bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subnational institutions and outward FDI by Chinese firms
Authors: Chen Victor Zitian , Li Jing , Shapiro Daniel M.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to extend the classic country-specific advantage (CSA) – firm-specific advantage (FSA) framework by integrating an institution-based view of CSAs into the discussion of FSAs. In his classic CSA – FSA framework, Rugman suggests that successful multi-national enterprises (MNEs) are often built on the interaction between strong FSAs and strong CSAs at home. In the case of emerging market multi-nationals (EMNEs), he argued that strong CSAs were of particular importance in allowing EMNEs to develop FSAs. In particular, we examine CSAs at the sub-national level.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors suggest that sub-national heterogeneity in market-supporting institutions is an important feature of emerging market economies, and that consideration of such heterogeneity contributes to our understanding of firm capabilities and overseas investment behavior of emerging market firms. The authors also identify explicitly the mechanisms through which sub-national institutions at home affect FSAs and, subsequently, the ability of emerging market firms’ entry into developed markets. Specifically, the authors argue that strong local institutions that support effective and well-functioning markets create the conditions that induce firms in that location to develop market-related capabilities in R & D and marketing, which, in turn, enable them to expand into developed countries.

Findings

– Using a unique data set on overseas investment by Chinese firms and causal mediation analysis, the authors find strong evidence in support of the view that strong sub-national institutions help emerging market firms develop the capabilities to enter developed country markets.

Originality/value

– This study extends the classic CSA–FSA framework by integrating an institution-based view of CSAs into the discussion of FSAs. In particular, the authors examine CSAs at the sub-national level.
Effectiveness of the Australian Fiscal Stimulus Package: A DSGE Analysis
Authors: Li Shuyun May , Spencer Adam Hal
Published: November 2015

We develop and estimate a small open economy dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model to investigate the effectiveness of the Australian fiscal stimulus package introduced in the aftermath of the global financial crisis (GFC). The estimated model implies a fiscal multiplier of 0.9 on impact and 1.26 with one‐year monetary accommodation. Utilising the estimated shocks – in particular, the fiscal shocks that mimic the stimulus transfers – we conduct several counterfactual policy experiments. Our results suggest that the stimulus transfers were almost equally important as the concurrent monetary easing actions in helping the Australian economy to avoid a recession after the GFC.
The Royal North Shore Hospital Emergency Department airway registry: Closing the audit loop
Authors: Fogg Toby , Alkhouri Hatem , Vassiliadis John
Published: November 2015

Objective

We aim to investigate whether a bundle of changes made to the practice of endotracheal intubation in our ED was associated with an improvement in first pass success rate and a reduction in the incidence of complications.

Methods

We used a prospective observational study.

Results

The data on 360 patients who were intubated during an 18‐month period following the introduction of these changes were compared with our previously published observational data. Success on first attempt at intubation improved 83.4% to 93.9% (P < 0.0001). The proportion of patients with one or more complication fell from 29.0% to 19.4% (P < 0.042). Oesophageal intubation fell from 4.0% to 0.3% (P < 0.001), and there was a non‐significant reduction in the rate of desaturation, from 15.6% to 10.9% (P < 0.07).

Conclusion

We have shown that, through the introduction of a bundle of changes that spans the domains of staff training, equipment and practice standardisation, we have made significant improvements in the safety of patients undergoing endotracheal intubation in our ED.
Statistical approaches to account for false‐positive errors in environmental DNA samples
Authors: Lahoz‐Monfort José J. , Guillera‐Arroita Gurutzeta , Tingley Reid
Published: November 2015

Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is prone to both false‐positive and false‐negative errors. We review statistical methods to account for such errors in the analysis of eDNA data and use simulations to compare the performance of different modelling approaches. Our simulations illustrate that even low false‐positive rates can produce biased estimates of occupancy and detectability. We further show that removing or classifying single PCR detections in an ad hoc manner under the suspicion that such records represent false positives, as sometimes advocated in the eDNA literature, also results in biased estimation of occupancy, detectability and false‐positive rates. We advocate alternative approaches to account for false‐positive errors that rely on prior information, or the collection of ancillary detection data at a subset of sites using a sampling method that is not prone to false‐positive errors. We illustrate the advantages of these approaches over ad hoc classifications of detections and provide practical advice and code for fitting these models in maximum likelihood and Bayesian frameworks. Given the severe bias induced by false‐negative and false‐positive errors, the methods presented here should be more routinely adopted in eDNA studies.
On Collapse and the Next U.S. Democracy: Elements of Applied Systemic Research
Authors: Tanaka Greg
Published: November 2015

While concern has been growing in recent years about the structural precursors to economic collapse in the United States, and a parallel decline in democracy, few have asked: (1) what moral and cultural foundations might be necessary as building blocks to launch a democratic renewal and (2) whether a different and “deep” democracy might be constructed this time that accords everyday citizens the agency they will need to initiate policy at the national level. The article introduces a research methodology to frame and assess change at this macro, or systemic, register and examines the role that education can play in teaching citizens how to exercise agency in a reconstituted democracy that is more nearly “by, for, and of the people.”
Contesting Visions at aJapanese School for the Deaf
Authors: Hayashi Akiko , Tobin Joseph
Published: November 2015

This paper tells the story of the struggle to introduce aJapanese sign language program in a school for the deaf inJapan that until recently had followed the government's approach that emphasizes oral communication. Our method and conceptual framework is ethnographic, as we emphasize the cultural beliefs that underlie the three competing positions on deaf education that are in competition atSapporoSchool for theDeaf.
Design and validation of the Regional Anaesthesia Procedural Skills Assessment Tool
Authors: Chuan A. , Graham P. L. , Wong D. M. , Barrington M. J. , Auyong D. B. , Cameron A. J. D. , Lim Y. C. , Pope L. , Germanoska B. , Forrest K. , Royse C. F.
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to create and evaluate the validity, reliability and feasibility of the Regional Anaesthesia Procedural Skills tool, designed for the assessment of all peripheral and neuraxial blocks using all nerve localisation techniques. The first phase was construction of a 25‐item checklist by five regional anaesthesia experts using a Delphi process. This checklist was combined with a global rating scale to create the tool. In the second phase, initial validation by 10 independent anaesthetists using a test–retest methodology was successful (Cohen kappa ≥ 0.70 for inter‐rater agreement, scores between test to retest, paired t‐test, p > 0.12). In the third phase, 70 clinical videos of trainees were scored by three blinded international assessors. The RAPS tool exhibited face validity (p < 0.026), construct validity (p < 0.001), feasibility (mean time to score < 3.9 min), and overall reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.80 (95% CI 0.67–0.88)). The Regional Anaesthesia Procedural Skills tool used in this study is a valid and reliable assessment tool to score the performance of trainees for regional anaesthesia.
A systematic review of sugammadex vs neostigmine for reversal of neuromuscular blockade
Authors: Abad‐Gurumeta A. , Ripollés‐Melchor J. , Casans‐Francés R. , Espinosa A. , Martínez‐Hurtado E. , Fernández‐Pérez C. , Ramírez J. M. , López‐Timoneda F. , Calvo‐Vecino J. M. ,   Evidence Anaesthesia Review Group
Published: November 2015

We reviewed systematically sugammadex vs neostigmine for reversing neuromuscular blockade. We included 17 randomised controlled trials with 1553 participants. Sugammadex reduced all signs of residual postoperative paralysis, relative risk (95% CI) 0.46 (0.29–0.71), p = 0.0004 and minor respiratory events, relative risk (95% CI) 0.51 (0.32–0.80), p = 0.0034. There was no difference in critical respiratory events, relative risk (95% CI) 0.13 (0.02–1.06), p = 0.06. Sugammadex reduced drug‐related side‐effects, relative risk (95% CI) 0.72 (0.54–0.95), p = 0.02. There was no difference in the rate of postoperative nausea or the rate of postoperative vomiting, relative risk (95% CI) 0.94 (0.79–1.13), p = 0.53, and 0.87 (0.65–1.17), p = 0.36 respectively.
Effects of porcine oocytes on the expression levels of transcripts encoding glycolytic enzymes in granulosa cells
Authors: Matsuno Yuta , Onuma Asuka , Fujioka Yoshie A. , Emori Chihiro , Fujii Wataru , Naito Kunihiko , Sugiura Koji
Published: November 2015

Oocytes play critical roles in regulating the expression of transcripts encoding the glycolytic enzymes phosphofructokinase, platelet (PFKP) and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) in granulosa cells in mice, but whether this is the case in pigs or other mammals has not been adequately investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether porcine oocytes regulate the expression levels of these transcripts in granulosa cells in vitro. Porcine cumulus cells expressed higher levels of PFKP and LDHA transcripts than mural granulosa cells (MGCs). However, co‐culturing with oocytes had no significant effect on the isolated cumulus cells. While murine oocytes promoted the expression of both Pfkp and Ldha transcripts by murine MGCs, porcine oocytes promoted the expression of only Pfkp, but not Ldha transcripts by murine MGCs. Neither murine nor porcine oocytes affected PFKP and LDHA expression by porcine MGCs. Moreover, in the presence of porcine follicular fluid, porcine oocytes maintained the expression of PFKP, but not LDHA by porcine cumulus cells. Therefore, porcine oocytes are capable of regulating the expression of PFKP but not LDHA in granulosa cells in coordination with unknown factor(s) present in the follicular fluid.
Endothelin‐1 contributes to the progression of renal injury in sickle cell disease via reactive oxygen species
Authors: Brett Heimlich J , Speed Joshua S , O'Connor Paul M , Pollock Jennifer S , Townes Tim M , Meiler Steffen E , Kutlar Abdullah , Pollock David M
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose

Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) is increased in patients with sickle cell disease and may contribute to the development of sickle cell nephropathy. The current study was designed to determine whether ET‐1 acting via the ETA receptor contributes to renal injury in a mouse model of sickle cell disease.

Experimental Approach

Adult, humanized HbSS (homozygous for sickle Hb) mice had increased ET‐1 mRNA expression in both the cortex and the glomeruli compared with mice heterozygous for sickle and Hb A (HbAS controls). In the renal cortex, ETA receptor mRNA expression was also elevated in HbSS (sickle) mice although ETB receptor mRNA expression was unchanged. Ligand binding assays confirmed that sickle mice had increased ETA receptors in the renal vascular tissue when compared with control mice.

Key Results

In response to PKC stimulation, reactive oxygen species production by isolated glomeruli from HbSS sickle mice was increased compared with that from HbSA controls, an effect that was prevented by 1 week in vivo treatment with the selective ETA antagonist, ABT‐627. Protein and nephrin excretion were both elevated in sickle mice, effects that were also significantly attenuated by ABT‐627. Finally, ETA receptor antagonism caused a significant reduction in mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase subunits, which may contribute to nephropathy in sickle cell disease.

Conclusions and Implications

These data support a novel role for ET‐1 in the progression of sickle nephropathy, specifically via the ETA receptor, and suggest a potential role for ETA receptor antagonism in a treatment strategy.
Optical probes based on G protein‐coupled receptors – added work or added value?
Authors: Stumpf A D , Hoffmann C
Published: November 2015

In 2003, the first report was published that presented proof of principle for a novel class of FRET biosensors for use in living cells. This novel sensor class was built on the base of GPCRs, which represent an integral transmembrane receptor family passing the membrane seven times and are thus also called the 7TM receptor family. As an estimated number of 30% of all marketed drugs exert their effects by modulating GPCR function, these initial reports promised the gain of novel insights into receptor function. Such FRET sensors have slowly, but progressively, made their way into the standard toolbox for GPCR research as several groups are now reporting on the generation and use of these sensors. By now, FRET sensors have been reported for 18 different GPCRs, and more are expected to be added. These particular receptor sensors have been used to investigate receptor dynamics in living cells to evaluate ligand binding and ligand efficacy in real time, to study voltage and mechanosensitivity of GPCRs or to study the influence of receptor polymorphisms on receptor function in real‐time. In this review we will describe the different design principles of these GPCR‐based sensors and will summarize their current biological applications in living cells.
Increasing maternal obesity is associated with alterations in both maternal and neonatal thyroid hormone levels
Authors: Kahr Maike K. , Antony Kathleen M. , DelBeccaro Melanie , Hu Min , Aagaard Kjersti M. , Suter Melissa A.
Published: November 2015

Objective

Obesity is associated with alterations in thyroid hormone (TH) levels in obese, pregnant individuals. The maintenance of TH levels throughout gestation is important for proper foetal development. The aim of this study was to measure levels of fT3, fT4 and TSH in maternal and matched cord blood serum from normal weight, overweight and obese gravidae to determine alterations in maternal and neonatal TH levels by virtue of maternal obesity.

Design, Setting, Subjects, Outcome Measures

ELISA was utilized to measure fT3, fT4 and TSH levels from banked, matched maternal and neonatal (cord blood) serum (N = 205 matched pairs). Data were stratified according to prepregnancy or first trimester BMI.

Results

Both maternal and neonatal fT3 levels consistently increased with increasing maternal obesity, and maternal and neonatal fT3 were significantly correlated (r = 0·422, P < 0·001). Maternal and neonatal fT3 were also significantly associated with birthweight (β = 0·155, P = 0·027 and β = 0·171, P = 0·018, respectively). Both the maternal and neonatal fT3 to fT4 ratio significantly increased with increasing maternal obesity. We further found that excess gestational weight gain was associated with a decrease in maternal fT4 compared with gravidae who had insufficient gestational weight gain (0·86 ± 0·17 vs 0·95 ± 0·22, P < 0·01).

Conclusion

Maternal obesity is not only associated with maternal alterations in TH, but with accompanying neonatal changes. Because both maternal obesity and alterations in TH levels are associated with childhood obesity, based on these findings and our prior analyses in a nonhuman primate model, we propose that changes in fT3 levels in the offspring of obese mothers may be a potential molecular mediator of foetal overgrowth and childhood obesity.
Diagnostic accuracy of thyroid nodule growth to predict malignancy in thyroid nodules with benign cytology: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Singh Ospina Naykky , Maraka Spyridoula , Espinosa DeYcaza Ana , O'Keeffe Derek , Brito Juan P. , Gionfriddo Michael R. , Castro M. Regina , Morris John C. , Erwin Patricia , Montori Victor M.
Published: November 2015

Background

Thyroid ultrasound to assess for nodular growth is commonly performed during the follow‐up of patients with benign thyroid nodules, with the goal of identifying patients with a missed diagnosis of thyroid cancer. The objective of this study was to summarize the evidence regarding the diagnostic accuracy of growth during follow‐up of benign thyroid nodules for thyroid cancer.

Methods

We searched multiple electronic databases using a search strategy designed by an experienced medical librarian from inception to March 2015. Eligible studies included patients with benign thyroid nodules assessed for growth during follow‐up and evaluated for thyroid cancer either by surgical histology or a repeat fine needle aspiration biopsy. Reviewers working independently and in duplicate recorded data and assessed each study.

Results

The seven eligible studies lacked safeguards against bias and generated results that were imprecise with wide confidence intervals and inconsistent across studies. This warrants very low confidence in these results. The odds of nodule growth in patients with thyroid cancer on histopathology over these odds in patients without thyroid cancer (diagnostic odds ratio) was 0·58 (95% CI: 0·26–1·3); the diagnostic odds ratio was 2·2 (95% CI: 0·26–18) when an abnormal repeat biopsy was the reference standard.

Conclusion

The body of evidence linking nodule growth with thyroid cancer during the follow‐up of benign nodules warrants very low confidence. In the era of high‐value health care, the commonplace practice of following benign thyroid nodules with serial ultrasound assessment of growth to diagnose cancer can be questioned, calling for imminent evaluation.
CRISES AND GOVERNMENT: SOME EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
Authors: Young Andrew T. , Bologna Jamie
Published: November 2015

We examine a panel of 70 countries during 1966–2010 and utilize Reinhart and Rogoff crisis dates to estimate the effects of crises on the size and scope of government over both 5‐year and 10‐year horizons. We also estimate cross‐section regressions using 40‐year (1970–2010) changes in government variables. In general, the estimated effects of crises on government size/scope are statistically insignificant. We report reasonably robust evidence that inflation and currency crises lead to decreases in the extent of government regulations throughout an economy over a 10‐year horizon. Also, over the 40‐year period, countries that spent more years in crisis are associated with weaker legal systems and property rights. The size and scope of government appear to be persistent to the extent that even crisis episodes fail to leave a significant mark upon them. A notable exception may be that, over 40‐year periods, countries that spend more years in crisis are associated with weaker legal systems and property rights. (JEL E02, O11, O43)
Interaction between cannabis consumption and childhood abuse in psychotic disorders: preliminary findings on the role of different patterns of cannabis use
Authors: Sideli Lucia , Fisher Helen L. , Murray Robin M. , Sallis Hannah , Russo Manuela , Stilo Simona A. , Paparelli Alessandra , Wiffen Benjamin D.R , O'Connor Jennifer A. , Pintore Sonia , Ferraro Laura , La Cascia Caterina , La Barbera Daniele , Morgan Craig , Di Forti Marta
Published: November 2015

Aim

Several studies have suggested that lifetime cannabis consumption and childhood abuse synergistically contribute to the risk for psychotic disorders. This study aimed to extend existing findings regarding an additive interaction between childhood abuse and lifetime cannabis use by investigating the moderating role of type and frequency of cannabis use.

Methods

Up to 231 individuals presenting for the first time to mental health services with psychotic disorders and 214 unaffected population controls from South London, United Kingdom, were recruited as part of the Genetics and Psychosis study. Information about history of cannabis use was collected using the Cannabis Experiences Questionnaire. Childhood physical and sexual abuse was assessed using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire.

Results

Neither lifetime cannabis use nor reported exposure to childhood abuse was associated with psychotic disorder when the other environmental variable was taken into account. Although the combination of the two risk factors raised the odds for psychosis by nearly three times (adjusted OR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.44–6.02, P = 0.003), no evidence of interaction was found (adjusted OR = 1.46, 95% CI: −0.54 to 3.46, P = 0.152). Furthermore, the association of high‐potency cannabis and daily consumption with psychosis was at least partially independent of the effect of childhood abuse.

Conclusions

The heavy use of high‐potency cannabis increases the risk of psychosis but, in addition, smoking of traditional resin (hash) and less than daily cannabis use may increase the risk for psychosis when combined with exposure to severe childhood abuse.
Do Effectuation Processes Shape the Relationship between Product Diversification and Performance in New Ventures?
Authors: Deligianni Ioanna , Voudouris Irini , Lioukas Spyros
Published: November 2015

This study applies the lens of effectuation to product diversification and examines the moderating effects of effectuation processes on the relationship between diversification and performance in new ventures. Effectuation processes are conceptualized in terms of experimentation, affordable loss, flexibility, and pre–commitments. The findings indicate that, with the exception of affordable loss, effectuation processes exert a positive effect on the diversification–performance relationship. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.
So close, so different: geothermal flux shapes divergent soil microbial communities at neighbouring sites
Authors: Gagliano A. L. , Tagliavia M. , D'Alessandro W. , Franzetti A. , Parello F. , Quatrini P.
Published: November 2015

This study is focused on the (micro)biogeochemical features of two close geothermal sites (FAV1 and FAV2), both selected at the main exhalative area of Pantelleria Island, Italy. A previous biogeochemical survey revealed high CH4 consumption and the presence of a diverse community of methanotrophs at FAV2 site, whereas the close site FAV1 was apparently devoid of methanotrophs and recorded no CH4 consumption. Next‐Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques were applied to describe the bacterial and archaeal communities which have been linked to the physicochemical conditions and the geothermal sources of energy available at the two sites. Both sites are dominated by Bacteria and host a negligible component of ammonia‐oxidizing Archaea (phylum Thaumarchaeota). The FAV2 bacterial community is characterized by an extraordinary diversity of methanotrophs, with 40% of the sequences assigned to Methylocaldum, Methylobacter (Gammaproteobacteria) and Bejerickia (Alphaproteobacteria); conversely, a community of thermo‐acidophilic chemolithotrophs (Acidithiobacillus, Nitrosococcus) or putative chemolithotrophs (Ktedonobacter) dominates the FAV1 community, in the absence of methanotrophs. Since physical andchemical factors of FAV1, such as temperature and pH, cannot be considered limiting for methanotrophy, it is hypothesized that the main limiting factor for methanotrophs could be high NH4+ concentration. At the same time, abundant availability of NH4+ and other high energy electron donors and acceptors determined by the hydrothermal flux in this site create more energetically favourable conditions for chemolithotrophs that outcompete methanotrophs in non‐nitrogen‐limited soils.
Coated platelets and severe haemophilia A bleeding phenotype: Is there a connection?
Authors: Lastrapes K. K. , Mohammed B. M. , Mazepa M. A. , Martin E. J. , Barrett J. C. , Massey G. V. , Kuhn J. G. , Nolte M. E. , Hoffman M. , Monroe D. M. , Brophy D. F.
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Coated platelets are a subpopulation of platelets that possess highly prothrombotic properties. Previous observational data suggest that bleeding phenotype in severe haemophilia A is associated with coated platelet levels. Haemophilia A patients with higher coated platelet levels may have a mild bleeding phenotype; those with lower levels may have a more severe bleeding phenotype.

Aim

The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that coated platelet levels are correlated with clinical bleeding phenotype.

Methods

This cross‐sectional, observational study enrolled 20 severe haemophilia A patients, including 15 with severe and five with a mild bleeding phenotype, and a control group of 12 healthy volunteers. The haemophilia bleeding phenotype was determined by the patient's medical history and haemophilia treatment centre records. Blood was obtained from each patient by venipuncture and platelets were analysed by flow cytometry.

Results

Patients categorized as having a severe bleeding phenotype experienced a median eight bleeds per year compared to one bleed annually in the mild bleeding phenotype group. Both groups had similar total platelet counts and fibrinogen levels. There was no difference in coated platelet percentage between severe and mild bleeding phenotype (17 and 16% respectively), however, both groups had significantly lower % coated platelets compared to controls (44%, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Coated platelet levels were not associated with bleeding phenotype in this study; however, these data may suggest coated platelet levels are lower in haemophilia patients relative to healthy volunteers.
Acticoat™ stimulates inflammation, but does not delay healing, in acute full‐thickness excisional wounds
Authors: Hartmann Carol A , Rode Heinz , Kramer Beverley
Published: November 2015

Acticoat™ has antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory effects which aid wound healing. However, in vitro studies indicate that Acticoat™ is cytotoxic and clinical and in vivo studies suggest that it may delay healing in acute wounds. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of Acticoat™ on healing in acute full‐thickness excisional wounds. Using a porcine model, healing was assessed on days 3, 6, 9 and 15 post‐wounding. Five wounds dressed with Acticoat™ and five wounds dressed with polyurethane film (control) were assessed per day (n = 40 wounds). The rate of healing, inflammatory response, restoration of the epithelium and blood vessel and collagen formation were evaluated. No difference was found in the rate of healing between wounds treated with Acticoat™ and the control wounds. Inflammation was increased in Acticoat™‐treated wounds on day 3 post‐wounding compared to the control wounds. However, by day 15 post‐wounding, the epithelium of the Acticoat™‐treated wounds closely resembled normal epithelium. Acticoat™‐treated wounds also contained a higher proportion of mature blood vessels, and differences in collagen deposition were apparent. Despite inducing an inflammatory response, Acticoat™ did not delay healing in acute wounds. Conversely, the improved quality of the epithelium and blood vessels within Acticoat™‐treated wounds indicates that Acticoat™ has a beneficial effect on healing.
Do hybrid‐origin polyploid amphibians occupy transgressive or intermediate ecological niches compared to their diploid ancestors?
Authors: Ficetola G. Francesco , Stöck Matthias
Published: November 2015

Aim

Speciation can either proceed as gradual divergence, mostly in allopatry or parapatry, or by duplication of chromosome sets: polyploidization. Hybrid‐origin or allopolyploidization is an important mechanism of hybrid speciation with strong, although often incomplete, postzygotic reproductive barriers between the polyploid hybrid and its diploid parents. Allopolyploids often present novel phenotypes that exceed the ranges of their ancestral lineages, leading to the hypothesis that niche shifts could be supportive of hybrid speciation. Although polyploidy is phylogenetically widespread in animals, ecological niches of diploid ancestral and derived allopolyploids have been rarely comparatively examined. Here, we do so for five species of Palaearctic green toads (Bufo viridissubgroup), involving three ploidy levels.

Location

Central Asia, High Asia.

Methods

We gathered distributional records of genotyped toads, covering the whole range of the five toad species. We then used similarity and equivalency tests and examined whether bioclimatic (Grinellian) niches of allopolyploids are intermediate to those of the extant diploid relatives of their ancestral forms or whether they are transgressive (beyond those of both ancestors).

Results

We found evidence for both transgressive and conservative niches in allopolyploids. Allotetraploids (Bufo pewzowi,B. oblongus) showed transgressive niche evolution; they inhabited environments that were harsher (more arid and with colder winters) than both of their parental species. In contrast, the allotriploidB. baturaeexhibited a conserved niche, similar to an ancestral lineage that provided two‐thirds of its hybrid genome. For most comparisons, niches of extant diploid ancestral lineages were significantly different from each other.

Main conclusion

We conclude that allopolyploidization in amphibians leads potentially but not a necessarily to transgressive niche evolution, and may facilitate hybrid speciation by allowing newly formed hybrids to colonize novel habitats and thus escape their parental lineages.
Associations between metabolic risk factors and body mass index, waist circumference, waist‐to‐height ratio and waist‐to‐hip ratio in a Chinese rural population
Authors: Guan Xin , Sun Guozhe , Zheng Liqiang , Hu Wenyu , Li Wenna , Sun Yingxian
Published: November 2015

Aims/Introduction

Obesity plays a central role in metabolic syndrome. Obesity indexes are important in clinical work. In the present study, we sought to determine the relationships between obesity indexes and metabolic risk factors.

Materials and Methods

We studied 11,568 participants over 35 years. Body mass index, waist circumference (WC), waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR) and waist‐to‐hip ratio were measured and calculated. To compare the predictive ability of the obesity indexes in diagnosing multiple metabolic risk factors, the areas under receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated, and cut‐off values were determined. A partial correlation coefficient was used to assess the intercorrelations between the obesity indexes, and to evaluate the correlations between each index and each metabolic risk factor.

Results

The partial correlation coefficient for WHtR and WC was 0.947. In diagnosing multiple metabolic risk factors, the WHtR areas under receiver operating characteristic curves was greater than that for the other obesity indexes in both sexes. The cut‐off point for the WHtR was 0.50 in men and 0.52 in women. The cut‐off point for WC was 85 cm in men and 80 cm in women.

Conclusions

WHtR strongly correlates with WC. The WHtR might show the same predictive ability as the WC in diagnosing multiple metabolic risk factors.
Severe learning deficits of IRSp53 mutant mice are caused by altered NMDA receptor‐dependent signal transduction
Authors: Bobsin Kristin , Kreienkamp Hans‐Jürgen
Published: November 2015

Learning and memory is dependent on postsynaptic architecture and signaling processes in forebrain regions. The insulin receptor substrate protein of 53 kDa (IRSp53, also known as Baiap2) is a signaling and adapter protein in forebrain excitatory synapses. Mice deficient in IRSp53 display enhanced levels of postsynaptic N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and long‐term potentiation (LTP) associated with severe learning deficits. In humans, reduced IRSp53/Baiap2 expression is associated with a variety of neurological disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. Here, we analyzed mice lacking one copy of the gene coding for IRSp53 using behavioral tests including contextual fear conditioning and the puzzle box. We show that a 50% reduction in IRSp53 levels strongly affects the performance in fear‐evoking learning paradigms. This correlates with increased targeting of NMDARs to the postsynaptic density (PSD) in hippocampi of both heterozygous and knock out (ko) mice at the expense of extrasynaptic NMDARs. As hippocampal NMDAR‐dependent LTP is enhanced in IRSp53‐deficient mice, we investigated signaling cascades important for the formation of fear‐evoked memories. Here, we observed a dramatic increase in cAMP response element‐binding protein‐dependent signaling in heterozygous and IRSp53‐deficient mice, necessary for the transcriptional dependent phase of LTP. In contrast, activation of the MAPK and Akt kinase pathways required for translation‐dependent phase of LTP are reduced. Our data suggest that loss or even the reduction in IRSp53 increases NMDAR‐dependent cAMP responsive element‐binding protein activation in the hippocampus, and interferes with the ability of mice to learn upon anxiety‐related stimuli.

image

We show here that a moderate reduction in the postsynaptic protein IRSp53 in mice leads to an increase in postsynaptic NMDA receptors. Both in heterozygous and IRSp53 deficient mice, this is associated with altered postsynaptic signal transduction, and poor performance of mice in fear‐associated learning paradigms, indicating that precise control of postsynaptic NMDA receptor density is essential for memory formation.
Successfully leaving work at work: The self‐regulatory underpinnings of psychological detachment
Authors: Smit Brandon W.
Published: November 2015

Detaching from work – defined as mentally and physically disengaging from work during off‐hours – is an important prerequisite to effective daily recovery and psychological well‐being. However, the extant literature has yet to articulate exactly why some employees fail to detach from work and, furthermore, offers few concrete recommendations on how to increase detachment on a daily basis. I illustrate how both of these limitations may be resolved by extending the definition of psychological detachment to more clearly specify from what employees are failing to detach. Drawing from self‐regulation research, the theoretical framework developed in this study proposes that employees' minds continue to linger over goal‐related content after the workday is finished. This proposition was supported in a longitudinal sample of 103 employees pursuing 1,127 goals. Consistent with a self‐regulatory perspective, employees had more difficulty detaching from incomplete (vs. completed) work goals later in the day, especially when these goals possessed high valence. Furthermore, an experimental manipulation demonstrated that creating plans to resolve incomplete goals increased psychological detachment among employees with traits that chronically inhibit detachment. I discuss how this refined conceptualization of psychological detachment catalyses future theoretical development and provides groundwork for evidence‐based interventions.

Practitioner points

Creating plans at the end of the day that describe where, when, and how unfulfilled work goals will be completed is an effective, low‐cost intervention that enhances psychological detachment among employees, which will ultimately improve occupational health and performance.

The planning intervention was primarily effective among employees who typically have difficulty detaching from work during leisure time, indicating that intervention efforts should be targeted at specific types of employees.

When setting daily work goals, employees should be encouraged to focus on smaller, concrete goals at the end of the day in order to reduce unfulfilled work goals and facilitate psychological detachment.
Cognitive Appraisal as a Predictor of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Choice
Authors: Sakakibara Ryota , Endo Toshihiko
Published: November 2015

More attention has recently been focused on how a person may choose their emotion regulation strategies depending on the situation. The present research examined how people cognitively appraised a situation that they had actually encountered in their life and how this appraisal affected their subsequent cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Three hundred and twenty‐four participants were instructed to recall the most stressful situation in the last month, and to rate how they cognitively appraised the situation (threat, centrality, controllability, commitment, injustice/unfairness, expectedness, expectancy) and how they cognitively regulated their emotion (self‐blame, blaming others, acceptance, refocus on planning, positive refocusing, rumination, positive reappraisal, putting into perspective, catastrophizing). Multiple regression analysis revealed that even after control for other variables, such as age, sex, personality, the time when the situation occurred and the intensity of negative emotion, all criteria of cognitive appraisal except for expectedness predicted cognitive emotion regulation choice. Implications and limitations of this research are discussed.
Erectile Dysfunction and Mortality in a National Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Loprinzi Paul D. , Nooe Allison
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Emerging work has shown erectile dysfunction (ED) to be an important indicator of cardiovascular risk via its shared pathophysiology. Yet limited research has examined if a direct relationship between ED and mortality risk exists.

Aim

The purpose of this brief report was to better define the relationship between ED and mortality risk.

Methods

Prevalent ED was assessed with the question: “How would you describe your ability to get and keep an erection adequate for satisfactory intercourse?” Participant data from the population-based 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was linked to death certificates from the National Death Index for mortality assessment.

Main Outcome Measures

Increased risk of premature all-cause mortality among those with ED (vs. those without).

Results

Of 1,790 adult men providing complete data (age range: 20–85 years; mean = 45.4 year), with 557 having ED, over a 93-month follow-up, 244 deceased over this time. After adjustments, those with ED (vs. those without) had a 70% increased risk of premature all-cause mortality (hazards ratio = 1.70; 95% confidence interval; 1.01–2.85; P = 0.04).

Conclusions

ED is associated with increased premature mortality risk. The present findings have major public health and clinical implications in that ED is a strong indicator of premature mortality. Therefore, patients with ED should be screened and possibly treated for complications that may increase the risk of premature death.
Faecal contamination of echinoderms: first report of heavy Escherichia coli loading of sea urchins from a natural growing area
Authors: Bouchoucha M. , Piquet J.C. , Chavanon F. , Dufresne C. , Le Guyader F.S.
Published: November 2015

Although little evidence existed to support that view, European countries and in particular France, have regarded echinoderms, including sea urchins, as low risk in terms of feacal contamination. It is hypothesized that the sea urchins mode of feeding, which is based on grazing and differs from bivalve molluscs, would prevent it from concentrating high levels of Escherichia coli. Here, we monitored E. coli levels in sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus) and in filter-feeder mussels (Mytillus galloprovincialis), collected concurrently from the same natural area over a 1-year period to verify this assumption. Sea urchins were collected on the seafloor, whereas mussels were collected from the water column at a depth of 4 m. Our results showed heavy bacterial loading of sea urchins in a natural growing environment. Moreover, we highlighted that E. coli contamination of sea urchins could, in certain conditions, be higher than those detected in filter-feeding mussels collected at the same location. Finally, the results showed a significant correlation between rainfall and E. coli concentrations in sea urchins, suggesting that the bacterial safety of sea urchin could be linked to the quality of the surrounding water.

Significance and Impact of the Study

The European regulation requires competent authorities to monitor the sanitary status of shellfish, including live echinoderms, through faecal indicator organisms. In the French Mediterranean, sea urchin production is significant. Until now, as no data showed significant E. coli contamination levels, no monitoring programs focused on this species. This study demonstrates that sea urchins are more vulnerable to faecal contamination than previously hypothesized, especially during heavy rainfall. In consequence, the European authority general approach to microbiological management of shellfish should be applied to sea urchins.
In alcoholic cirrhosis, low‐serum hepcidin levels associate with poor long‐term survival
Authors: Nahon Pierre , Nuraldeen Renwar , Rufat Pierre , Sutton Angela , Trautwein Christian , Strnad Pavel
Published: November 2015

Background & Aims

Iron constitutes a potentially toxic element and consequently, hepatic iron overload may accelerate liver disease progression and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepcidin is the central negative regulator of iron metabolism that is produced primarily by the liver.

Methods

To study the prognostic significance of serum hepcidin, we assessed the influence of baseline serum hepcidin levels on the outcome of a French cohort encompassing 237 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis prospectively followed up in the setting of HCC screening.

Results

Hepcidin values correlated weakly with serum ferritin levels (r = 0.33) and hepatic iron scores (r = 0.3). After a median follow‐up of 68 months, patients with baseline lower hepcidin level had a higher risk of HCC occurrence [hazard ratio, HR = 1.76 (1.01–3.06), P = 0.031] and overall death [HR = 1.63 (1.07–2.44), P = 0.019]. According to Cox multivariate analyses, lower hepcidin levels were independently associated with death [HR = 2.84 (1.29–6.25), P = 0.009] along with higher Child–Pugh score while HCC occurrence was mainly associated with clinical confounders interfering with iron metabolism (older age and higher BMI, adjusted P‐value for hepcidin = 0.119).

Conclusions

In conclusion, low‐serum hepcidin levels in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis bear a long‐term prognostic significance warranting further explorations.
Labour Market Integration and Innovation: The Implications on Consumers
Authors: Chowdhury Mehdi , Mukherjee Arijit
Published: November 2015

We show the effects of labour market integration on consumers. Labour market integration allows the firms in the labour‐recipient countries to hire skilled and unskilled workers at lower wages. If labour market integration creates the possibility of migration of skilled workers, it increases investments in innovation and benefits the consumers. However, if labour market integration creates the possibility of migration of unskilled workers, it neither increases investment in innovation nor benefits the consumers always. Our results suggest that the effects of labour market integration on the consumers depend on several factors such as the market size, differences in the labour coefficients and wage and the type of migrated workers (i.e. skilled or unskilled workers).
Microsatellite evolutionary rate and pattern in Schistocerca gregaria inferred from direct observation of germline mutations
Authors: Chapuis M.‐P. , Plantamp C. , Streiff R. , Blondin L. , Piou C.
Published: November 2015

Unravelling variation among taxonomic orders regarding the rate of evolution in microsatellites is crucial for evolutionary biology and population genetics research. The mean mutation rate of microsatellites tends to be lower in arthropods than in vertebrates, but data are scarce and mostly concern accumulation of mutations in model species. Based on parent–offspring segregations and a hierarchical Bayesian model, the mean rate of mutation in the orthopteran insect Schistocerca gregaria was estimated at 2.1e−4 per generation per untranscribed dinucleotide locus. This is close to vertebrate estimates and one order of magnitude higher than estimates from species of other arthropod orders, such as Drosophila melanogaster and Daphnia pulex. We also found evidence of a directional bias towards expansions even for long alleles and exceptionally large ranges of allele sizes. Finally, at transcribed microsatellites, the mean rate of mutation was half the rate found at untranscribed loci and the mutational model deviated from that usually considered, with most mutations involving multistep changes that avoid disrupting the reading frame. Our direct estimates of mutation rate were discussed in the light of peculiar biological and genomic features of S. gregaria, including specificities in mismatch repair and the dependence of its activity to allele length. Shedding new light on the mutational dynamics of grasshopper microsatellites is of critical importance for a number of research fields. As an illustration, we showed how our findings improve microsatellite application in population genetics, by obtaining a more precise estimation of S. gregaria effective population size from a published data set based on the same microsatellites.
Life without Fe–S clusters
Authors: Rocha Agostinho G. , Dancis Andrew
Published: November 2015

Fe–S clusters are critically important cofactors implicated in numerous cellular processes, including respiration, amino acid biosynthesis, cofactor biosynthesis, tRNA modification, DNA repair and regulation of gene expression. In the accompanying manuscript, Tanaka et al. show that reengineering of the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in E. coli (to bypass the usage of essential Fe–S cluster proteins by inserting the mevalonate pathway) can offset the indispensability of the Fe–S cluster biosynthetic systems. They show that the resulting Δisc Δsuf double mutants supplemented with mevalonate can grow slowly without detectable Fe–S cluster proteins. This result is astounding and raises interesting questions about what is essential and what is dispensable in the compendium of Fe–S cluster protein functions in this cell.