bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic testing and test anxiety amongst gifted and average‐ability children
Authors: Vogelaar Bart , Bakker Merel , Elliott Julian G. , Resing Wilma C. M.
Published: November 2016

Background

Dynamic testing has been proposed as a testing approach that is less disadvantageous for children who may be potentially subject to bias when undertaking conventional assessments. For example, those who encounter high levels of test anxiety, or who are unfamiliar with standardized test procedures, may fail to demonstrate their true potential or capabilities. While dynamic testing has proven particularly useful for special groups of children, it has rarely been used with gifted children.

Aim

We investigated whether it would be useful to conduct a dynamic test to measure the cognitive abilities of intellectually gifted children. We also investigated whether test anxiety scores would be related to a progression in the children's test scores after dynamic training.

Sample

Participants were 113 children aged between 7 and 8 years from several schools in the western part of the Netherlands. The children were categorized as either gifted or average‐ability and split into an unguided practice or a dynamic testing condition.

Methods

The study employed a pre‐test‐training‐post‐test design. Using linear mixed modelling analysis with a multilevel approach, we inspected the growth trajectories of children in the various conditions and examined the impact of ability and test anxiety on progression and training benefits.

Results and conclusions

Dynamic testing proved to be successful in improving the scores of the children, although no differences in training benefits were found between gifted and average‐ability children. Test anxiety was shown to influence the children's rate of change across all test sessions and their improvement in performance accuracy after dynamic training.
Recognition Decisions From Visual Working Memory Are Mediated by Continuous Latent Strengths
Authors: Ricker Timothy J. , Thiele Jonathan E. , Swagman April R. , Rouder Jeffrey N.
Published: November 2016

Making recognition decisions often requires us to reference the contents of working memory, the information available for ongoing cognitive processing. As such, understanding how recognition decisions are made when based on the contents of working memory is of critical importance. In this work we examine whether recognition decisions based on the contents of visual working memory follow a continuous decision process of graded information about the correct choice or a discrete decision process reflecting only knowing and guessing. We find a clear pattern in favor of a continuous latent strength model of visual working memory–based decision making, supporting the notion that visual recognition decision processes are impacted by the degree of matching between the contents of working memory and the choices given. Relation to relevant findings and the implications for human information processing more generally are discussed.
Using Predictability for Lexical Segmentation
Authors: Çöltekin Çağrı
Published: November 2016

This study investigates a strategy based on predictability of consecutive sub‐lexical units in learning to segment a continuous speech stream into lexical units using computational modeling and simulations. Lexical segmentation is one of the early challenges during language acquisition, and it has been studied extensively through psycholinguistic experiments as well as computational methods. However, despite strong empirical evidence, the explicit use of predictability of basic sub‐lexical units in models of segmentation is underexplored. This paper presents an incremental computational model of lexical segmentation for exploring the usefulness of predictability for lexical segmentation. We show that the predictability cue is a strong cue for segmentation. Contrary to earlier reports in the literature, the strategy yields state‐of‐the‐art segmentation performance with an incremental computational model that uses only this particular cue in a cognitively plausible setting. The paper also reports an in‐depth analysis of the model, investigating the conditions affecting the usefulness of the strategy.
Counting up the risks: How common are risk factors for morbidity and mortality in young people with psychosis?
Authors: Hahn Lisa Anne , Mackinnon Andrew , Foley Debra L. , Morgan Vera A. , Waterreus Anna , Watts Gerald F. , Castle David J. , Liu Dennis , Galletly Cherrie A
Published: November 2016

Background

This study examined the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular (CV)‐related morbidity and mortality in young people with psychosis aged 18 to 24 years.

Methods

The study included 132 people aged 18 to 24 years who participated in the 2010 second Australian national survey of people living with psychosis. The 2009 World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Health Risks report was used as a framework to determine which specific risk factors were present in each in these young people. The risk factors assessed in this study were smoking, alcohol use, hypertension, overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, high blood glucose, high cholesterol and poor diet. Each risk factor was defined according to WHO criteria. A count of the total number of risk factors present for each participant was determined. Data for male and female participants were compared.

Results

Young men had an average of 2.9 (SD 1.2) risk factors. Young women had an average of 2.4 (SD 1.2) risk factors. The most common risk factors were low fruit and vegetable intake (77.9%), cigarette smoking (67.7%), overweight/obesity (55%) and physical inactivity (39.8%). There were no significant differences between men and women in the number of risk factors present, or the prevalence of individual risk factors.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that many of the risk factors that ultimately contribute to disability and premature death are present at an early age in people with psychosis. Preventive measures need to be an integral component of early intervention services for this client population to avert progression to serious CV morbidity and early mortality.
Limitations of serum ferritin to predict liver iron concentration responses to deferasirox therapy in patients with transfusion‐dependent thalassaemia
Authors: Porter John B. , Elalfy Mohsen , Taher Ali , Aydinok Yesim , Lee Szu‐Hee , Sutcharitchan Pranee , El‐Ali Ali , Han Jackie , El‐Beshlawy Amal
Published: November 2016

Background

In transfusion‐dependent anaemias, while absolute serum ferritin levels broadly correlate with liver iron concentration (LIC), relationships between trends in these variables are unclear. These relationships are important because serum ferritin changes are often used to adjust or switch chelation regimens when liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unavailable.

Objectives and methods

This post hoc analysis of the EPIC study compared serum ferritin and LIC in 317 patients with transfusion‐dependent thalassaemia before and after 1 yr of deferasirox.

Results

Serum ferritin responses (decreases) occurred in 73% of patients, 80% of whom also have decreased LIC. However, 52% of patients without a serum ferritin response did decrease LIC and by >1 mg Fe/g dw (median 3.9) in 77% of cases. Absolute serum ferritin and LIC values correlated significantly only when serum ferritin was <4000 ng/mL (r = 0.59; P < 0.0001) and not at higher levels (≥4000 ng/mL; r = 0.19). Serum ferritin response was accompanied by decreased LIC in 89% and 70% of cases when serum ferritin was <4000 or ≥4000 ng/mL, respectively.

Conclusions

As serum ferritin non−response was associated with LIC decrease in over half of patients, use of liver MRI may be particularly useful for differentiating true from apparent non‐responders to deferasirox based on serum ferritin trends alone.
In vitro and in vivo effects of a novel dimeric inhibitor of PSD‐95 on excitotoxicity and functional recovery after experimental traumatic brain injury
Authors: Sommer Jens Bak , Bach Anders , Malá Hana , Strømgaard Kristian , Mogensen Jesper , Pickering Darryl S.
Published: November 2016

PSD‐95 inhibitors have been shown to be neuroprotective in stroke, but have only to a very limited extent been evaluated in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has pathophysiological mechanisms in common with stroke. The aims of the current study were to assess the effects of a novel dimeric inhibitor of PSD‐95, UCCB01‐147, on histopathology and long‐term cognitive outcome after controlled cortical impact (CCI) in rats. As excitotoxic cell death is thought to be a prominent part of the pathophysiology of TBI, we also investigated the neuroprotective effects of UCCB01‐147 and related compounds on NMDA‐induced cell death in cultured cortical neurons. Anesthetized rats were given a CCI or sham injury, and were randomized to receive an injection of either UCCB01‐147 (10 mg/kg), the non‐competitive NMDAR‐receptor antagonist MK‐801 (1 mg/kg) or saline immediately after injury. At 2 and 4 weeks post‐trauma, spatial learning and memory were assessed in a water maze, and at 3 months, brains were removed for estimation of lesion volumes. Overall, neither treatment with UCCB01‐147 nor MK‐801 resulted in significant improvements of cognition and histopathology after CCI. Although MK‐801 provided robust neuroprotection against NMDA‐induced toxicity in cultured cortical neurons, UCCB01‐147 failed to reduce cell death and became neurotoxic at high doses. The data suggest potential differential effects of PSD‐95 inhibition in stroke and TBI that should be investigated further in future studies taking important experimental factors such as timing of treatment, dosage, and anesthesia into consideration.
The Role of Community in Crowdfunding Success: Evidence on Cultural Attributes in Funding Campaigns to “Save the Local Theater”
Authors: Josefy Matthew , Dean Thomas J. , Albert Lumina S. , Fitza Markus A.
Published: November 2016

Despite increased interest in examining the factors that influence crowdfunding success, the effects of community context have been relatively unexamined. We address this void by examining the role of cultural context in crowdfunding success. Our unique data set of crowdfunding projects to “save the local theater” are homogenous in their goal, allowing us to test whether crowdfunding campaigns in certain communities lead to better funding outcomes than others. Theoretically, our results suggest the need for further integration of community and cultural constructs into models of venture funding, as such variables may have more relevance than previously believed.
Proteoglycan neofunctions: regulation of inflammation and autophagy in cancer biology
Authors: Schaefer Liliana , Tredup Claudia , Gubbiotti Maria A. , Iozzo Renato V.
Published: November 2016

Inflammation and autophagy have emerged as prominent issues in the context of proteoglycan signaling. In particular, two small, leucine‐rich proteoglycans, biglycan and decorin, play pivotal roles in the regulation of these vital cellular pathways and, as such, are intrinsically involved in cancer initiation and progression. In this minireview, we will address novel functions of biglycan and decorin in inflammation and autophagy, and analyze new emerging signaling events triggered by these proteoglycans, which directly or indirectly modulate these processes. We will critically discuss the dual role of proteoglycan‐driven inflammation and autophagy in tumor biology, and delineate the potential mechanisms through which soluble extracellular matrix constituents affect the microenvironment associated with inflammatory and neoplastic diseases.
Predicting vegetation type through physiological and environmental interactions with leaf traits: evergreen and deciduous forests in an earth system modeling framework
Authors: Weng Ensheng , Farrior Caroline E. , Dybzinski Ray , Pacala Stephen W.
Published: November 2016

Earth system models are incorporating plant trait diversity into their land components to better predict vegetation dynamics in a changing climate. However, extant plant trait distributions will not allow extrapolations to novel community assemblages in future climates, which will require a mechanistic understanding of the trade‐offs that determine trait diversity. In this study, we show how physiological trade‐offs involving leaf mass per unit area (LMA), leaf lifespan, leaf nitrogen, and leaf respiration may explain the distribution patterns of evergreen and deciduous trees in the temperate and boreal zones based on (1) an evolutionary analysis of a simple mathematical model and (2) simulation experiments of an individual‐based dynamic vegetation model (i.e., LM3‐PPA). The evolutionary analysis shows that these leaf traits set up a trade‐off between carbon‐ and nitrogen‐use efficiency at the scale of individual trees and therefore determine competitively dominant leaf strategies. As soil nitrogen availability increases, the dominant leaf strategy switches from one that is high in nitrogen‐use efficiency to one that is high in carbon‐use efficiency or, equivalently, from high‐LMA/long‐lived leaves (i.e., evergreen) to low‐LMA/short‐lived leaves (i.e., deciduous). In a region of intermediate soil nitrogen availability, the dominant leaf strategy may be either deciduous or evergreen depending on the initial conditions of plant trait abundance (i.e., founder controlled) due to feedbacks of leaf traits on soil nitrogen mineralization through litter quality. Simulated successional patterns by LM3‐PPA from the leaf physiological trade‐offs are consistent with observed successional dynamics of evergreen and deciduous forests at three sites spanning the temperate to boreal zones.
Global loss of avian evolutionary uniqueness in urban areas
Authors: Ibáñez‐Álamo Juan Diego , Rubio Enrique , Benedetti Yanina , Morelli Federico
Published: November 2016

Urbanization, one of the most important anthropogenic impacts on Earth, is rapidly expanding worldwide. This expansion of urban land‐covered areas is known to significantly reduce different components of biodiversity. However, the global evidence for this effect is mainly focused on a single diversity measure (species richness) with a few local or regional studies also supporting reductions in functional diversity. We have used birds, an important ecological group that has been used as surrogate for other animals, to investigate the hypothesis that urbanization reduces the global taxonomical and/or evolutionary diversity. We have also explored whether there is evidence supporting that urban bird communities are evolutionarily homogenized worldwide in comparison with nonurban ones by means of using evolutionary distinctiveness (how unique are the species) of bird communities. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to quantify the effect of urbanization in more than one single diversity measure as well as the first time to look for associations between urbanization and phylogenetic diversity at a large spatial scale. Our findings show a strong and globally consistent reduction in taxonomic diversity in urban areas, which is also synchronized with the evolutionary homogenization of urban bird communities. Despite our general patterns, we found some regional differences in the intensity of the effect of cities on bird species richness or evolutionary distinctiveness, suggesting that conservation efforts should be adapted locally. Our findings might be useful for conservationists and policymakers to minimize the impact of urban development on Earth's biodiversity and help design more realistic conservation strategies.
Integrating mechanistic and empirical model projections to assess climate impacts on tree species distributions in northwestern North America
Authors: Case Michael J. , Lawler Joshua J.
Published: November 2016

Empirical and mechanistic models have both been used to assess the potential impacts of climate change on species distributions, and each modeling approach has its strengths and weaknesses. Here, we demonstrate an approach to projecting climate‐driven changes in species distributions that draws on both empirical and mechanistic models. We combined projections from a dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) that simulates the distributions of biomes based on basic plant functional types with projections from empirical climatic niche models for six tree species in northwestern North America. These integrated model outputs incorporate important biological processes, such as competition, physiological responses of plants to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and fire, as well as what are likely to be species‐specific climatic constraints. We compared the integrated projections to projections from the empirical climatic niche models alone. Overall, our integrated model outputs projected a greater climate‐driven loss of potentially suitable environmental space than did the empirical climatic niche model outputs alone for the majority of modeled species. Our results also show that refining species distributions with DGVM outputs had large effects on the geographic locations of suitable habitat. We demonstrate one approach to integrating the outputs of mechanistic and empirical niche models to produce bioclimatic projections. But perhaps more importantly, our study reveals the potential for empirical climatic niche models to over‐predict suitable environmental space under future climatic conditions.
Governing kidnap for ransom: Lloyd's as a “private regime”
Authors: Shortland Anja
Published: November 2016

Kidnap for ransom raises significant governance challenges. In the absence of formal regulation and enforcement, insurers have created an effective private governance regime to facilitate smooth commercial resolutions. Controlling ransoms is paramount: “supernormal” profits for kidnappers create kidnapping booms and undermine the market for insurance. Ransom control requires cooperation, but there are high transactions costs in enforcing a collusive agreement. The Coasean prediction is that a single firm will form to internalize the externalities arising from lax insurance and mismanaged ransom negotiations—or a government must order the market. There is indeed a single source of kidnap insurance: Lloyd's of London. Yet, within the Lloyd's market several insurers compete for business. Lloyd's is a club providing private governance: Its members issue standard contracts, follow the same regime for kidnap resolution, and exchange information to stabilize ransoms. Lloyd's, therefore, combines aspects of Coase's “single firm” and “government” solution to the externalities problem.
The Mamlukization of the Mamluk Sultanate? State Formation and the History of Fifteenth Century Egypt and Syria: Part I — Old Problems and New Trends
Authors: Van Steenbergen Jo , Wing Patrick , D'hulster Kristof
Published: November 2016

This is the first of two connected articles that aim to offer a new perspective on the history of late medieval Egypt and Syria, on 15th‐century political history of the so‐called Mamluk Sultanate in particular. Informed by a comparative look at a selection of wider relevant scholarship, we propose to reconsider 15th‐century Syro‐Egyptian political action within the particular framework of a complex process of state formation. This perspective, defined as ‘Mamlukization’, may help to better account for change, and for contemporary laments that “things aren't what they used to be.” In “Part I — Old problems and new trends”, we begin by examining the state of the field of 15th‐century Mamluk political history, before laying out the new perspective of ‘Mamlukization’ in Part II. Part I explains how Mamluk scholarship has only recently managed to overcome a traditional tendency to view the sultanate's political history as a long process of divergence from an idealized system based on military slavery, raising new difficulties. We conclude that there remains a need to replace this decline paradigm with a more useful conceptual framework. If something profound indeed was taking place in the 15th century, something that is not usefully considered “decline,” then what was it?
Synthesis of Boron Carbide by Reactive‐Pulsed Electric Current Sintering in the Presence of Tungsten Boride
Authors: Radev Dimitar , Avramova Ivalina , Kovacheva Daniela , Gautam Devendraprakash , Radev Ivan
Published: November 2016

The method of pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) has been used to obtain dense boron carbide (B4C) and B4C‐based composite materials containing tungsten boride (W2B5). To elucidate the role of the sintering additives and the mechanism of reactive densification, three types of materials have been obtained by PECS at 1850°C and 1900°C: “pure” B4C, B4C doped with 10 wt% W2B5, and B4C doped with 10 wt% tungsten carbide (WC). X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to determine crystallite size, phase changes, and the peculiarities of the chemical bonds of the densified materials. Structural and mechanical properties of the materials have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, ultrasound velocity measurements, and hardness tests. The electrochemical impedance spectra have been used to investigate the electrical properties of the PECS‐ed materials.
Relationship of pressure to be thin with gains in body weight and fat mass in adolescents
Authors: Suelter C. S. , Schvey N. , Kelly N. R. , Shanks M. , Thompson K. A. , Mehari R. , Brady S. , Yanovski S. Z. , Melby C. L. , Tanofsky‐Kraff M. , Yanovski J. A. , Shomaker L. B.
Published: November 2016

Background

Sociocultural pressure to be thin is commonly reported by adolescents; yet, to what extent such pressure is associated with weight gain has not been evaluated longitudinally.

Objective

Examine whether pressure to be thin was positively associated with weight and fat gain in adolescents.

Methods

Participants were 196 healthy adolescent (age 15 ± 1 years old) girls (65%) and boys of varying weights (BMI 25 ± 7 kg/m2) studied at baseline and 1‐year follow‐up. At baseline, adolescents and their mothers reported pressure to be thin by questionnaire. At baseline and follow‐up, BMI was calculated, and fat mass was assessed with air displacement plethysmography. Multiple regression was used to examine associations between baseline pressure to be thin and 1‐year changes in BMI and fat mass.

Results

Accounting for multiple covariates, including baseline BMI or fat, adolescent‐reported pressure from parents and peers and mother‐reported pressure toward their teen were associated with greater gains in either adolescent BMI or fat (ps < .05). Adolescent weight status was a moderator of multiple effects (ps < .05).

Conclusions

Parental and peer pressure to be thin were associated with increases in BMI and fat mass during adolescence, particularly in heavier adolescents. Further research is necessary to clarify how this association operates reciprocally and to identify underlying explanatory mechanisms.
Rapid‐access cardiology services: can these reduce the burden of acute chest pain on Australian and New Zealand health services?
Authors: Klimis Harry , Thiagalingam Aravinda , Altman Mikhail , Atkins Emily , Figtree Gemma , Lowe Harry , Cheung Ngai Wah , Kovoor Pramesh , Denniss Alan Robert , Chow Clara K.
Published: November 2016

Chest pain is common and places a significant burden on hospital resources. Many patients with undifferentiated low‐ to intermediate‐risk chest pain are admitted to hospital. Rapid‐access cardiology (RAC) services are hospital co‐located, cardiologist‐led outpatient clinics that provide rapid assessment and immediate management but not long‐term management. This service model is described as part of chest pain management and the National Service Framework for coronary heart disease in the United Kingdom (UK). We review the evidence on the effectiveness, safety and acceptability of RAC services. Our review finds that early assessment in RAC outpatient services of patients with suspected angina, without high‐risk features suspicious of an acute coronary syndrome, is safe, can reduce hospitalisations, is cost effective and has good medical practitioner and patient acceptability. However, the literature is limited in that the evaluation of this model of care has been only in the UK. It is potentially suited to other settings and needs further evaluation in other settings to assess its utility.
Volumetric changes at pontic sites with or without soft tissue grafting: a controlled clinical study with a 10‐year follow‐up
Authors: Bienz Stefan P. , Sailer Irena , Sanz‐Martín Ignacio , Jung Ronald E. , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Thoma Daniel S.
Published: November 2016

Objective

To evaluate volumetric changes of soft tissues at pontic sites in patients treated with or without soft tissue grafting over an observation period of 10 years.

Materials and Methods

A total of 17 patients receiving a tooth‐borne fixed dental prosthesis (FDP) were enrolled in this study. Nine patients received a subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) at the pontic site (test). Eight patients continued without soft tissue grafting (control). Baseline impressions were taken after delivery of the final FDP and at 10 years. Casts were scanned and digital images were superimposed for volumetric and linear measurements: the mean distance (MD) between the surfaces at the mid‐buccal area, the pontic height (PH) and the ridge width (RW). All comparisons were performed applying the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test.

Results

The median follow‐up time was 123 months. Median MD between baseline and 10 years was −0.64 mm (Min: −2.39; Max: −0.02) (test) and −0.22 mm (Min: −1.07; Max: 0.06) (control). The change of PH (recession) was −0.33 mm (Min: −0.82; Max: 0.06) (test) and −0.17 mm (Min: −0.8; Max: 0.23) (control). The median differences in RW 1 mm below the crest were −0.62 mm (Min: −1.17; Max: 0.22) (test) and −0.2 mm (Min: −1.9; Max: 0.28) (control). None of the differences between the groups were significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Limited by a retrospective study design, pontic sites with or without soft tissue augmentation by means of a SCTG underlie minimal changes over an observation period of 10 years.
Homeowner Representation in the Foreclosure Crisis
Authors: Taylor Poppe Emily S.
Published: November 2016

The dramatic increase in the number of homeowners entering the foreclosure process over the past decade has been well documented. While some of these cases end in foreclosure, many homeowners are able to secure alternate outcomes. There is reason to believe that legal representation may help homeowners to achieve more favorable outcomes. However, other aspects of the foreclosure process, particularly those instituted to increase court oversight and homeowner participation, may circumscribe the benefits of legal representation. In this article, I investigate whether homeowners with legal representation are more likely to avoid foreclosure than those who are unrepresented, taking into account procedural reforms that might shape the effectiveness of legal representation. Using a representative sample of residential foreclosure cases initiated in New York City between 2007 and 2011, I find that cases where the homeowner has legal representation less frequently end in foreclosure. However, after accounting for the enactment of reforms to the foreclosure process, the probability of foreclosure is not significantly different for cases where the homeowner has legal representation. The results suggest that the characteristics of the foreclosure process may be consequential for the resolution of foreclosure cases and the benefit of legal representation. This research contributes to scholarship on the use and effect of lawyers by considering the role of legal representation for homeowners facing foreclosure in the context of the rapid social and economic changes of the Great Recession.
Morphological features of an endangered Japanese strain of Cyprinus carpio: reconstruction based on seven SNP markers
Authors: Atsumi K. , Song H. Y. , Senou H. , Inoue K. , Mabuchi K.
Published: November 2016

Morphological analyses of 183 specimens of Japanese common carp Cyprinus carpio (171 from Lake Biwa and 12 from nursery ponds) using genetic hybrid indices demonstrated that the typical native Japanese strain of C. carpio has a more elongate body, more branched dorsal‐fin rays, fewer and shorter gill rakers, more developed pneumatic bulb, more coiled pneumatic duct, longer posterior swimbladder and shorter intestine than the typical introduced C. carpio. These results provide a basis for a better understanding of the ecological characteristics and taxonomic status of the endangered Japanese strain of C. carpio.
Global Mental Health in Action: Reducing Disparities One Community at a Time
Authors: Bischoff Richard J. , Springer Paul R. , Taylor Nathan
Published: November 2016

There are great disparities in mental health care around the world. Traditional approaches to mental health care have not been found to be transferrable to many parts of the world and are inadequate to address these disparities. Unconventional approaches are needed that match the traditions of care‐seeking and care‐giving within the communities where they are delivered. The authors review the global mental health literature and discuss how marriage and family therapists are in a particularly good position to have worldwide impact on mental health disparities. Five principles of global mental health are presented along with an example of how these principles are applied through the Reducing Mental Health Disparities One Community at a Time (RD1CT) model.
Effect of a new treatment protocol called Functional Chewing Training on chewing function in children with cerebral palsy: a double‐blind randomised controlled trial
Authors: Serel Arslan S. , Demir N. , Karaduman A. A.
Published: November 2016

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent sensorimotor impairments. Children with CP have various feeding difficulties including chewing disorder, which may affect their nutritional status. Functional Chewing Training (FuCT) was designed as a holistic approach to improve chewing function by providing postural alignment, sensory and motor training, and food and environmental adjustments. This study aimed to investigate the effect of FuCT on chewing function in children with CP. This study was designed as a double‐blind, randomised controlled trial. Eighty CP children with chewing disorder were randomised and split between the FuCT group (31 males, 19 females; mean age 3·5 ± 1·9 years) and the control group (16 males, 14 females; 3·4 ± 2·3 years) receiving traditional oral motor exercises. Each group received the training programme for 12 weeks with weekly follow‐up and with two evaluations at baseline and end of 12 weeks. Chewing function was evaluated by analysing video recordings and scored with the Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KCPS). The Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS) was used to evaluate feeding behaviours of children. A significant improvement was observed in KCPS scores at 12 weeks after training in the FuCT group (P < 0·001), but no change was found in the control group (P = 0·07). A significant improvement was detected in all parameters of BPFAS at 12 weeks after training in the FuCT group (P < 0·001) and in four parameters of BPFAS in the control group (P = 0·02, P = 0·02). FuCT is an effective method to improve chewing function compared with traditional oral motor exercises.
Isolation and Identification of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens IBFCBF‐1 with Potential for Biological Control of Phytophthora Blight and Growth Promotion of Pepper
Authors: Zhang Mengjun , Li Jilie , Shen Airong , Tan Shiyong , Yan Zhun , Yu Yongting , Xue Zhaodong , Tan Taimeng , Zeng Liangbin
Published: November 2016

In this study, 76 bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of pepper. Of these, 23 bacterial isolates capable of inhibiting Phytophthora capsici growth were selected. Among the antagonistic bacteria, one strain, IBFCBF‐1 showed the strongest antagonistic activity, and was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, physiological and biochemical testing, and morphological characteristics. When tested with a dual‐culture method and with laboratory greenhouse studies, the strain IBFCBF‐1 was found to be a potential biocontrol agent for controlling the plant pathogen, P. capsici. Moreover, it showed high efficiency and broad‐spectrum antifungal properties in vitro. Under greenhouse conditions, IBFCBF‐1 could significantly promote the growth of pepper seedlings, and was able to solubilize phosphate, and produce indole acetic acid (IAA) and ammonia. This study clearly demonstrated that IBFCBF‐1 is a potential candidate exhibiting phytophthora blight‐suppressive and plant growth‐promoting effects on pepper.
Genetic Characterization and Pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia solani Associated with Common Bean Web Blight in the Main Bean Growing area of Argentina
Authors: Spedaletti Yamila , Aparicio Mónica , Mercado Cárdenas Guadalupe , Rodriguero Marcela , Taboada Gisel , Aban Carla , Sühring Silvia , Vizgarra Oscar , Galván Marta
Published: November 2016

Common bean web blight (WB), caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani (teleomorph Thanatephorus cucumeris), is among the endemic fungal diseases of major impact in north‐western Argentina (NWA). This study aimed to analyse the genetic and pathogenic diversity of R. solani in Salta, NWA, where 97 isolates were recovered from commercial bean cultivars and wild beans showing WB symptoms in a major bean production area. The isolates were characterized on the basis of specific primers, rDNA‐ITS sequences and morphological characteristics. All the isolates were identified as R. solani AG 2‐2WB, and they exhibited considerable intragroup variation. The phylogenetic tree generated with the ITS sequences confirmed the isolates identification. Aggressiveness of the isolates towards bean seedlings was assessed in the greenhouse. A great variability in virulence was observed among the isolates analysed. On the basis of the disease reaction on foliar tissues, the isolates were grouped into three virulence categories as follows: weakly virulent (30%), moderately virulent (38%) and highly virulent (32%). However, no correlation between virulence and geographical origin was detected. The information generated in this study provides initial data on the population variability of the WB pathogen in north‐western Argentina and represents a valuable contribution to regional breeding programmes aimed to obtain cultivars with durable resistance.
Stripe Rust Partial Resistance Increases Spring Bread Wheat Yield in South‐eastern Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: Aktaş Hüsnü , Zencirci Nüsret
Published: November 2016

Stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici is the most serious disease of wheat globally including south‐eastern Anatolia of Turkey, where wheat originated. In this study, 12 spring wheat genotypes were artificially inoculated and preserved in two locations, Diyarbakır and Adıyaman, during the 2011–2012 season to investigate loss in yield and yield components. Genotypes were evaluated at the adult plant stage using two partial resistance parameters: final disease severity and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). AUDPC ranged from 14.8 to 860 in Diyarbakır, and 74 to 760 in Adıyaman. Yield loss ranged from 0.6 to 68.5% in Diyarbakır and 9.8 to 56.8% in Adıyaman. Genotypes G1, G5, G7 and G8 were found to lose less yield, while higher yield loss was observed in G3, G4 (Nurkent), G5 and G9 (Karacadağ‐98). The highest loss in thousand kernel weight was observed in a susceptible cultivar Karacadağ‐98 in Diyarbakır followed by 43.4 and 24.4% in Adıyaman. Test weight loss reached 8.89% in Diyarbakır and 20.8% in Adıyaman. Yield loss and AUDPC had a positive significant relationship. Based on the values of AUDPC, final disease severity and yield loss, three major clusters were formed for 12 wheat genotypes. Partially resistant genotypes were found to lose less grain yield and seemed to be stronger against severe stripe rust pressure.
Clinical effects of probiotics containing Bacillus species on gingivitis: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Alkaya B. , Laleman I. , Keceli S. , Ozcelik O. , Cenk Haytac M. , Teughels W.
Published: November 2016

Background and Objective

Lactobacillus spp. and bifidobacteria are the most frequently used probiotics in oral health research. However, although probiotic effects have been suggested for other genera, such as bacilli, no trials are available to describe the effect of bacilli probiotics on gingivitis in humans. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical effects of a bacilli‐containing toothpaste, a mouthrinse and a toothbrush cleaner versus a placebo in patients with generalized gingivitis.

Material and Methods

In this double‐blind placebo‐controlled randomized clinical trial, nonsmoking, systemically healthy patients with generalized gingivitis were included. They used a placebo or an experimental probiotic Bacillus subtilis‐, Bacillus megaterium‐ and Bacillus pumulus‐containing toothpaste, mouthrinse and toothbrush cleaner for 8 wk. Primary outcome measures of interest were plaque and gingivitis index, and the secondary outcome measures were pocket probing depth and bleeding on probing.

Results

Twenty male and 20 female patients were randomized over the two groups. All participants could be included in the final analysis. Although plaque and gingivitis indices were significantly reduced after 8 wk, no intergroup differences could be found at any time point. Also, for the secondary outcome measure, intragroup but no intergroup differences could be detected. No harm or unintended effects were reported by the patients after using the study products.

Conclusions

This study did not show any statistically significant differences between a placebo and a bacilli‐containing toothpaste, mouthrinse and toothbrush cleaner on gingivitis parameters.
Maternal anti‐HBVs suppress the immune response of infants to hepatitis B vaccine
Authors: Chen X. , Gui X. , Zhang L. , Huang F. , Zhong H. , Pang Z. , Wang S. , Tang L. , Fu L. , Peng Y. , Shellman Y.
Published: November 2016

It is still controversial whether maternal anti‐HBV antibodies (anti‐HBVs) affect the infants’ immune response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination. This multicentre study aims to address this question. First, we determined whether the transplacental transfer of maternal anti‐HBVs occurs by measuring the titres of 90 anti‐HBVs‐positive pregnant women and their newborns. The anti‐HBVs‐positive rates of newborns ranged from 89.7% to 100.0%, depending on the maternal anti‐HBVs titres. Secondly, we investigated the effects of maternal anti‐HBVs on the immune response of infants to HBV vaccination. A total of 1063 mother‐and‐infant pairs were enrolled and divided into three groups with maternal anti‐HBVs titres of <10 IU/L (negative – 37.9%), 10–499 and ≥500 IU/L. The infants’ anti‐HBVs‐positive rate and titres were negatively correlated with maternal anti‐HBVs titres: the anti‐HBVs‐positive rate of infants were 88.9% (360/405), 84.5% (381/451) and 77.3% (160/207) in mothers with low, intermediate and high antibody titres, respectively, P<.0001. Median titres of anti‐HBVs (IU/L) among infants were 169.1, 141.0 and 79.4, respectively, P=.020. One hundred and sixty‐two infants were negative for anti‐HBVs after the standard vaccination, and 120 of 131 of these infants (91.6%) reached anti‐HBVs positivity after the first “booster” dose. The maternal anti‐HBVs titres did not significantly affect infant response to this booster. In summary, transplacental transfer of anti‐HBVs occurs and high titres of maternal anti‐HBVs may suppress the immune response of infants to the standard HBV vaccination. The current schedule of the 0, 1 and 6 month may not be the optimal choice of infants with anti‐HBVs‐positive mothers.
Trial and Error: Lawyers and Nonlawyer Advocates
Authors: Carpenter Anna E. , Mark Alyx , Shanahan Colleen F.
Published: November 2016

Nonlawyer advocates are one proposed solution to the access to justice crisis. Theory and research suggest that nonlawyers might be effective, yet scholars know very little, empirically, about nonlawyer practice in the United States. Using data from more than 5,000 unemployment insurance appeal hearings and interviews with lawyers and nonlawyers who represent employers in these hearings, this article explores how both types of representatives develop expertise and what this means for effectiveness. We find judges play a critical role in shaping nonlawyer legal expertise and nonlawyers develop expertise almost exclusively through “trial and error.” We find evidence that while experienced nonlawyers can help parties through their expertise with common court procedures and basic substantive legal concepts, they are not equipped to challenge judges on contested issues of substantive or procedural law in individual cases, advance novel legal claims, or advocate for law reform on a broader scale. These findings have implications for future access to justice research and interventions.
Did 26Al and impact‐induced heating differentiate Mercury?
Authors: Bhatia G. K. , Sahijpal S.
Published: November 2016

Numerical models dealing with the planetary scale differentiation of Mercury are presented with the short‐lived nuclide, 26Al, as the major heat source along with the impact‐induced heating during the accretion of planets. These two heat sources are considered to have caused differentiation of Mars, a planet with size comparable to Mercury. The chronological records and the thermal modeling of Mars indicate an early differentiation during the initial ~1 million years (Ma) of the formation of the solar system. We theorize that in case Mercury also accreted over an identical time scale, the two heat sources could have differentiated the planets. Although unlike Mars there is no chronological record of Mercury's differentiation, the proposed mechanism is worth investigation. We demonstrate distinct viable scenarios for a wide range of planetary compositions that could have produced the internal structure of Mercury as deduced by the MESSENGER mission, with a metallic iron (Fe‐Ni‐FeS) core of radius ~2000 km and a silicate mantle thickness of ~400 km. The initial compositions were derived from the enstatite and CB (Bencubbin) chondrites that were formed in the reducing environments of the early solar system. We have also considered distinct planetary accretion scenarios to understand their influence on thermal processing. The majority of our models would require impact‐induced mantle stripping of Mercury by hit and run mechanism with a protoplanet subsequent to its differentiation in order to produce the right size of mantle. However, this can be avoided if we increase the Fe‐Ni‐FeS contents to ~71% by weight. Finally, the models presented here can be used to understand the differentiation of Mercury‐like exoplanets and the planetary embryos of Venus and Earth.
Ontological Parsimony, Erosion, and Conservatism
Authors: Metcalf Thomas
Published: November 2016

This article presents a novel argument against a common principle of parsimony in philosophy. First, it identifies a widely employed principle of positive ontological parsimony, according to which we should, ceteris paribus, prefer smaller ontologies to larger ontologies. Next, it shows how this principle is used as part of a strategy by which to argue for antirealist positions in many subfields of philosophy: the ockhamistic antirealist strategy. Third, it argues that this principle commits its adherents to an implausible epistemological thesis—the Eroding Ontology Thesis—according to which evidence for the existence of some entity is at least prima facie evidence against the existence of all other entities. Antirealists might decide to adopt a related position, ontological conservatism, according to which we should simply resist changing our ontology, but the article shows that it is independently unjustified. Therefore, it concludes, philosophers have good reason to cease employing one very common antirealist strategy.
Myriad Philosophical Methodologies
Authors: Rush Penelope A.
Published: November 2016

This article offers an overview of philosophical methodologies. In an attempt to avoid a certain circularity, the article itself tries to avoid consciously or solely deploying and engaging with any current standard notion of what constitutes a philosophical method or philosophy itself. It hopes to find some of the possible places in which philosophy occurs, and this turns out to include (at least) such endeavours as literature, art, poetry, and linguistics. From here it considers how almost anything—for example, conversation, everyday life, and love—can also be philosophy. An attempt is made to identify some characteristic feature of philosophy as it occurs in all such forms. In the end, the simultaneous enacting of a peculiar optimism and particular humility both, in the search for knowledge, is put forward as potentially sufficient to at least begin to identify philosophy across its many guises.
Rewording the Rules on Disjunctive Probability
Authors: Cordero Ronald
Published: November 2016

Logic is a central and highly useful part of philosophy. Its value is particularly evident when it comes to keeping our thinking about disjunctive probabilities clear. Because of the two meanings of “or” (“just one of these statements is true,” “at least one of these statements is true”), logic can show how the likelihood of a disjunction being true can be determined quite easily. To gauge the chance that one of two or more exclusive alternatives is true, one need only sum up their respective likelihoods. And to know the chance that at least one of two or more compatible alternatives is true, one simply has to figure the chance that it is false that all of them are false!
The American Girl: Playing with the Wrong Dollie?
Authors: Davion Victoria
Published: November 2016

This essay explores the American Girl Just Like You doll through a variety of feminist lenses. It was inspired by my experiences chaperoning my friend Grace (aged eleven) to the American Girl Store in New York City, and returning to the store to shop for my own doll. I returned to the store because I was not sure why I was so extremely disturbed by this doll. The doll is not emaciated, not overtly sexy, and marketed along with outfits that supposedly send girls the message that they can achieve their goals. She comes in a variety of skin, eye, and hair colors, and the line is therefore marketed as racially and ethnically sensitive. I argue that although the Just Like You line appears to be empowering and racially sensitive on a superficial level, an in‐depth feminist analysis indicates that it is not. In fact, the Just Like You line is highly problematic from a feminist perspective.
Membrane skeletal association and post‐translational allosteric regulation of Toxoplasma gondii GAPDH1
Authors: Dubey Rashmi , Staker Bart L. , Foe Ian T. , Bogyo Matthew , Myler Peter J. , Ngô Huân M. , Gubbels Marc‐Jan
Published: November 2016

When Toxoplasma gondii egresses from the host cell, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GAPDH1), which is primary a glycolysis enzyme but actually a quintessential multifunctional protein, translocates to the unique cortical membrane skeleton. Here, we report the 2.25 Å resolution crystal structure of the GAPDH1 holoenzyme in a quaternary complex providing the basis for the molecular dissection of GAPDH1 structure–function relationships Knockdown of GAPDH1 expression and catalytic site disruption validate the essentiality of GAPDH1 in intracellular replication but we confirmed that glycolysis is not strictly essential. We identify, for the first time, S‐loop phosphorylation as a novel, critical regulator of enzymatic activity that is consistent with the notion that the S‐loop is critical for cofactor binding, allosteric activation and oligomerization. We show that neither enzymatic activity nor phosphorylation state correlate with the ability to translocate to the cortex. However, we demonstrate that association of GAPDH1 with the cortex is mediated by the N‐terminus, likely palmitoylation. Overall, glycolysis and cortical translocation are functionally decoupled by post‐translational modifications.