Both transgenic lines exhibited altered root architecture involving an enlarged stele and aerenchyma. The aerenchyma ofRCc3:OsNAC9roots was enlarged to a greater extent than those ofGOS2:OsNAC9and non‐transgenic (NT) roots, suggesting the importance of this phenotype for enhanced drought resistance. Microarray experiments identified 40 up‐regulated genes by more than threefold (P < 0.01) in the roots of both transgenic lines. These included9‐cis‐epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, an ABA biosynthesis gene,calcium‐transporting ATPase, a component of the Ca2+signalling pathway involved in cortical cell death and aerenchyma formation,cinnamoyl CoA reductase 1, a gene involved in lignin biosynthesis, andwall‐associated kinases¸genes involved in cell elongation and morphogenesis. Interestingly,O‐methyltransferase, a gene necessary for barrier formation, was specifically up‐regulated only in theRCc3:OsNAC9roots. Such up‐regulated genes that are commonly and specifically up‐regulated inOsNAC9transgenic roots may account for the altered root architecture conferring increased drought resistance phenotype.
Contextual influences on eating behaviours: heuristic processing and dietary choices
Authors: Cohen D. A. , Babey S. H.
Published: May 2012

This paper reviews some of the evidence that dietary behaviours are, in large part, the consequence of automatic responses to contextual food cues, many of which lead to increased caloric consumption and poor dietary choices. We describe studies that illustrate how these automatic mechanisms underlie eating behaviours, as well as evidence that individuals are subject to inherent cognitive limitations, and mostly lack the capacity to consistently recognize, ignore or resist contextual cues that encourage eating.

Restaurants and grocery stores are the primary settings from which people obtain food. These settings are often designed to maximize sales of food by strategically placing and promoting items to encourage impulse purchases. Although a great deal of marketing research is proprietary, this paper describes some of the published studies that indicate that changes in superficial characteristics of food products, including packaging and portion sizes, design, salience, health claims and labelling, strongly influence food choices and consumption in ways for which people generally lack insight. We discuss whether contextual influences might be considered environmental risk factors from which individuals may need the kinds of protections that fall under the mission of public health.
COMBINING TRUST MODELING AND MECHANISM DESIGN FOR PROMOTING HONESTY IN E‐MARKETPLACES
Authors: Zhang Jie , Cohen Robin , Larson Kate
Published: May 2012

In this paper, we propose a novel incentive mechanism for promoting honesty in electronic marketplaces that is based on trust modeling. In our mechanism, buyers model other buyers and select the most trustworthy ones as their neighbors to form a social network which can be used to ask advice about sellers. In addition, however, sellers model the reputation of buyers based on the social network. Reputable buyers provide truthful ratings for sellers, and are likely to be neighbors of many other buyers. Sellers will provide more attractive products to reputable buyer to build their own reputation. We theoretically prove that a marketplace operating with our mechanism leads to greater profit both for honest buyers and honest sellers. We emphasize the value of our approach through a series of illustrative examples and in direct contrast to other frameworks for addressing agent trustworthiness. In all, we offer an effective approach for the design of e‐marketplaces that is attractive to users, through its promotion of honesty.
Neurobiological narratives: experiences of mood disorder through the lens of neuroimaging
Authors: Buchman Daniel Z. , Borgelt Emily L. , Whiteley Louise , Illes Judy
Published: May 2012

Many scientists, healthcare providers, policymakers and patients are awaiting in anticipation the application of biomedical technologies such as functional neuroimaging for the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. The potential efficacy of such applications is controversial, and functional neuroimaging is not yet routinely used in psychiatric clinics. However, commercial ventures and enthusiastic reporting indicate a pressing need to engage with the social and ethical issues raised by clinical translation. There has been little investigation of how individuals living with mental illness view functional neuroimaging, or of the potential psychological impacts of its clinical use. We conducted 12 semi‐structured interviews with adults diagnosed with major depression or bipolar disorder, probing their experiences with mental health care and their perspectives on the prospect of receiving neuroimaging for prediction, diagnosis and planning treatment. The participants discussed the potential role of neuroimages in (i) mitigating stigma; (ii) supporting morally loaded explanations of mental illness due to an imbalance of brain chemistry; (iii) legitimising psychiatric symptoms, which may have previously been de‐legitimised since they lacked objective representation, through objective representations of disorder; and (iv) reifying DSM‐IV‐TR disorder categories and links to identity. We discuss these anticipated outcomes in the context of participant lived experience and attitudes to biologisation of mental illness, and argue for bringing these voices into upstream ethics discussion.
Making sense of nonsense: experiences of mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Beard Renée L. , Neary Tara M.
Published: May 2012

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a stigmatised condition popularly assumed to be a death sentence for diagnosed individuals. Consequently, people with AD are often deemed incapable (and perhaps unworthy) of contributing to the social discourse surrounding their illness experience. Data from qualitative interviews with 18 people diagnosed with the potential precursor of AD known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are examined. Using grounded theory methods, analysis revealed overarching themes of uncertainty concerning definitions of memory loss, MCI, and AD as well as distinctions between normal ageing and dementia. While this confusion over the terminology and prognosis mirrors the lack of scientific consensus about nosology and appropriate treatment regimens, such ambiguity creates social and psychological tensions for diagnosed individuals. Arguably, participants’ unequivocal fear of and subsequent desire to differentiate their experiences from Alzheimer’s, however, stems from the exclusively negative social constructions of AD. Drawing from Goffman, these findings demonstrate the psychosocial impact of ‘framing contests’ and how ‘courtesy stigma’ can apply not only to associated persons but also associated conditions, such as MCI to AD. Given the underlying nosological creep – or medicalisation – of the recent diagnostic guidelines proposing two new pre‐dementia stages, understanding the illness narratives of MCI is critical.
A Purposive Approach to Employment Protection or a Missed Opportunity?
Authors: McClelland Julie
Published: May 2012

This note discusses how far the Supreme Court judgment in Autoclenz Ltd v Belcher and others provides grounds for a purposive interpretation of the contract of employment for employment protection purposes, or whether its scope is limited to the specific issue of considering the validity of boilerplate contractual terms. The author reflects on the approach taken by the Supreme Court and how far issues of inequality and substantive fairness within employment relationships have been addressed. The note concludes that whilst the judgment has extended the context of facts to be considered to include a consideration of relative bargaining power, this in itself does not extend to a consideration of substantive fairness nor does it clarify the standards that should apply to a fair employment relationship.
Getting Creative with the ‘Creative City’? Towards New Perspectives on Creativity in Urban Policy
Authors: Borén Thomas , Young Craig
Published: May 2012

This article explores new avenues for academic research on the ‘creative city’. Creativity offers opportunities for urban development and the personal development of urban inhabitants, but its adoption in urban policy is frequently criticized for being welded to economic imperatives and a neoliberal agenda. Urban policymakers worldwide continue to adopt narrow conceptualizations of ‘creativity’ while largely ignoring extensive academic criticism of the concept, suggesting that academic concerns with creativity in urban policy need to be reoriented more effectively. This article develops four key theoretical points on the ‘creative city’ and creative urban policy. It argues that the focus of enquiry should shift towards a more in‐depth understanding of how ‘creativity’ is constructed, contested and performed in specific urban contexts, understanding the ‘creative policy gap’ between policymakers and those engaged in all kinds of creative practice, and developing forms of artistic intervention to attempt to make creative policymaking more inclusive and ‘creative’. These points are developed through a critique of the literature and some illustrative examples of people in creative occupations interacting with urban planners and policymakers in creative interventions.

De nouveaux axes de recherches s’ouvrent à la ‘ville créative’. La créativité offre des possibilités d’aménagement urbain et d’épanouissement personnel des citadins, mais son intégration aux politiques urbaines est souvent critiquée pour être indissociable d’impératifs économiques et d’objectifs néolibéraux. À travers le monde, les décideurs des politiques urbaines adoptent encore des notions étriquées de la ‘créativité’, négligeant les fréquentes remises en question du concept dans les études académiques, et prétextant que l’intérêt des chercheurs pour la créativité dans ce domaine devrait être réorienté plus efficacement. Quatre points théoriques sur ‘la ville créative’ et sur une politique urbaine créative sont présentés: les études devraient tenter de mieux comprendre les manières d’élaborer, de contester et de concrétiser la ‘créativité’ dans des contextes urbains particuliers, appréhender le ‘déficit de politique créative’ entre les décideurs politiques et les personnes qui exercent toutes sortes de pratiques créatives, et développer des formes d’intervention artistique afin de susciter des approches des politiques urbaines plus inclusives et plus ‘créatives’. Ces points sont examinés en analysant les publications existantes, ainsi que plusieurs exemples de personnes exerçant des professions créatives en interaction avec les urbanistes et les décideurs politiques dans le cadre d’interventions créatives.
An age‐dependent reversal in the protective capacities of JNK signaling shortens Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan
Authors: Twumasi‐Boateng Kwame , Wang Tim W. , Tsai Linda , Lee Kuang‐Hui , Salehpour Ali , Bhat Sudarshan , Tan Man‐Wah , Shapira Michael
Published: May 2012

Stress‐activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathways are evolutionarily conserved signaling modules that orchestrate protective responses to adverse environmental conditions. However, under certain conditions, their activation can be deleterious. Thus, activation of the c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) SAPK pathway exacerbates a diverse set of pathologies, many of which are typical of old age. The contexts determining whether the outcome of JNK signaling is protective or detrimental are not fully understood. Here, we show that the age of an animal defines such a context. The Caenorhabditis elegans JNK homolog, KGB‐1, provides protection from heavy metals and protein folding stress in developing animals. However, we found that with the onset of adulthood, KGB‐1 activity becomes detrimental, reducing stress resistance and lifespan. Genetic analyses coupled with fluorescent imaging linked this phenotypic switch to age‐dependent antagonistic modulation of DAF‐16/FOXO: KGB‐1 activation enhanced DAF‐16 nuclear localization and transcriptional activity during development but decreased it in adults. Epistasis analyses showed that DAF‐16 was necessary and sufficient to explain some of the kgb‐1‐dependent detrimental phenotypes, but not all. The identification of early adulthood as a point following which the contribution of KGB‐1 activity reverses from beneficial to detrimental sheds new light on the involvement of JNK signaling in age‐related pathologies. Furthermore, the age‐dependent reversal has intriguing implications for our understanding of aging.
Investigation of the Uncertainty of DIC Under Heterogeneous Strain States with Numerical Tests
Authors: Wang Y. , Lava P. , Coppieters S. , De Strycker M. , Van Houtte P. , Debruyne D.
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  In this research, numerical 2D digital image correlation (DIC) tests are carried out to assess the uncertainty of DIC under heterogeneous strain states. DIC is implemented to measure the deformation of the numerically deformed images with respect to the undeformed counterparts, which are taken from the real tensile specimens. The tensile specimens are made of three materials, that is, steel DC06, steel DX54D+Z and aluminium alloy Al6016 and cut into three different geometries, namely one standard design and two complex designs. The specimens are all painted manually with random speckle patterns. The original images are deformed by imposed displacement fields, which are obtained by simulating uni‐axial tensile tests of the specimens with finite element analysis (FEA). In this way, the errors sourcing from the hardware of the image system are excluded. According to the geometries of the specimens, homogeneous and heterogeneous strain states are achieved by FEA. The optimum mesh sizes of the models are identified to minimise theirs influence on the imposed fields. The impacts of subset sizes, step sizes and strain window sizes are studied for an optimum correlation. Finally, the influence of the strain state is investigated. It is found that the DIC accuracy and precision decrease under highly heterogeneous strain states.
Compartment syndrome: pathophysiology, clinical presentations, treatment, and prevention in human and veterinary medicine
Authors: Nielsen Lindsey K. , Whelan Megan
Published: May 2012

Objective

To review the human and veterinary literature pertaining to all forms of compartment syndrome (CS).

Data Sources

Data sources included scientific reviews and original research publications from the human and veterinary literature.

Human Data Synthesis

While CS affecting the extremities has been recognized in people for decades, other forms of CS in the abdominal and thoracic cavities are recently gaining more attention. The role of CS in critically ill people is a rapidly growing area of interest. More research on prevention and treatment of CS is being conducted in people because some studies have found mortality rates as high as 80% for those suffering from these conditions.

Veterinary Data Synthesis

While a significant amount of experimental studies of CS have been performed on small animals, there is a marked lack of primary veterinary studies. The majority of the veterinary literature includes case reports and series, and many of these studies were published over a decade ago. However, the increased recognition of CS in people has sparked an interest in veterinary critical care medicine and this has been demonstrated by the recent increased evaluation of compartment pressures in veterinary patients.

Conclusions

CS is a complex clinical condition where increased pressure within a compartment can cause significant adverse effects within the compartment as well as throughout the body. Systemic inflammatory responses and local ischemia‐reperfusion elements can contribute to the detrimental effects seen in CS. This cascade of events results in increased mortality rates and contributes to the development of CS elsewhere. A better understanding of CS will help veterinarians improve patient care and outcome. Future studies on incidence, prevention, and treatment of CSs in the critical care patient are needed in veterinary medicine.
Genetic, immunological and clinical risk factors for biliary strictures following liver transplantation
Authors: Iacob Speranta , Cicinnati Vito R. , Dechêne Alexander , Lindemann Monika , Heinemann Falko M. , Rebmann Vera , Ferencik Stanislav , Sotiropoulos Georgios C. , Popescu Irinel , Horn Peter A. , Gerken Guido , Paul Andreas , Beckebaum Susanne
Published: May 2012

Background

Biliary strictures after liver transplantation (LT) are a major cause of morbidity and reduced graft survival.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to investigate genetic, immunological and clinical risk factors for the occurrence of post‐LT ischaemic type biliary lesions (ITBLs) and biliary anastomotic strictures (AS).

Methods

Clinical and laboratory data, chemokine receptor (CCR) genotypes, chemotactic cytokines and anti‐major‐histocompatibility complex antibodies in serum were investigated in 162 LT patients.

Results

In the univariate analysis, older donor and recipient age, partial LT, high peak aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) levels and CC chemokine receptor 5 delta32 loss‐of‐function mutation (CCR5Δ32) were associated with ITBL, whereas LT for acute liver failure (ALF), ABO‐compatible non‐identical LT, presence of donor‐specific anti‐human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II antibodies and fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1)‐249II allele were associated with AS. In the multivariate analysis, CCR5Δ32 was an independent risk factor for ITBL, whereas LT for ALF, ABO‐compatible non‐identical LT, and CX3CR1‐249II allele remained predictive for AS. Serum levels of interferon‐gamma and interleukin (IL)‐6 as well as IL‐10 were significantly increased in patients with biliary strictures.

Conclusion

Specific chemokine receptor polymorphisms of the recipient are associated with development of post‐LT biliary strictures. Altered cytokine profile may contribute to enhanced fibrotic tissue remodelling and biliary stricture formation. Screening of anti‐HLA antibodies might be useful for early identification of at‐risk patients who could benefit from closer surveillance and tailored immunosuppressive regimen. Our findings may have relevance for prediction and management of post‐LT biliary strictures.
Cerebral Transverse Sinus Morphology As Detected by MR Venography in Patients With Chronic Migraine
Authors: Fofi Luisa , Giugni Elisabetta , Vadalà Rita , Vanacore Nicola , Aurilia Cinzia , Egeo Gabriella , Pierallini Alberto , Barbanti Piero
Published: May 2012

Objective.— To clarify the frequency and characteristics of altered transverse sinus morphology in a series of consecutive patients with chronic migraine.

Background.— As terminology, neuroradiological techniques and patient selection differ widely across various studies, reliable, reproducible information is lacking on the frequency of cerebral transverse sinus asymmetry as measured by cerebral magnetic resonance venography in patients with chronic migraine.

Methods.— We assessed the frequency and characteristics of transverse sinus asymmetries and their correlation with the chronic migraine phenotype in a blind, cross‐sectional magnetic resonance venographic study in a series of 83 consecutive patients with chronic migraine.

Results.— After excluding mild (≤10%) physiological differences in transverse sinus diameter, we found magnetic resonance venographic evidence of altered transverse sinus morphology in 50.6% of the patients: 16.9% had moderate transverse sinus asymmetry (≤50%), 24.1% severe asymmetry (>50%), and 9.6% aplasia. Among the tested risk factors for migraine chronification, analgesic consumption, anxiety, and high systolic blood pressure were more frequent in patients with transverse sinus aplasia than in those without.

Conclusions.— Advanced magnetic resonance venographic techniques used in strictly selected subjects disclose transverse sinus asymmetries in as many as 50.6% of patients with chronic migraine, even when mild differences in physiological caliber are excluded. The unexpected correlation between transverse sinus aplasia and some risk factors for migraine chronification requires confirmation in larger studies.