bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Confirming QTLs and Finding Additional Loci Responsible for Resistance to Rice Sheath Blight Disease
Authors: Liu G. , Jia Y. , McClung A. , Oard J. H. , Lee F. N. , Correll J. C.
Published: August 2012

Rice sheath blight disease, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-1A, is one of the most destructive rice diseases worldwide. Utilization of host resistance is the most economical and environmentally sound strategy in managing sheath blight (ShB). Ten ShB quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were previously mapped in a Lemont × Jasmine 85 recombinant inbred line (LJRIL) population using greenhouse inoculation methods at an early vegetative stage. However, confirmation of ShB-resistant QTLs under field conditions is critical for their utilization in marker-assisted selection (MAS) for improving ShB resistance in new cultivars. In the present study, we evaluated ShB resistance using 216 LJRILs under field conditions in Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana during 2008 and 2009. We confirmed the presence of the major ShB-QTL qShB9-2 based on the field data and also identified one new ShB-QTL between markers RM221 and RM112 on chromosome 2 across all three locations. Based on the field verification of ShB evaluations, the microchamber and mist-chamber assays were simple, effective, and reliable methods to identify major ShB-QTLs like qShB9-2 in the greenhouse at early vegetative stages. The markers RM215 and RM245 were found to be closely linked to qShB9-2 in greenhouse and field assays, indicating that they will be useful for improving ShB resistance in rice breeding programs using MAS.
Indirect commensalism promotes persistence of secondary consumer species
Authors: Sanders Dirk , van Veen F. J. Frank
Published: August 2012

Local species extinctions may lead to, often unexpected, secondary extinctions. To predict these, we need to understand how indirect effects, within a network of interacting species, affect the ability of species to persist. It has been hypothesized that the persistence of some predators depends on other predator species that suppress competitively dominant prey to low levels, allowing a greater diversity of prey species, and their predators, to coexist. We show that, in experimental insect communities, the absence of one parasitoid wasp species does indeed lead to the extinction of another that is separated by four trophic links. These results highlight the importance of a holistic systems perspective to biodiversity conservation and the necessity to include indirect population dynamic effects in models for predicting cascading extinctions in networks of interacting species.
Increased aggression during human group contests when competitive ability is more similar
Authors: Stulp Gert , Kordsmeyer Tobias , Buunk Abraham P. , Verhulst Simon
Published: August 2012

Theoretical analyses and empirical studies have revealed that conflict escalation is more likely when individuals are more similar in resource-holding potential (RHP). Conflicts can also occur between groups, but it is unknown whether conflicts also escalate more when groups are more similar in RHP. We tested this hypothesis in humans, using data from two professional sports competitions: football (the Bundesliga, the German first division of football) and basketball (the NBA, the North American National Basketball Association). We defined RHP based on the league ranks of the teams involved in the competition (i.e. their competitive ability) and measured conflict escalation by the number of fouls committed. We found that in both sports the number of fouls committed increased when the difference in RHP was smaller. Thus, we provide what is to our best knowledge the first evidence that, as in conflicts between individuals, conflicts escalate more when groups are more similar in RHP.
Artefacts in statistical analyses of network motifs: general framework and application to metabolic networks
Authors: Beber Moritz Emanuel , Fretter Christoph , Jain Shubham , Sonnenschein Nikolaus , Müller-Hannemann Matthias , Hütt Marc-Thorsten
Published: August 2012

Few-node subgraphs are the smallest collective units in a network that can be investigated. They are beyond the scale of individual nodes but more local than, for example, communities. When statistically over- or under-represented, they are called network motifs. Network motifs have been interpreted as building blocks that shape the dynamic behaviour of networks. It is this promise of potentially explaining emergent properties of complex systems with relatively simple structures that led to an interest in network motifs in an ever-growing number of studies and across disciplines. Here, we discuss artefacts in the analysis of network motifs arising from discrepancies between the network under investigation and the pool of random graphs serving as a null model. Our aim was to provide a clear and accessible catalogue of such incongruities and their effect on the motif signature. As a case study, we explore the metabolic network of
Escherichia coli
and show that only by excluding ever more artefacts from the motif signature a strong and plausible correlation with the essentiality profile of metabolic reactions emerges.
Emergence of unsteady dark solitary waves from coalescing spatially periodic patterns
Authors: Bridges Thomas J.
Published: August 2012

A dark solitary wave, in one space dimension and time, is a wave that is bi-asymptotic to a periodic state, with a phase shift, and with localized modulation in between. The most well-known case of dark solitary waves is the exact solution of the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation. In this paper, our interest is in developing a mechanism for the emergence of dark solitary waves in general, and not necessarily integrable, Hamiltonian PDEs. The focus is on the periodic state at infinity as the generator. It is shown that a natural mechanism for the emergence is a transition between one periodic state that is (spatially) elliptic and another one that is (spatially) hyperbolic. It is shown that the emergence is governed by a Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation for the perturbation wavenumber on a periodic background. A novelty in the result is that the three coefficients in the KdV equation are determined by the Krein signature of the elliptic periodic orbit, the curvature of the wave action flux and the slope of the wave action, with the last two evaluated at the critical periodic state.
Intergenerational effects of maternal birth season on offspring size in rural Gambia
Authors: Rickard Ian J. , Courtiol Alexandre , Prentice Andrew M. , Fulford Anthony J. C. , Clutton-Brock Tim H. , Lummaa Virpi
Published: August 2012

Environmental conditions experienced in early life can influence an individual's growth and long-term health, and potentially also that of their offspring. However, such developmental effects on intergenerational outcomes have rarely been studied. Here we investigate intergenerational effects of early environment in humans using survey- and clinic-based data from rural Gambia, a population experiencing substantial seasonal stress that influences foetal growth and has long-term effects on first-generation survival. Using Fourier regression to model seasonality, we test whether (i) parental birth season has intergenerational consequences for offspring
in utero
growth (1982 neonates, born 1976–2009) and (ii) whether such effects have been reduced by improvements to population health in recent decades. Contrary to our predictions, we show effects of maternal birth season on offspring birth weight and head circumference only in recent maternal cohorts born after 1975. Offspring birth weight varied according to maternal birth season from 2.85 to 3.03 kg among women born during 1975–1984 and from 2.84 to 3.41 kg among those born after 1984, but the seasonality effect reversed between these cohorts. These results were not mediated by differences in maternal age or parity. Equivalent patterns were observed for offspring head circumference (statistically significant) and length (not significant), but not for ponderal index. No relationships were found between paternal birth season and offspring neonatal anthropometrics. Our results indicate that even in rural populations living under conditions of relative affluence, brief variation in environmental conditions during maternal early life may exert long-term intergenerational effects on offspring.
When more equals less: overtraining inhibits perceptual learning owing to lack of wakeful consolidation
Authors: Ashley Soren , Pearson Joel
Published: August 2012

Performance on perceptual tasks usually improves with training. However, too much consecutive training can be detrimental. Repeated within-day testing or overtraining demonstrates the detrimental effects this has on perceptual learning. Consolidation of learnt information during sleep has the power to prevent such deficits in learning. However, little is known regarding the role of wakeful consolidation in preventing the effects of overtraining. Here, we report that perceptual deterioration may result from the disruption of early wakeful consolidation processes. Three groups were tested on day 1 and again 24 h later, on a motion discrimination task. Participants who had a 1 h break between the two training sessions on the first day displayed improved accuracy on the second day (i.e. learning). Subjects who only completed the first training session on day 1 also exhibited learning. However, individuals who completed two blocks without a break (‘overtraining’) showed no improvement in accuracy on day 2. Interestingly, changes in reaction times were not susceptible to the effects of overtraining, but instead speeded up as a function of total performed trials. These data suggest that effects of overtraining might be due to disruption of wakeful consolidation processes.
Information flow through threespine stickleback networks without social transmission
Authors: Atton N. , Hoppitt W. , Webster M. M. , Galef B. G. , Laland K. N.
Published: August 2012

Social networks can result in directed social transmission of learned information, thus influencing how innovations spread through populations. Here we presented shoals of threespine sticklebacks (
Gasterosteous aculeatus
) with two identical foraging tasks and applied network-based diffusion analysis (NBDA) to determine whether the order in which individuals in a social group contacted and solved the tasks was affected by the group's network structure. We found strong evidence for a social effect on discovery of the foraging tasks with individuals tending to discover a task sooner when others in their group had previously done so, and with the spread of discovery of the foraging tasks influenced by groups' social networks. However, the same patterns of association did not reliably predict spread of solution to the tasks, suggesting that social interactions affected the time at which the tasks were discovered, but not the latency to its solution following discovery. The present analysis, one of the first applications of NBDA to a natural animal system, illustrates how NBDA can lead to insight into the mechanisms supporting behaviour acquisition that more conventional statistical approaches might miss. Importantly, we provide the first compelling evidence that the spread of novel behaviours can result from social learning in the absence of social transmission, a phenomenon that we refer to as an untransmitted social effect on learning.
TSUNAMI: an antisense method to phenocopy splicing-associated diseases in animals
Authors: Sahashi Kentaro , Hua Yimin , Ling Karen K.Y. , Hung Gene , Rigo Frank , Horev Guy , Katsuno Masahisa , Sobue Gen , Ko Chien-Ping , Bennett C. Frank , Krainer Adrian R.
Published: August 2012

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are versatile molecules that can be designed to specifically alter splicing patterns of target pre-mRNAs. Here we exploit this feature to phenocopy a genetic disease. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SMN1 gene. The related SMN2 gene expresses suboptimal levels of functional SMN protein due to alternative splicing that skips exon 7; correcting this defect—e.g., with ASOs—is a promising therapeutic approach. We describe the use of ASOs that exacerbate SMN2 missplicing and phenocopy SMA in a dose-dependent manner when administered to transgenic Smn−/− mice. Intracerebroventricular ASO injection in neonatal mice recapitulates SMA-like progressive motor dysfunction, growth impairment, and shortened life span, with α-motor neuron loss and abnormal neuromuscular junctions. These SMA-like phenotypes are prevented by a therapeutic ASO that restores correct SMN2 splicing. We uncovered starvation-induced splicing changes, particularly in SMN2, which likely accelerate disease progression. These results constitute proof of principle that ASOs designed to cause sustained splicing defects can be used to induce pathogenesis and rapidly and accurately model splicing-associated diseases in animals. This approach allows the dissection of pathogenesis mechanisms, including spatial and temporal features of disease onset and progression, as well as testing of candidate therapeutics.
A comprehensive molecular cytogenetic analysis of chromosome rearrangements in gibbons
Authors: Capozzi Oronzo , Carbone Lucia , Stanyon Roscoe R. , Marra Annamaria , Yang Fengtang , Whelan Christopher W. , de Jong Pieter J. , Rocchi Mariano , Archidiacono Nicoletta
Published: August 2012

Chromosome rearrangements in small apes are up to 20 times more frequent than in most mammals. Because of their complexity, the full extent of chromosome evolution in these hominoids is not yet fully documented. However, previous work with array painting, BAC-FISH, and selective sequencing in two of the four karyomorphs has shown that high-resolution methods can precisely define chromosome breakpoints and map the complex flow of evolutionary chromosome rearrangements. Here we use these tools to precisely define the rearrangements that have occurred in the remaining two karyomorphs, genera Symphalangus (2n = 50) and Hoolock (2n = 38). This research provides the most comprehensive insight into the evolutionary origins of chromosome rearrangements involved in transforming small apes genome. Bioinformatics analyses of the human–gibbon synteny breakpoints revealed association with transposable elements and segmental duplications, providing some insight into the mechanisms that might have promoted rearrangements in small apes. In the near future, the comparison of gibbon genome sequences will provide novel insights to test hypotheses concerning the mechanisms of chromosome evolution. The precise definition of synteny block boundaries and orientation, chromosomal fusions, and centromere repositioning events presented here will facilitate genome sequence assembly for these close relatives of humans.
Comparison of the reproductive ecology of two sympatric blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus and Carcharhinus tilstoni) off north‐eastern Australia with species identification inferred from vertebral counts
Authors: Harry A. V. , Morgan J. A. T. , Ovenden J. R. , Tobin A. J. , Welch D. J. , Simpfendorfer C. A.
Published: August 2012

Precaudal vertebral counts were used to distinguish between 237 morphologically similar Carcharhinus limbatus and Carcharhinus tilstoni and were congruent with differences in reproductive ecology between the species. In addition to differing lengths at maturity and adult body size, the two species had asynchronous parturition, were born at different sizes and the relative frequencies of neonates differed in two coastal nursery areas. Despite evidence that hybridization can occur, these differences suggest the species are largely reproductively isolated.
Migration timing of female kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka: diel patterns and effects of maturation state
Authors: Warren M. A. , Morbey Y. E.
Published: August 2012

Diel patterns of migration and migration speed were compared between reproductive timing phenotypes in female kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. Females of varying degrees of reproductive maturation were captured on their migration route to the Meadow Creek Spawning Channel (British Columbia, Canada), were tagged with passive‐integrated transponders (PIT tags) and were subsequently monitored with stationary receivers. Females showed crepuscular migration timing, with approximately equal detections at dawn and dusk. In particular, peaks of movement were associated with the appearance of the sun over the mountains in the east and the disappearance of the sun over the mountains in the west. Over 25 m, migration speed was 1·0 body lengths (measured as fork length; LF) s−1 and did not depend on maturation state. Over 3 km, migration speed was much slower (0·2–0·3 LF s−1) than over the short distance, with less mature females migrating more slowly than more mature females. Less mature females appeared to be in less of a hurry to reach breeding areas compared with more mature females.
Prediction of free imatinib concentrations based on total plasma concentrations in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours
Authors: Haouala Amina , Widmer Nicolas , Guidi Monia , Montemurro Michael , Leyvraz Serge , Buclin Thierry , Eap Chin B. , Decosterd Laurent A. , Csajka Chantal
Published: August 2012

Aim

Total imatinib concentrations are currently measured for the therapeutic drug monitoring of imatinib, whereas only free drug equilibrates with cells for pharmacological action. Due to technical and cost limitations, routine measurement of free concentrations is generally not performed. In this study, free and total imatinib concentrations were measured to establish a model allowing the confident prediction of imatinib free concentrations based on total concentrations and plasma proteins measurements.

Methods

One hundred and fifty total and free plasma concentrations of imatinib were measured in 49 patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours. A population pharmacokinetic model was built up to characterize mean total and free concentrations with inter‐patient and intrapatient variability, while taking into account α1‐acid glycoprotein (AGP) and human serum albumin (HSA) concentrations, in addition to other demographic and environmental covariates.

Results

A one compartment model with first order absorption was used to characterize total and free imatinib concentrations. Only AGP influenced imatinib total clearance. Imatinib free concentrations were best predicted using a non‐linear binding model to AGP, with a dissociation constant Kd of 319 ng ml−1, assuming a 1:1 molar binding ratio. The addition of HSA in the equation did not improve the prediction of imatinib unbound concentrations.

Conclusion

Although free concentration monitoring is probably more appropriate than total concentrations, it requires an additional ultrafiltration step and sensitive analytical technology, not always available in clinical laboratories. The model proposed might represent a convenient approach to estimate imatinib free concentrations. However, therapeutic ranges for free imatinib concentrations remain to be established before it enters into routine practice.
Moving from a universal to targeted child health programme: which children receive enhanced care? A population‐based study using routinely available data
Authors: Wood R. , Stockton D. , Brown H.
Published: August 2012

Background

There is a current emphasis on ‘progressive universal’ delivery of the UK child health programme, with a core universal service complemented by enhanced support provided according to need. In Scotland, a three‐category indicator of need, the ‘Health Plan Indicator’ (HPI) is used to identify children requiring enhanced support from the child health programme to facilitate this.

Methods

Routine child health programme and hospital delivery records for a cohort of 36 871 Scottish children were used to explore the factors associated with being identified as requiring enhanced child health programme support using multilevel logistic regression modelling.

Results

The following factors were all independently associated with an increased likelihood of being assessed as requiring enhanced support: (i) deprivation; (ii) young maternal age, maternal smoking and drug misuse; (iii) a previous stillbirth; (iv) prematurity; (v) being small for gestational age; (vi) no breastfeeding, admission to a special care baby unit; and (vii) medical, social or developmental concerns about the baby. There was a tendency for children living in areas with higher Health Visitor staffing levels to be more likely to be assessed as requiring enhanced support but this effect was not statistically significant. There was significant residual variation between areas in the likelihood of children being assessed as requiring enhanced support.

Discussion

This study suggests Health Visitors take a complex range of factors into account when assessing which children require enhanced support from the child health programme. Health Visitors’ workload may influence the likelihood of them identifying children as requiring enhanced support but this requires further clarification. There are clear differences between areas in allocation of the different HPI categories. Further work is required to explore the relationship between being identified as in need of enhanced support, the care actually provided to children, and their outcomes.
Importance of maternal size on the reproductive success of perch,Perca fluviatilis, in small forest lakes: implications for fisheries management
Authors: Olin M. , Jutila J. , Lehtonen H. , Vinni M. , Ruuhijärvi J. , Estlander S. , Rask M. , Kuparinen A. , Lappalainen J.
Published: August 2012

Abstract Abundance, sex ratio and size structure of perch,Perca fluviatilisL., populations were studied in two forest lakes. The influence of maternal size on the amount and quality of eggs and larvae was investigated, and the effect of the spawning stock’s length structure on population egg and fry production was evaluated. The importance of large females was essential for the reproduction of perch. Large perch spawned more and bigger eggs that had higher hatching percentage resulting in considerably higher fry production. Larvae of large females were heavier and survived longer with bare yolk sac reserves. The relation between egg dry weight and female length differed between the study lakes suggesting varying maternal influence in different environments. Decrease in the share of large individuals in a perch population can substantially reduce the amount and quality of larvae produced. The results can be applied to improve the sustainability of perch fisheries.
Abiotic and biotic correlates of yellow perch recruitment to age‐2 in southern Lake Michigan, 1984–2007
Authors: Forsythe P. S. , Doll J. C. , Lauer T. E.
Published: August 2012

Abstract Seven abiotic and biotic variables were tested to determine whether they influence the recruitment to age two of yellow perch,Perca flavescens(Mitchill), in waters of southern Lake Michigan, USA. Recruitment was analysed using a Ricker stock‐recruitment relationship that accounts for density dependency. Significant model variables tested individually and ranked by total variance explained included the abundance of sexually mature yellow perch, alewife,Alosa pseudoharengus(Wilson) and spottail shiner,Notropis hudsonius(Clinton). Variables found unrelated to recruitment or generally less explanatory included the abundance of round goby,Neogobius melanostomus(Pallus), mean water temperature, variation in water temperature and water clarity. The best‐fitting multivariable model explained 69% of the recruitment variability and included abundances of sexually mature yellow perch, alewife and spottail shiner. These results suggest that yellow perch recruitment in southern Lake Michigan is regulated in part by biotic interactions with other species of the near‐shore community, including alewife and spottail shiners, in addition to the abundance of reproductively mature yellow perch.
LKB1 and AMP‐activated protein kinase: regulators of cell polarity
Authors: Nakano Atsushi , Takashima Seiji
Published: August 2012

Adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase (AMPK), a metabolic protein kinase, and its upstream kinase LKB1 play crucial roles in the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. Although the shapes of polarized cells display extraordinary diversity, the key molecules involved in cell polarity are relatively well conserved. Here, we review the mechanisms and factors responsible for organizing cell polarity and the role of LKB1 and AMPK in cell polarity.
MCAT Verbal Reasoning score: less predictive of medical school performance for English language learners
Authors: Winegarden Babbi , Glaser Dale , Schwartz Alan , Kelly Carolyn
Published: August 2012

Medical Education 2012: 46: 878–886

Context  Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores are widely used as part of the decision‐making process for selecting candidates for admission to medical school. Applicants who learned English as a second language may be at a disadvantage when taking tests in their non‐native language. Preliminary research found significant differences between English language learners (ELLs), applicants who learned English after the age of 11 years, and non‐ELL examinees on the Verbal Reasoning (VR) sub‐test of the MCAT. The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships between VR sub‐test scores and measures of medical school performance differed between ELL and non‐ELL students.

Methods  Scores on the MCAT VR sub‐test and student performance outcomes (grades, examination scores, and markers of distinction and difficulty) were extracted from University of California San Diego School of Medicine admissions files and the Association of American Medical Colleges database for 924 students who matriculated in 1998–2005 (graduation years 2002–2009). Regression models were fitted to determine whether MCAT VR sub‐test scores predicted medical school performance similarly for ELLs and non‐ELLs.

Results  For several outcomes, including pre‐clerkship grades, academic distinction, US Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores and two clerkship shelf examinations, ELL status significantly affects the ability of the VR score to predict performance. Higher correlations between VR score and medical school performance emerged for non‐ELL students than for ELL students for each of these outcomes.

Conclusions  The MCAT VR score should be used with discretion when assessing ELL applicants for admission to medical school.
Acoustic emission monitoring of the effect of temperature on activity rhythms of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus
Authors: FUCHIKAWA TARO , MATSUBARA KENTA , MIYATAKE TAKAHISA , MATSUURA KENJI
Published: August 2012

Daily activity rhythms are widespread characteristics among many organisms and are usually related to one or more physical environmental variables, such as light and temperature. Even organisms that are not obviously exposed to wide fluctuations in environmental variables, such as troglodytic and endogeic species, exhibit some daily activity patterns. Termites inhabit underground areas or tree trunks where little or no fluctuation in light occurs. In the present study, the activity rhythms of field colonies of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe (Blattodea: Termitidae) are examined, during all four seasons, by monitoring their acoustic emissions using a newly‐modified method. Nest temperature affects termite activity significantly during all four seasons. By contrast, no significant effect of time is observed during the different seasons, with the exception of autumn. Activity and nest temperature are negatively correlated in summer and autumn, although thay are are positively correlated during winter and spring. The greatest activity occurs at 23–25 °C. The experimental observations suggest that the activity of R. speratus termite colonies is affected mainly by ambient temperature, in a manner that is based on optimum temperature.
Photosynthetic responses of soybean (Glycine max L.) to heat‐induced electrical signalling are predominantly governed by modifications of mesophyll conductance for CO2
Authors: GALLÉ ALEXANDER , LAUTNER SILKE , FLEXAS JAUME , RIBAS‐CARBO MIQUEL , HANSON DAVID , ROESGEN JOHN , FROMM JÖRG
Published: August 2012

In recent years, the effect of heat‐induced electrical signalling on plant photosynthetic activity has been demonstrated for many plant species. However, the underlying triggers of the resulting transient inhibition of photosynthesis still remain unknown. To further investigate on this phenomenon, we focused in our present study on soybean (Glycine max L.) on the direct effect of signal transmission in the leaf mesophyll on conductance for CO2 diffusion in the mesophyll (gm) and detected a drastic decline in gm following the electrical signal, whereas the photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETR) was only marginally affected. In accordance with the drop in net photosynthesis (AN), energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDXA) revealed a shift of K, Mg, O and P on leaf chloroplasts. Control experiments under elevated CO2 conditions proved the transient reduction of AN, ETR, the chloroplast CO2 concentration (Cc) and gm to be independent of the external CO2 regime, whereas the effect of the electrical signal on stomatal conductance for CO2 (gs) turned out much less distinctive. We therefore conclude that the effect of electrical signalling on photosynthesis in soybean is triggered by its immediate effects on gm.
A role for oxalic acid generation in ozone‐induced signallization in Arabidopis cells
Authors: TRAN DANIEL , KADONO TAKASHI , MOLAS MARIA LIA , ERRAKHI RAFIK , BRIAND JOËL , BILIGUI BERNADETTE , KAWANO TOMONORI , BOUTEAU FRANÇOIS
Published: August 2012

Ozone (O3) is an air pollutant with an impact increasingly important in our industrialized world. It affects human health and productivity in various crops. We provide the evidences that treatment of Arabidopsis thaliana with O3 results in ascorbate‐derived oxalic acid production. Using cultured cells of A. thaliana as a model, here we further showed that oxalic acid induces activation of anion channels that trigger depolarization of the cell, increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, generation of reactive oxygen species and cell death. We confirmed that O3 reacts with ascorbate in the culture, thus resulting in production of oxalic acid and this could be part of the O3‐induced signalling pathways that trigger programmed cell death.
Are Androgens Related to Aggression in House Wrens?
Authors: Cramer Emily R. A.
Published: August 2012

Elevated circulating testosterone levels are hypothesized to allow male animals to direct resources into territorial and mating behaviors at the expense of reducing paternal care of offspring. For this hypothesis to apply, testosterone must facilitate territorial/mating behaviors and have antagonistic effects on paternal care, but this pattern has only been supported in some, not all, species. I tested whether androgens correlate with aggressive behaviors in male house wrens (
Troglodytes aedon), a double‐brooded species where paternal and aggressive behaviors overlap temporally. House wrens may therefore benefit from having a hormonal mechanism that allows males to rapidly change behavioral states. However, I found no evidence that androgens (testosterone and 5α‐dihydrotestosterone) relate to aggression in house wrens: Androgens did not increase in response to playback, and endogenous‐circulating androgens were not correlated with how aggressively males responded to those playbacks. Moreover, androgen levels were low during the pre‐breeding stage of the second brood, when many males establish new territories and attract new mates. This study adds to a growing body of the literature suggesting that the relationship between circulating androgens and aggressive behavior is more complex than originally thought.
Evaluation Tools in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA): an assessment for evaluating the competences of the Final Year Project in the social sciences
Authors: Mateo Joan , Escofet Anna , Martínez‐Olmo Francesc , Ventura Javier , Vlachopoulos Dimitrios
Published: August 2012

The guidelines of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) imply the rethinking of many of the current evaluation systems, since the new pedagogical models now focus on the learning acquired through the students' personal work and on the establishment of the ideal conditions for them to achieve the learning outcomes of the proposed educational objectives. In this context, it has been a standard practice in the last years for social science undegradutate programmes to incorporate at least one major assessment exercise in the final (fourth) year of studies in the form of a project. This Final Year Project introduces a new problem‐solving situation in undergraduate programmes and students must use their initiative to identify the research problems, decide on the information they need and how to obtain it, use the collected information to solve the research problems and present the results in an adequate way. This article presents an efficient and objective guide for the assessment process of the Final Year Project (FYP) in social sciences which can easily be customised for different social sciences curricula. More analytically, the guide which has been developed to help higher education institutions create their own FYP assessment systems starts with the definition of the final year project and the description of the structure that has to be followed for its realisation, continues with the analysis of its competences and their assessment, and ends with a proposal for implementation of the assessment procedure and the role of the evaluation agents.
Universities and a Human Development Ethics: a capabilities approach to curriculum
Authors: Walker Melanie
Published: August 2012

This article takes up the challenge of curriculum change in relation to the contested purposes of universities. It argues for an expansive, public good understanding, rather than the thin market exchange norms which currently drive higher education policies. The paper suggests that a human capital approach to curriculum is then insufficient to capture the full range and potential of a university curriculum. Instead, an approach to curriculum based on human development and capabilities formation is advanced as offering a richer perspective on what it means to be human and hence on the kinds of graduates universities should educate. Some implications for teaching, learning and assessment are outlined and a framework to design and operationalise a human development approach to curriculum is proposed.
Stochastic and deterministic drivers of spatial and temporal turnover in breeding bird communities
Authors: Stegen James C. , Freestone Amy L. , Crist Thomas O. , Anderson Marti J. , Chase Jonathan M. , Comita Liza S. , Cornell Howard V. , Davies Kendi F. , Harrison Susan P. , Hurlbert Allen H. , Inouye Brian D. , Kraft Nathan J. B. , Myers Jonathan A. , Sanders Nathan J. , Swenson Nathan G. , Vellend Mark
Published: August 2012

Aim

A long‐standing challenge in ecology is to identify the suite of factors that lead to turnover in species composition in both space and time. These factors might be stochastic (e.g. sampling and priority effects) or deterministic (e.g. competition and environmental filtering). While numerous studies have examined the relationship between turnover and individual drivers of interest (e.g. primary productivity, habitat heterogeneity, or regional – ‘gamma’ – diversity), few studies have disentangled the simultaneous influences of multiple stochastic and deterministic processes on both temporal and spatial turnover. If turnover is governed primarily by stochastic sampling processes, removing the sampling effects of gamma diversity should result in non‐significant relationships between turnover and environmental variables. Conversely, if deterministic processes govern turnover patterns, removing sampling effects will have little influence on turnover gradients. Here, we test these predictions.

Location

The United States.

Methods

Continental‐scale, multidecadal data were used to quantify spatial and temporal turnover in avian community composition within 295 survey routes. A series of regression and structural equation models were coupled with a null model to construct statistical models describing turnover patterns.

Results

Examining explanatory variables alone or in combination showed that spatial and temporal turnover increased together, decreased with primary productivity and increased with habitat heterogeneity. The relationships between turnover and all variables became weaker when sampling effects were removed, but relationships with primary productivity and habitat heterogeneity remained relatively strong. In addition, spatial turnover increased strongly with spatial gamma diversity after sampling effects were removed.

Main conclusions

Our results show that spatial and temporal turnover are related to each other through a stochastic sampling process, but that each type of turnover is further influenced by deterministic processes. The relative influence of deterministic processes appears, however, to decrease with primary productivity and increase with habitat heterogeneity across an east–west longitudinal gradient in North America.
An overview of the role of bread in the UK diet
Authors: O'Connor A.
Published: August 2012

Despite being a staple food in the UK for centuries, bread consumption has fallen steadily over the last few decades. Average consumption now equates to only around 2–3 slices of bread a day. As well as providing energy, mainly in the form of starch, bread contains dietary fibre and a range of vitamins and minerals. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of adults suggests that it still contributes more than 10% of our daily intake of protein, thiamine, niacin, folate, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium; one‐fifth of our fibre and calcium intakes; and more than one‐quarter of our manganese intake. Therefore, eating bread can help consumers to meet their daily requirements for many nutrients, including micronutrients for which there is evidence of low intake in some groups in the UK, such as zinc and calcium. This paper gives an overview of the role of bread in the UK diet, its contribution to nutrient intakes and current consumption patterns in different population groups.
Hydration, water intake and beverage consumption habits among adults
Authors: Gibson S. , Gunn P. , Maughan R. J.
Published: August 2012

Total water intake is seldom reported in dietary surveys and hydration status is rarely measured. Although adequate intake (AI) levels have been suggested by the European Food Safety Authority, the World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine, uncertainties and confused messages abound regarding optimum intake. This paper reviews data on water intake internationally and examines associations with beverage consumption habits of adults in the UK, as determined from secondary analysis of individual diet records. On average, total water intake among British adults was equivalent to the European AI (2 l/day for women, 2.5 l/day for men) and 75% of this was derived from beverages. Factors that correlated with high total water intake included the consumption of a variety of beverages and drinking in the evening. Total water intake (and the contribution from soft drinks) is markedly higher in the USA than in Europe.

Beverage consumption habits and trends were also reviewed. In the past 10 years, water beverages have become more popular and as such the overall energy contribution from beverages has declined slightly. Most people could be encouraged to drink a variety of beverages to maintain adequate hydration and to balance the energy content according to their needs. However, further work is needed to refine recommendations for water intake, as basing these on observational epidemiological data is essentially a circular argument. A standardized measurement tool, validated against biomarkers of hydration status, would be a step forward in assessing the adequacy of water intakes at a population level. Research may also be warranted to explore the context of drinking occasions (including time of day, weekdays weekends, lifestyle and meal patterns) as these may have an impact on water intake, hydration and also energy balance.
Associations between fat, sugar and other macronutrient intakes in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Horgan G. W. , Whybrow S.
Published: August 2012

Observational studies show an inverse relationship between fat and sugar within diets, described as the ‘fat‐sugar seesaw’. It has been suggested however, that this is a consequence of expressing macronutrient intakes as percentages of energy intake rather than by the dietary choices made by individuals. To test this we examined the associations between macronutrient intakes in the diets of adults (n = 1724) participating in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) and within the same adults across different days of the week. Pearson's correlations were calculated between the macronutrient intakes from fat, total sugar, intrinsic sugars, non‐milk extrinsic sugars (NMES), non‐sugar carbohydrate, protein and alcohol. Energy intakes relative to estimated basal metabolic rate (BMR) were calculated to partially account for differences in energy requirements. Pearson's correlations also examined associations between the same macronutrients in foods from the Nutrient Databank (ND), used to analyse dietary intakes in the NDNS. Correlations between fat and sugar(s) were calculated in five ways: (i) percentage energy between individuals; (ii) amount (g) between individuals; (iii) amount (g) relative to BMR between individuals; (iv) within individuals over seven days; and (v) between food items in the ND. Negative correlations were obtained between mean daily percentage energy intakes of fat and, total sugars, NMES and intrinsic sugars (allP < 0.001). However, when mean daily macronutrient intakes were expressed in weight (g)/day, these were all positively correlated (all P < 0.001). Mean estimated correlations between macronutrient intakes (g/day) for each individual across the days of the week were also positive, indicating a lack of fat‐sugar seesaw effect. Within the ND, the correlation between fat and total sugar (g/100g of food) was weakly positive (P = 0.006). Only when examining the correlation between fat and sugar(s) between individuals in percentage terms (% energy) was the fat‐sugar seesaw evident; in all other methods the correlations between fat and sugar(s) were positive. Examination of the effects of using percentage energy values to describe the macronutrient composition demonstrated that the fat‐sugar seesaw is only an inevitable mathematical consequence, rather than the result of dietary choice. Comparing diet composition in percentage terms alone can therefore be misleading. It is only when examined as absolute values (weight), as well as percentage contributions to energy, that the interrelationships between macronutrients can be studied fully.
Attitudes towards seafood and patterns of consumption in an Australian coastal town
Authors: McManus A. , Hunt W. , Howieson J. , Cuesta‐Briand B. , McManus J. , Storey J.
Published: August 2012

Regular seafood consumption plays a protective role against chronic conditions and obesity, which account for the majority of the burden of disease in Australia. Despite public health recommendations, Australians consume less than the recommended levels of omega‐3s (n‐3) to reduce the risk of chronic disease. The best source of long‐chain n‐3 is oil‐rich fish.

This paper reports on results from a community survey on attitudes and patterns of seafood consumption conducted in a coastal town in Western Australia. Data were collected through a self‐administered questionnaire and 300 valid responses were received (60.7% aged 55 years or over; 65.7% female).

Weekly patterns of seafood consumption were observed. Almost all participants (93.7%) thought seafood was an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. Overall, participants (73.3%) did not perceive seafood as inconvenient to prepare, and had a high level of confidence around cooking and serving seafood. There were no gender or age differences in confidence except for those aged under 30 years with only a third (36.4%) expressing confidence in cooking and serving. All participants, across all ages and genders (78.7–90.7%) made informed decisions when purchasing seafood and they sought more point‐of‐sale information. They identified affordability, availability, easy‐to‐understand food labels and quick‐and‐easy recipes at point of purchase as the main enablers towards increased seafood consumption.
SHOULD WE FEAR QUANTUM TORMENT?
Authors: Aranyosi István
Published: August 2012

The prospect, in terms of subjective expectations, of immortality under the no‐collapse interpretation of quantum mechanics is certain, as pointed out by several authors, both physicists and, more recently, philosophers. The argument, known as quantum suicide, or quantum immortality, has received some critical discussion, but there hasn't been any questioning of David Lewis's point that there is a terrifying corollary to the argument, namely, that we should expect to live forever in a crippled, more and more damaged state, that barely sustains life. This is the prospect of eternal quantum torment. Based on some empirical facts, I argue for a conclusion that is much more reassuring than Lewis's terrible scenario.1
PLEASURE AS SELF‐DISCOVERY
Authors: Clark Samuel
Published: August 2012

This paper uses readings of two classic autobiographies, Edmund Gosse's Father & Son and John Stuart Mill's Autobiography, to develop a distinctive answer to an old and central question in value theory: What role is played by pleasure in the most successful human life? A first section defends my method. The main body of the paper then defines and rejects voluntarist, stoic, and developmental hedonist lessons to be taken from central crises in my two subjects' autobiographies, and argues for a fourth, diagnostic lesson: Gosse and Mill perceive their individual good through the medium of pleasure. Finally, I offer some speculative moral psychology of human development, as involving the waking, perception, management, and flowering of generic and individual capacities, which I suggest underlies Gosse and Mill's experiences. The acceptance of one's own unchosen nature, discovered by self‐perceptive pleasure in the operation of one's nascent capacities, is the beginning of a flourishing adulthood in which that nature is fully developed and expressed.
SELF‐KNOWLEDGE AND MORAL STUPIDITY
Authors: O'Hagan Emer
Published: August 2012

Most commonplace moral failure is not conditioned by evil intentions or the conscious desire to harm or humiliate others. It is more banal and ubiquitous – a form of moral stupidity that gives rise to rationalization, self‐deception, failures of due moral consideration, and the evasion of responsibility. A kind of crude, perception‐distorting self‐absorption, moral stupidity is the cause of many moral missteps; moral development demands the development of self‐knowledge as a way out of moral stupidity. Only once aware of the presence or absence of particular desires and beliefs can an agent have authority over them or exercise responsibility for their absence. But what is the connection between self‐knowledge and moral development? I argue that accounts (such as Kant's and Richard Moran's) which construe instances of self‐knowledge as like the verdicts of a judge cannot explain its potential role in moral development, and claim that it must be conceived of in a way that makes possible a process of self‐refinement and self‐regulation. Making use of Buddhist moral psychology, I argue that when self‐knowledge plays a role in moral development, it includes a quality of attention to one's experience best modeled as the work of the craftsperson, not as judge.