bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How territoriality affects the density of an egg predator: Habitat renovation and reintroduction as a method of conserving two endangered desert spring fish
Authors: Paciorek Timothy , Al-SHAER Layla , Itzkowitz Murray
Published: February 2016

Conservation of endangered sympatric species must be carefully executed to ensure that the protection of one species does not negatively impact the survival of another. Critically endangered Pecos gambusia Gambusia nobilis and Leon Springs pupfish Cyprinodon bovinus, which are endemic to a threatened desert spring habitat, exemplify one such scenario. Recently, this habitat has been expanded, and captively bred C. bovinus were released to repopulate an area historically known to contain this species. A previous study suggested that G. nobilis are detrimental to C. bovinus populations, due to their tendency to congregate near spawning pairs and feed on their eggs. Whether G. nobilis are attracted to territorial C. bovinus, regardless of spawning behavior, remains unclear. To determine this, the number of G. nobilis in occupied and unoccupied breeding territories of both wild and captively bred C. bovinus was measured. Gambusia nobilis densities were similar between unoccupied and occupied territorial sites, suggesting that they do not show a preference for C. bovinus territories. Regardless of habitat location or prior captivity, territorial C. bovinus significantly excluded G. nobilis within their direct vicinity (5 cm), but not from their entire territory. Decreased G. nobilis density within the habitat may allow C. bovinus to defend their breeding territories more readily during the summer spawning season. This study provides empirical evidence of captively raised individuals behaving similarly to wild individuals upon reintroduction to their natural habitat and support for conservation methods that focus on common limiting factors between endangered species [Current Zoology 60 (4): 527–533, 2014].
Effects of environmental variability and offspring growth on the movement ecology of breeding Scopoli’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea
Authors: Cecere Jacopo G. , Gaibani Giorgia , Imperio Simona
Published: February 2016

Most seabird species display colonial behavior during the breeding period which implies that food resources around breeding sites can easily go depleted. Seabirds need to both reach profitable areas, which can be located far from the colony, and return to the colony regularly. In this context, flexibility in movement behavior may be crucial for breeding success. During chick-rearing, Procellariformes species can alternate short trips lasting 1–4 days for chick provisioning with longer trips for self-provisioning in what has been called a dual-foraging strategy. We analyzed foraging trips from 136 Scopoli’s shearwaters from three Mediterranean colonies tracked with GPS during 6 chick-rearing seasons to assess whether the adoption of a dual foraging strategy depends on the quality of habitat surrounding the colony. We found a marked dual-foraging strategy only in birds from the Linosa colony which was the largest colony in terms of breeding pairs and was characterized by having a lower marine habitat quality. Birds from this colony performed foraging trips that extended up to 369 km from the nest and lasted more than 10 days. In general, the decision to perform long lasting trips was triggered by lower values of primary production and higher offspring weight. Contrary to expectation, the decision to feed far from the colony was not related to the parents’ weight. At the same time, despite the higher productivity offered by distant areas, the higher proportion of long trips performed by birds breeding in poor areas was not sufficient to maintain the same body mass as the ones breeding in richer areas.
Individual repeatability in timing and spatial flexibility of migration routes of trans-Saharan migratory raptors
Authors: López-López Pascual , García-Ripollés Clara , Urios Vicente
Published: February 2016

Satellite-tracking technology has allowed scientists to make a quantum leap in the field of migration ecology. Nowadays, the basic description of migratory routes of many species of birds has been reported. However, the investigation of bird migration at individual level (i.e. repeatability in migratory routes and timing) still remains seldom explored. Here, we investigated repeated migratory trips of a trans-Saharan endangered migratory raptor, the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, tracked by GPS satellite telemetry. We compared between- and within-individual variation in migratory routes and timing in order to assess the degree of repeatability (or conversely, the flexibility) in migration. To this end, we analysed a dataset of 48 trips (23 springs and 25 autumns) recorded for six adult birds during 2007-2013. Our results showed consistent migration timing at the individual level, both in spring and autumn. Interestingly, there was a high degree of flexibility in the routes followed by the same individual in different years, probably due to variations in meteorological conditions. Contrary to expectations of a faster migration in spring than in autumn owing to a time-minimization strategy for breeding, birds spent less time in autumn migration (13 ± 2 days, range = 9–18 d) than in spring migration (19 ± 3 days, range = 13–26 d), which can be explained by differences in environmental conditions en route. Egyptian vultures showed a consistent clockwise loop migration through western Africa, following more easterly routes in autumn than in spring. Finally, our results provide supporting evidence of low phenotypic plasticity in timing of migration (i.e. strong endogenous control of migration) and high flexibility in routes.
A network of sex and competition: The promiscuous mating system of an invasive weevil
Authors: Inghilesi Alberto Francesco , Mazza Giuseppe , Cervo Rita , Cini Alessandro
Published: February 2016

Invasive alien pest insect species represent a major threat for agriculture and biodiversity. Because chemical treatments employed to contrast such pests elicit serious environmental and human health problems, a great effort is currently directed to develop long term and environmentally friendly biological control strategies. However, the successful application of some promising techniques, such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), requires a deep knowledge of the pest basic biology. Here, we argue that understanding pest sexual biology using a social network approach can significantly improve the performance of control strategies. For example, SIT may benefit from understanding how individuals interact and how males accede to reproduction, in order to target the most reproductively active and polygamic males. In this paper we studied the socio-sexual networks of the Asian red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, a worldwide invader which is causing heavy economic impacts on several palm species. We found that the RPW has a highly promiscuous mating system, characterized by forced interruptions of pair copulations by additional males. The social network is highly non-random nor regular: few males almost monopolize reproduction, behaving as key-players in the network of matings. Additionally, males have a stable pattern of sexual behaviour over time. We use RPW social network as a case study to direct the development of management techniques such as SIT strategy.
Environmental factors determining growth of salamander larvae: A field study
Authors: Limongi Laura , Ficetola Gentile Francesco , Romeo Giuseppe , Manenti Raoul
Published: February 2016

Larval growth and survival of organisms are strongly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, as demonstrated by experimental studies performed under controlled laboratory or semi-natural conditions. Even if they have many advantages, experiments cannot cover the full complexity of natural conditions and field studies are needed for a better understanding of how environmental variation determines growth and development rate. Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra females give birth to larvae in a variety of habitats, both epigean and subterranean. In caves, salamander larvae successfully grow and metamorphose, but their growth is more than three times longer than in epigean streams and factors determining these differences require investigation. We performed a field study to understand the factors related to the growth of fire salamander larvae in different environmental conditions, evaluating the relationship between environmental features and larval growth and differences between caves and epigean spring habitats. Both caves and epigean larvae successfully grew. Capture-mark-recapture allowed to individually track individuals along their whole development, and measure their performance. Growth rate was significantly affected by environmental variables: larvae grew faster in environments with abundant invertebrates and few conspecifics. Taking into account the effect of environmental variables, larval growth was significantly lower in caves. Food availability plays a different effect in the two environments. Larval growth was positively related to the availability of invertebrates in epigean sites only. The development rate of hypogeous populations of salamanders is slower because of multiple parameters, but biotic factors play a much stronger role than the abiotic ones.
Is there evidence of selection in the dopamine receptor D4 gene in Australian invasive starling populations?
Authors: Rollins Lee Ann , Whitehead Michael R. , Woolnough Andrew P. , Sinclair Ron , Sherwin William B.
Published: February 2016

Although population genetic theory is largely based on the premise that loci under study are selectively neutral, it has been acknowledged that the study of DNA sequence data under the influence of selection can be useful. In some circumstances, these loci show increased population differentiation and gene diversity. Highly polymorphic loci may be especially useful when studying populations having low levels of diversity overall, such as is often the case with threatened or newly established invasive populations. Using common starlings Sturnus vulgaris sampled from invasive Australian populations, we investigated sequence data of the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4), a locus suspected to be under selection for novelty-seeking behaviour in a range of taxa including humans and passerine birds. We hypothesised that such behaviour may be advantageous when species encounter novel environments, such as during invasion. In addition to analyses to detect the presence of selection, we also estimated population differentiation and gene diversity using DRD4 data and compared these estimates to those from microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA sequence data, using the same individuals. We found little evidence for selection on DRD4 in starlings. However, we did find elevated levels of within-population gene diversity when compared to microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA sequence, as well as a greater degree of population differentiation. We suggest that sequence data from putatively nonneutral loci are a useful addition to studies of invasive populations, where low genetic variability is expected.
A whiter shade of male: Color background matching as a function of size and sex in the yellow shore crab Hemigrapsus oregonensis (Dana, 1851)
Authors: Jensen Gregory C. , Egnotovich Michael S.
Published: February 2016

Juveniles of the shore crab Hemigrapsus oregonensis are highly variable in color, ranging from the typical yellowishgreen of adults to pure white and myriad patterns of white mottling and other disruptive markings, but large individuals with white coloration appear to be very rare. Using image analysis to quantify the relative “whiteness” of beaches, we sampled crabs from nine locations in Washington State that varied widely in their amount of shell fragments and other light-colored material. The total proportion of white individuals in the different locations was strongly correlated to the proportion of white material on the beaches, but there was a striking difference between sexes. Although white specimens of both sexes declined significantly at sizes above 10 mm carapace width, white females generally persisted throughout the entire female size range on lighter-colored beaches while white males larger than 10 mm were virtually absent from all of the sampled populations. Pure white males held on dark backgrounds in captivity remained white, as they lack the dark chromatophores in their hypodermis needed to change color; off-white males became darker and in some cases lightened up again when transferred back to a white background. Behavioral differences between the sexes may result in differential mortality of white individuals by visual predators.
The impact of ancestral population size and incomplete lineage sorting on Bayesian estimation of species divergence times
Authors: Angelis Konstantinos , Dos Reis Mario
Published: February 2016

Although the effects of the coalescent process on sequence divergence and genealogies are well understood, the virtual majority of studies that use molecular sequences to estimate times of divergence among species have failed to account for the coalescent process. Here we study the impact of ancestral population size and incomplete lineage sorting on Bayesian estimates of species divergence times under the molecular clock when the inference model ignores the coalescent process. Using a combination of mathematical analysis, computer simulations and analysis of real data, we find that the errors on estimates of times and the molecular rate can be substantial when ancestral populations are large and when there is substantial incomplete lineage sorting. For example, in a simple three-species case, we find that if the most precise fossil calibration is placed on the root of the phylogeny, the age of the internal node is overestimated, while if the most precise calibration is placed on the internal node, then the age of the root is underestimated. In both cases, the molecular rate is overestimated. Using simulations on a phylogeny of nine species, we show that substantial errors in time and rate estimates can be obtained even when dating ancient divergence events. We analyse the hominoid phylogeny and show that estimates of the neutral mutation rate obtained while ignoring the coalescent are too high. Using a coalescent-based technique to obtain geological times of divergence, we obtain estimates of the mutation rate that are within experimental estimates and we also obtain substantially older divergence times within the phylogeny.
Statistical measures of genetic differentiation of populations: Rationales, history and current states
Authors: Ma Liang , Ji Ya-Jie , Zhang De-Xing
Published: February 2016

Population differentiation is a fundamental process of evolution, and many evolutionary studies, such as population genetics, phylogeography and conservation biology, all require the inference of population differentiation. Recently, there has been a lot of debate over the validity of FST (and its analogue GST) as a measure for population genetic differentiation, notably since the proposal of the new index D in 2008. Although several papers reviewed or explored specific features of these statistical measures, a succinct account of this bewildering issue with an overall update appears to be desirable. This is the purpose of the present review. The available statistics generally fall into two categories, represented by FST and D, respectively. None of them is perfect in measuring population genetic differentiation. Nevertheless, they each have advantages and are valuable for current research. In practice, both indices should be calculated and a comparison of them can generate useful insights into the evolutionary processes that influence population differentiation. FST (GST) has some unique irreplaceable characteristics assuring its standing as the default measure for the foreseeable near future. Also, it will continue to serve as the standard for any alternative measures to contrast with. Instead of being anxious about making choice between these indices, one should pay due attention to the equilibrium status and the level of diversity (especially HS) of the populations, since they largely sway the power of a given statistic to address a specific question. We provide a multi-faceted comparative summary of the various statistics, which can serve as a basic reference for readers to guide their applications.
The evolution of sexual imprinting in socially monogamous populations
Authors: Invernizzi Edith , Gilman R. Tucker
Published: February 2016

Sexual imprinting is a common mechanism of mate preference learning. It is thought to influence how traits evolve and in some cases to promote speciation. Recently there has been increasing interest in how sexual imprinting itself evolves. Theoretical work on polygynous mating systems predicts that females will evolve paternal imprinting, which means they learn to prefer phenotypes expressed by their fathers. In nature however, females of some species learn to prefer phenotypes expressed by their mothers instead. We used a dynamical systems model and tools from adaptive dynamics to study how sexual imprinting evolves in species with socially monogamous mating systems. We considered cases in which the target trait for imprinting is under viability selection but is not a reliable signal of paternal investment. Thus, the target trait signals the genetic benefits rather than the parental care benefits of mate choice. When mating is socially monogamous and there is some extra-pair paternity, we show that maternal imprinting can be favored over paternal imprinting. Counterintuitively, females often become choosier when selecting social partners in systems where extra-pair mating is more frequent. That is, females may be more selective when choosing social partners that will sire a smaller percentage of their offspring. Our results offer new testable hypotheses, and advance our understanding of the mechanisms that drive the evolution of mate choice strategies in nature.
Occurrence data may provide unreliable thermal preferences and breadth of species
Authors: Villén-Pérez Sara , Carrascal Luis M.
Published: February 2016

Accurate information on the thermal preference and specialization of species is needed to understand and predict species geographical range size and vulnerability to climate change. Here we estimate the position and breadth of species within thermal gradients based on the shape of the response curve of species abundance to temperature. The objective of the study is to compare the measurements of this approach based on abundance data with those of the classical approach using species’ occurrence data. The relationship between species’ relative abundance and minimum winter temperature of 106 bird species wintering in the Iberian Peninsula is modeled at 100 Km2 resolution with quadratic logistic regressions. From these models we calculated the preferred temperature of species as the temperature at which the abundance is maximized, and the thermal breadth of species as the relative area under the temperature-abundance curve. We also estimated the thermal preferences and breadth of species as the average temperature and temperature range of the UTM cells in which the species are present. The abundance-temperature response curves reveal that birds prefer higher temperatures to overwinter, and are more thermally selective, than is measured by the classical approach. Moreover, response curves detect a higher inter-specific variability in both thermal preferences and thermal breadth of species. As occurrence data gives the same weight to cells with one or many individuals, the average temperature of the cells in which the species is present roughly reflects the average temperature in the region of study and not the environmental preferences of species.
Ultrasonic frogs call at a higher pitch in noisier ambiance
Authors: Zhang Fang , Chen Pan , Chen Zhuqing , Zhao Juan
Published: February 2016

The ultrasonic communication in Concave-eared torrent frogs Odorrana tormota is believed to be an adaptation to avoid masking by the intense low-frequency noise of the rushing stream in their habitat. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis for ultrasonic origin predicts that some organisms subjecting to persistent acoustic interference from broadband, low-frequency environmental noise, might shift their signal frequency upward into frequency bands with lower noise energy. In other words, low-frequency environmental noise might cause upward shifts of species’ vocalization frequencies making their signals more conspicuous. Presently, it is unclear whether male O. tormota adjust their signal features in response to a change in the ambient noise level. We tested the prediction of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis by recording the vocalizations of male O. tormota inhabiting two streams with different background noise levels in Huangshan in central China and comparing their call features including the fundamental frequency (F0). Results showed that the spectrotemporal characteristics of the vocal signals of males in the two habitats were indifferent, except the duration of the call harmonic segments and three parameters related to the call fundamental frequency (F0). In terms of the F0, the pooled and individual frog data showed that frogs inhabiting the noisier habitat tended to emit calls having higher F0. The higher F0 increases the signal-to-noise ratio, thus benefiting the detection of vocalization. Thus, similar to several anuran species, concave-eared torrent frogs also display noise-dependent adjustment of vocal pitch in their vocalizations for making them more audible.
Pythium and Phytopythium Species in Two Pennsylvania Greenhouse Irrigation Water Tanks
Authors: Choudhary Carla E. , Burgos-Garay Maria L. , Moorman Gary W. , Hong Chuanxue
Published: February 2016

Two commercial greenhouses producing potted plants in Pennsylvania using recycled irrigation water in an ebb-and-flood system have incurred significant crop losses due to Pythium aphanidermatum. In cooperation with the greenhouses, one or more of their water tanks was monitored continuously (128 tank samplings) for Pythium spp. by baiting. Nine species of Pythium and three species of Phytopythium were recovered, representing clades A, B, E, and K, but none was P. aphanidermatum. The recovered Pythium spp. were (i) P. rostratifingens, (ii) isolates identical to Pythium sp. nov. OOMYA1702-08 (clade B2), (iii) P. coloratum, (iv) P. middletonii, (v) and (vi) two new species in clade E2, (vii) a new species in clade B2, (viii) isolates very similar to Pythium sp. nov. OOMYA1646-08 (clade E2), and (ix) a new species in clade A. The Phytopythium spp. recovered were (i) Phytopythium litorale, (ii) P. helicoides, and (iii) P. chamaehyphon. This article illustrates the different communities of Pythium and Phytopythium spp. found in each greenhouse over 10 months. Some of the baited species display resistance to the oomycete fungicide active ingredient, mefenoxam. P. helicoides and the new species in clade B2 were pathogenic on seedlings in potting mix with fertilizer added.
P120-Catenin Protects Endplate Chondrocytes From Intermittent Cyclic Mechanical Tension Induced Degeneration by Inhibiting the Expression of RhoA/ROCK-1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xu Hong-Guang , Ma Ming-Ming , Zheng Quan , Shen Xiang , Wang Hong , Zhang Shu-Feng , Xu Jia-Jia , Wang Chuan-Dong , Zhang Xiao-Ling
Published: February 2016

Study Design.

The changes of endplate chondrocytes induced by intermittent cyclic mechanical tension (ICMT) were observed by realtime reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, and Western blot analysis.

Objective.

To investigate the role of RhoA/ROCK-1 signaling pathway and E-cadherin/P120-catenin complex in endplate chondrocytes degeneration induced by ICMT.

Summary of Background Data.

ICMT can induce the endplate chondrocyte degeneration. However, the relationship between P120-catenin or RhoA/ROCK-1 signaling pathway and endplate chondrocytes degeneration induced by ICMT is not clear.

Methods.

ICMT (strain at 0.5 Hz sinusoidal curve at 8% elongation) was applied to rat endplate chondrocytes for 6 days, 16 hours a day. The cell viability and apoptosis were examined by the LIVE/DEAD assay and flow cytometry. Histological staining was used to examine the lumbar disc tissue morphology and extracellular matrix. To regulate RhoA/ROCK-1 signaling pathway and the expression of E-cadherin and P120-catenin, RhoA/ROCK-1 pathway-specific inhibitors, E-cadherin, and p120-catenin plasmid were applied. Coimmunoprecipitation was employed to examine the interaction between E-cadherin and P120-catenin, P120-catenin, and RhoA. The related gene expression and protein location was examined by realtime reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunofluorescence.

Results.

There was no change of viability verified by LIVE/DEAD assay and flow cytometry after ICMT loading. ICMT loading led to RhoA/ROCK-1 signaling activation and the loss of the chondrogenic phenotype of endplate chondrocytes. Inhibition of RhoA/ROCK-1 signaling pathway significantly ameliorated the degeneration induced by ICMT. The expression of P120-catenin and E-cadherin were inhibited by ICMT. ICMT reduced the interaction between P120-catenin and E-cadherin. Furthermore, over-expression of P120-catenin and E-cadherin can suppress the expression of chondrogenic gene, over-expression of P120-catenin can suppress the RhoA/ROCK-1 signaling pathway, but over-expression of E-cadherin cannot do it.

Conclusion.

P120-catenin protects endplate chondrocytes from ICMT Induced degeneration by inhibiting the expression of RhoA/ROCK-1 signaling pathway.

Level of Evidence: N/A
Human Papillomavirus Infection and p16 Expression in Extragenital/Extraungual Bowen Disease in Immunocompromised Patients
Authors: Švajdler Marián , Mezencev Roman , Kašpírková Jana , Kacerovská Denisa , Kazakov Dmitry V. , Ondič Ondrej , Michal Michal
Published: February 2016

An increased rate of second nonmelanoma skin cancers is found in immunocompromised patients. Epidemiological and molecular data implicate ultraviolet radiation as the major risk factor. In addition, there is increasing evidence supporting the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of premalignant and malignant skin lesions in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. In a retrospective cross-sectional study, the authors examined the expression of p16 by immunohistochemistry and the presence of mucosal (α-genus) and cutaneous/epidermodysplasia verruciformis (β-genus) HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction in 29 biopsy specimens of extragenital/extraungual Bowen disease (BD) from 24 Eastern European white immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, the author evaluated the association between the expression of p16 protein and the presence of HPV DNA. Among 25 specimens from 21 patients evaluable by polymerase chain reaction, HPV DNA was detected in 10 (40%) BD lesions from 9 patients. Beta-HPV predominated over alpha-HPV types. Among 29 immunohistochemically evaluable BD specimens, 22 lesions (∼76%) from 20 patients were scored as p16 positive. HPV DNA-positive and HPV DNA-negative lesions displayed the same proportion of p16 positivity (80%) and no correlation was found between the HPV DNA presence and the p16 expression status. Our pilot study demonstrated that β-HPV infections predominate in BD cases diagnosed among immunocompromised patients, although high- and low-risk mucosal (alpha) HPV genotypes may be detected in a minority of cases. In contrast to anogenital HPV-associated lesions, positive p16 expression is not a reliable marker of high-risk α-HPV infection in BD cases, as it can be also detected in β-HPV infected and HPV-negative cases.
Association of Antihypertensive Medication Adherence With Healthcare Use and Medicaid Expenditures for Acute Cardiovascular Events
Authors: Yang Zhuo , Howard David H. , Will Julie , Loustalot Fleetwood , Ritchey Matthew , Roy Kakoli
Published: February 2016

Objectives:

We assessed the impact of antihypertensive medication (AHM) adherence on the incidence and associated Medicaid costs of acute cardiovascular disease (CVD) events among Medicaid beneficiaries.

Methods:

The study cohort (n=59,037) consists of nonelderly adults continuously enrolled (36 mo and above) in a Medicaid fee-for-service program. AHM adherence was calculated using the medication possession ratio (MPR) and stratified to low (MPR<60%), moderate (60%≤MPR<80%), and high (MPR≥80%) levels. We used a proportional hazard model to estimate risk for acute CVD events and generalized linear models to estimate Medicaid per-patient-per-year costs.

Results:

Low and moderate adherence subgroups had about 1.8 and 1.4 times higher risk of acute CVD events, compared with high adherence subgroup. By adherence level, Medicaid per-patient per-year costs for (1) CVD-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations were $661 (low), $479 (moderate), and $343 (high) and (2) AHMs were $430 (low), $604 (moderate), and $664 (high). Costs for CVD events and AHMs combined were similar across adherence subgroups.

Conclusions:

Lower adherence to AHM was associated with progressively higher CVD risk. The increase in medication cost from higher AHM adherence was offset solely by reduced Medicaid spending on acute CVD events.
Focused ultrasound enhances sensorimotor decision-making in monkeys
Authors: Downs Matthew E , Teichert Tobias , Buch Amanda , Eleni Karakatsani Maria , Sierra Carlos , Chen Shangshang , Konofagou Elisa E , Ferrera Vincent P
Published: February 2016

Noninvasive brain stimulation using focused ultrasound has many potential applications as a research and clinical tool. Here, we investigated the effect of focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with systemically administered microbubbles on visual-motor decision-making behavior in monkeys. We applied FUS to the putamen in one hemisphere to open the blood-brain barrier, and then tested behavioral performance 3-4 hours later. On days when the monkeys were treated with FUS, their decisions were faster and more accurate than days without sonication. The performance improvement suggested both a shift in the decision criterion and an enhancement of the use of sensory evidence in the decision process. FUS also interacted with the effect of a low dose of haloperidol. The results suggest that a two-minute application of FUS can have a sustained impact on performance of complex cognitive tasks, and may increase the efficacy of psychoactive medications. The results lend further support to the idea that the dorsal striatum plays an integral role in evidence- and reward-based decision-making.
Integrative subcellular proteomic analysis allows accurate prediction of human disease-causing genes
Authors: Zhao Li , Chen Yiyun , Bajaj Amol Onkar , Eblimit Aiden , Xu Mingchu , Soens Zachry T. , Wang Feng , Ge Zhongqi , Jung Sung Yun , He Feng , Li Yumei , Wensel Theodore G. , Qin Jun , Chen Rui
Published: February 2016

Proteomic profiling on subcellular fractions provides invaluable information regarding both protein abundance and subcellular localization. When integrated with other data sets, it can greatly enhance our ability to predict gene function genome-wide. In this study, we performed a comprehensive proteomic analysis on the light-sensing compartment of photoreceptors called the outer segment (OS). By comparing with the protein profile obtained from the retina tissue depleted of OS, an enrichment score for each protein is calculated to quantify protein subcellular localization, and 84% accuracy is achieved compared with experimental data. By integrating the protein OS enrichment score, the protein abundance, and the retina transcriptome, the probability of a gene playing an essential function in photoreceptor cells is derived with high specificity and sensitivity. As a result, a list of genes that will likely result in human retinal disease when mutated was identified and validated by previous literature and/or animal model studies. Therefore, this new methodology demonstrates the synergy of combining subcellular fractionation proteomics with other omics data sets and is generally applicable to other tissues and diseases.
Examining the suitability of industrial safety management approaches for information security incident management
Authors: Line Maria Bartnes , Albrechtsen Eirik
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to discuss whether recent theoretical and practical approaches within industrial safety management might be applicable to, and solve challenges experienced in, the field of information security, specifically related to incident management.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature review was carried out.

Findings

– Principles, research and experiences on the issues of plans, training and learning in the context of industrial safety management would be suitable for adoption into the field of information security incident management and aid in addressing current challenges.

Research limitations/implications

– There are a number of reasons why approaches from industrial safety management have something to offer to information security incident management: the former field is more mature and has longer traditions, there is more organizational research on industrial safety issues than on information security issues so far, individual awareness is higher for industrial safety risks and worker participation in systematic industrial safety work is ensured by law. More organizational research on information security issues and continuous strengthening of individual security awareness would push information security to further maturity levels where current challenges are solved.

Practical implications

– This paper shows that the field of information security incident management would gain from closer collaborations with industrial safety management, both in research and in practical loss prevention in organizations. The ideas discussed in this paper form a basis for further research on practical implementations and case studies.

Originality/value

– The main audience of this paper includes information security researchers and practitioners, as they will find inspirational theories and experiences to bring into their daily work and future projects.
Regulatory framework of mergers and acquisitions
Authors: Reddy K. Srinivasa
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present various institutional laws that refer to mergers and acquisitions (M
&
As) in India and recommend a few guidelines for institutions and multinational managers participating in foreign investment and acquisition deals.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is intended to review, summarize and discuss the legal framework that adheres to M
&
As, takeovers and foreign investment.

Findings

– Major observations from the comprehensive review include the fact that higher-valuation inbound deals have been delayed or have failed because of a weak financial infrastructure, erratic nature of government officials and political intervention, and the newly elected government has aimed to attract higher inflow of investments from other developed and emerging markets by easing investment rules and offering tax holidays.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper, indeed, reflects unseen empirical observation with regard to the characteristics of the market for acquisitions in the given country, which has been left to further research.

Practical implications

– The comprehensive review of acquisition laws in India and recommendations would help prospective stakeholders, namely, policymakers, M
&
A advisors, legal consultants, investment bankers, multinational managers and private equity firms.

Originality/value

– This study presents atypical work, which presents a review of M
&
A laws in India, and it recommends fruitful guidelines for institutions in general and managers in particular.
Modeling price transmission between farm and retail prices: a soft switches approach
Authors: Hahn William , Stewart Hayden , Blayney Donald P. , Davis Christopher G.
Published: February 2016

Vector error correction models (VECM) are used to model price transmission when farm and retail prices are cointegrated. To allow for nonlinearity in the cointegration process, researchers may specify thresholds to break the error correction process into regimes according to whether the retail price is above, below, or close to its equilibrium value given farm prices.  However, because the coefficients in a VECM can change when there is movement from one regime to another, the model can be discontinuous.  This implies sudden, “hard” regime changes. In this study, we extend the threshold VECM to include features of smooth transition autoregression (STAR) models. Our approach allows for gradual, soft regime changes.  An empirical application to retail cheese and farm milk prices is presented.
Evaluating the Illegal Employer Practice of Under‐Reporting Employees’ Salaries
Authors: Williams Colin C. , Horodnic Ioana A.
Published: February 2016

This article advances understanding of the prevalence and distribution of the illegal employer practice of under‐reporting employees’ salaries, explains this practice and evaluates policy approaches. Analysing a 2013 Eurobarometer survey of 11,025 employees in 28 European countries, one in 33 employees receive under‐reported salaries, mostly in small businesses and vulnerable groups (e.g. unskilled workers, with lower education levels and financial difficulties). Explaining this practice, not as an individual criminal act that increasing the risk of detection can tackle, but as a symptom of systemic problems, which require improvements both in tax morale at the individual level and in the formal institutional environment at the country level to resolve, we then discuss the implications for theory and policy.
Demographic controls of aboveground forest biomass across North America
Authors: Vanderwel Mark C. , Zeng Hongcheng , Caspersen John P. , Kunstler Georges , Lichstein Jeremy W.
Published: February 2016

Ecologists have limited understanding of how geographic variation in forest biomass arises from differences in growth and mortality at continental to global scales. Using forest inventories from across North America, we partitioned continental‐scale variation in biomass growth and mortality rates of 49 tree species groups into (1) species‐independent spatial effects and (2) inherent differences in demographic performance among species. Spatial factors that were separable from species composition explained 83% and 51% of the respective variation in growth and mortality. Moderate additional variation in mortality (26%) was attributable to differences in species composition. Age‐dependent biomass models showed that variation in forest biomass can be explained primarily by spatial gradients in growth that were unrelated to species composition. Species‐dependent patterns of mortality explained additional variation in biomass, with forests supporting less biomass when dominated by species that are highly susceptible to competition (e.g. Populus spp.) or to biotic disturbances (e.g. Abies balsamea).
Bumble bee colony dynamics: quantifying the importance of land use and floral resources for colony growth and queen production
Authors: Crone Elizabeth E. , Williams Neal M.
Published: February 2016

Bumble bee (Bombus) species are ecologically and economically important pollinators, and many species are in decline. In this article, we develop a mechanistic model to analyse growth trajectories of Bombus vosnesenskii colonies in relation to floral resources and land use. Queen production increased with floral resources and was higher in semi‐natural areas than on conventional farms. However, the most important parameter for queen production was the colony growth rate per flower, as opposed to the average number of available flowers. This result indicates the importance of understanding mechanisms of colony growth, in order to predict queen production and enhance bumble bee population viability. Our work highlights the importance of interpreting bumble bee conservation efforts in the context of overall population dynamics and provides a framework for doing so.
ESCRT‐III and Vps4: a dynamic multipurpose tool for membrane budding and scission
Authors: Alonso Y Adell Manuel , Migliano Simona M. , Teis David
Published: February 2016

Complex molecular machineries bud, scission and repair cellular membranes. Components of the multi‐subunit endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery are enlisted when multivesicular bodies are generated, extracellular vesicles are formed, the plasma membrane needs to be repaired, enveloped viruses bud out of host cells, defective nuclear pores have to be cleared, the nuclear envelope must be resealed after mitosis and for final midbody abscission during cytokinesis. While some ESCRT components are only required for specific processes, the assembly of ESCRT‐III polymers on target membranes and the action of the AAA‐ATPase Vps4 are mandatory for every process. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of structural and functional features of ESCRT‐III/Vps4 assemblies in the growing pantheon of ESCRT‐dependent pathways. We describe specific recruitment processes for ESCRT‐III to different membranes, which could be useful to selectively inhibit ESCRT function during specific processes, while not affecting other ESCRT‐dependent processes. Finally, we speculate how ESCRT‐III and Vps4 might function together and highlight how the characterization of their precise spatiotemporal organization will improve our understanding of ESCRT‐mediated membrane budding and scission in vivo.
Evaluating serum prolactin and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in patients with pemphigus
Authors: Yousefi Maryam , Mozafari Nikoo , Hosseini Mahboobeh Sadat , Gholamin Sharareh , Razavi Seyed‐Mostafa , Namazi Mohammad Reza , Younespour Shima
Published: February 2016

Background

Altered levels of sex hormones have been observed in many autoimmune disorders, but there is no considerable data about pemphigus. The aim of this study is to compare serum total and free prolactin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels between patients with pemphigus and healthy controls and to determine the correlation of these hormones with disease severity.

Methods

This study included 52 newly diagnosed cases of pemphigus and 57 healthy controls. Serum prolactin (total and free) andDHEASwere measured in all subjects. Data analyses were performed usingJMP, Version 7.

Results

Pemphigus patients had significantly higher levels of total and free serum prolactin (bothP= 0.01) and lower levels ofDHEAS(P= 0.005) than healthy controls. A significant association was found between severity of pemphigus and total prolactin levels (r= 0.40,P= 0.003).

Conclusions

The patients with pemphigus had higher total and free prolactin and lowerDHEASconcentrations, and patients with more severe disease had higher levels of serum total prolactin. These new data may suggest a potential role for sex hormones in the pathogenesis of pemphigus disease and provide new insights for the better management of this chronic and life‐threatening disease.
Combined untargeted and targeted metabolomic profiling reveals urinary biomarkers for discriminating obese from normal‐weight adolescents
Authors: Cho K. , Moon J. S. , Kang J‐H. , Jang H. B. , Lee H‐J. , Park S. I. , Yu K‐S. , Cho J‐Y.
Published: February 2016

Background

Childhood and adolescent obesity may lead to obesity and related complications in adulthood. Biomarkers of obesity can be useful for screening for obesity complications and promoting early intervention during school age. Thus, the metabolomic differences in obese children and adolescents should be investigated for identification of potential biomarkers.

Objectives

We investigated urinary biomarkers to distinguish metabolomic characteristics between obesity and normal weight in adolescents.

Methods

Adolescent subjects were divided into non‐obese (n = 91) and obese (n = 93) groups according to body mass index. Untargeted and targeted metabolomic profiling of urine was performed using high‐performance liquid chromatography (LC)‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MS), LC‐MS/MS and flow injection analysis‐MS/MS systems, respectively.

Results

Multivariate statistical analysis showed clear discrimination between the untargeted metabolomes of non‐obese and obese groups. Seven endogenous metabolites were distinguished in the obese group, and inflammation‐related metabolite markers showed strong predictive power for group classification. From targeted metabolomics, 45 metabolites mostly related to inflammation were significantly different in the obese group.

Conclusions

Significantly different metabolome signatures were identified between normal‐weight and obese adolescents. Combined untargeted and targeted metabolomics demonstrated that inflammation‐driven insulin resistance, ammonia toxicity and oxidative stress may represent crucial metabolomic signatures in obese adolescents.
Internet Safety Issues for Adolescents and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Buijs Petra C. M. , Boot Erik , Shugar Andrea , Fung Wai Lun Alan , Bassett Anne S.
Published: February 2016

Background

Research on Internet safety for adolescents has identified several important issues including unwanted exposure to sexual material and sexual solicitation.

Methods

Although individuals with intellectual disabilities often have poor insight and judgment, and may therefore be at risk for Internet dangers, there is surprisingly little published on this topic.

Results

To illustrate Internet dangers that adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities may face, we report composite case vignettes, based on actual clinical cases of adolescents and adults with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Conclusion

We encourage clinicians to discuss Internet safety in their practice and provide recommendations for future research subjects.
Relative fitness of a generalist parasite on two alternative hosts: a cross‐infestation experiment to test host specialization of the hen fleaCeratophyllus gallinae (Schrank)
Authors: Appelgren A. , McCoy K. D. , Richner H. , Doligez B.
Published: February 2016

Host range is a key element of a parasite's ecology and evolution and can vary greatly depending on spatial scale. Generalist parasites frequently show local population structure in relation to alternative sympatric hosts (i.e. host races) and may thus be specialists at local scales. Here, we investigated local population specialization of a common avian nest‐based parasite, the hen fleaCeratophyllus gallinae(Schrank), exploiting two abundant host species that share the same breeding sites, the great titParus major(Linnaeus) and the collared flycatcherFicedula albicollis(Temminck). We performed a cross‐infestation experiment of fleas between the two host species in two distinct study areas during a single breeding season and recorded the reproductive success of both hosts and parasites. In the following year, hosts were monitored again to assess the long‐term impact of cross‐infestation. Our results partly support the local specialization hypothesis: in great tit nests, tit fleas caused higher damage to their hosts than flycatcher fleas, and in collared flycatcher nests, flycatcher fleas had a faster larval development rates than tit fleas. However, these results were significant in only one of the two studied areas, suggesting that the location and history of the host population can modulate the specialization process. Caution is therefore called for when interpreting single location studies. More generally, our results emphasize the need to explicitly account for host diversity in order to understand the population ecology and evolutionary trajectory of generalist parasites.