bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of understaffed shifts on nurse‐sensitive outcomes
Authors: Twigg Diane E. , Gelder Lucy , Myers Helen
Published: January 2015

Aim

To explore the relationship between exposure to understaffed shifts and nurse‐sensitive outcomes at the patient level.

Background

Nurse‐sensitive outcomes are adverse patient outcomes that can be used as indicators of the quality of nursing care.

Design

This study was conducted in 2014 and was a secondary analysis of administrative data from a large acute care hospital in Western Australia. The sample included 36,529 patient admissions over a two‐year period from October 2004–November 2006.

Methods

An understaffed indicator variable was created from nurse staffing data and used to examine patient data to create a variable indicating the total number of understaffed shifts each patient had been exposed to during their hospital stay. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of acquiring a nurse‐sensitive outcome for those exposed to understaffed shifts.

Results

The prevalence ratio showed that for each of the nurse‐sensitive outcomes there was an increase in prevalence for those who were exposed to an understaffed shift, with all ratios being greater than one. After adjusting for patient characteristics, nurse‐sensitive outcomes found to have the understaffed variable significant in the logistic regression model were surgical wound infection, urinary tract infection, pressure injury, pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, upper gastrointestinal bleed, sepsis and physiological metabolic derangement. All odds ratios were small effects.

Conclusion

Preventing understaffing is a consideration for improving the quality of care for patients. Attributing the understaffing variable at the patient level enables exposure to be captured across ward changes increasing the sensitivity with which this variable can be measured.
Reanalysis of the biogeographical hypothesis of range expansion between robust and gracile capuchin monkeys
Authors: Nascimento Fabrícia F. , Lazar Ana , Seuánez Héctor N. , Bonvicino Cibele R.
Published: January 2015

The data used by Lynch Alfaroet al. (2012a,Journal of Biogeography,39, 272–288) and the biogeographical hypothesis postulated by these authors to explain the current distribution of capuchin monkeys were reanalysed including additional cytochromebdata fromSapajus xanthosternosandSapajus flavius. Our reconstructed phylogeny placedS. xanthosternosin a monophyletic clade representing the most basal lineage of this genus. All analyses indicated polyphyletic arrangements for several capuchin species, suggesting that incomplete lineage sorting has occurred during their evolution. These results also suggest that available molecular data lack adequate variation for accurately resolving species relationships. These results suggest that the divergence of capuchin monkey genera may have occurred in the Atlantic Forest. However, a more conclusive scenario and better resolution of the species tree requires correct identification of species, data from several unlinked nuclear loci from a higher number of individuals per species, and careful analysis of ancientDNAdata from museum specimens.
Linear mixed model approach to network meta‐analysis for continuous outcomes in periodontal research
Authors: Tu Yu‐Kang
Published: January 2015

Aim

Analysing continuous outcomes for network meta‐analysis by means of linear mixed models is a great challenge, as it requires statistical software packages to specify special patterns of model error variance and covariance structure. This article demonstrates a non‐Bayesian approach to network meta‐analysis for continuous outcomes in periodontal research with a special focus on the adjustment of data dependency.

Data

Seventeen studies on guided tissue regeneration were used to illustrate how the proposed linear mixed models for network meta‐analysis of continuous outcomes.

Methods & Results

Arm‐based network meta‐analysis use treatment arms from each study as the unit of analysis; when patients are randomly assigned to each arm, data are deemed independent and therefore no adjustment is required for multi‐arm trials. Trial‐based network meta‐analysis use treatment contrasts as the unit of analysis, and therefore treatment contrasts within a multi‐arm trial are not independent. This data dependency occurs also in split‐mouth studies, and adjustments for data dependency are therefore required.

Conclusions

Arm‐based analysis is the preferred approach to network meta‐analysis, when all included studies use the parallel group design and some compare more than two treatment arms. When included studies used designs that yield dependent data, the trial‐based analysis is the preferred approach.
Effect of overweight/obesity on response to periodontal treatment: systematic review and a meta‐analysis
Authors: Papageorgiou Spyridon N. , Reichert Christoph , Jäger Andreas , Deschner James
Published: January 2015

Aim

The objective of this study was to investigate whether the response to periodontal treatment differs among obese, overweight or normal‐weight patients.

Materials & Methods

Both randomized and non‐randomized studies were identified from searches up to July 2013. Risk of bias was assessed with the Downs‐Black checklist, the Cochrane tool and the GRADE framework. Quantitative synthesis was conducted with random‐effects meta‐analyses in subgroups for systemically healthy and diabetic patients.

Results

A total of 15 studies including 867 patients were included. No significant difference was found for any clinical periodontal parameter between overweight/obese and normal‐weight patients. Periodontal treatment in systemically healthy overweight/obese patients was associated with higher decrease in TNFα levels (1 study) and higher decrease in HbA1c levels (1 study) compared to systemically healthy normal‐weight patients. Contrary to diabetic normal‐weight patients, periodontal treatment in diabetic overweight/obese patients was associated with an increase in adiponectin levels (2 studies) and a decrease in leptin levels (2 studies). However, the quality of existing evidence is low due to inconsistency, imprecision and lack of studies.

Conclusions

Whereas no difference was found in clinical periodontal parameters, significant differences in inflammatory or metabolic parameters were found between overweight/obese and normal‐weight patients, but existing evidence is weak.
Conditions simulating androgenetic alopecia
Authors: Rossi A. , Iorio A. , Di Nunno D. , Priolo L. , Fortuna M.C. , Garelli V. , Carlesimo M. , Calvieri S. , Mari E.
Published: January 2015

Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss, characterized by a progressive hair follicular miniaturization, caused by androgen hormones on a genetically susceptible hair follicle, in androgenic‐dependent areas. Characteristic phenotype of androgenetic alopecia is also observed in many other hair disorders. These disorders are androgenetic‐like diseases that cause many differential diagnosis or therapeutic error problems. The objective of this review was to systematically analyse the greatest number of conditions that mimic the AGA pattern and explain their disease pathogenesis.
Obesity and its association with comorbidities and hospital charges among patients hospitalized for dental conditions
Authors: Allareddy Veerasathpurush , Rampa Sankeerth , Anamali Sindhura , Lee Min Kyeong , Allareddy Veerajalandhar , Nalliah Romesh P.
Published: January 2015

Aim

The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of obesity on hospitalization charges and comorbid burden following hospitalization due to dental conditions.

Methods

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 2004–2010 was used. All hospitalizations due to dental conditions were selected. The prevalence of obesity was estimated among these hospitalizations. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the impact of obesity on outcomes.

Results

A total of 11 965 hospitalizations were attributed to dental conditions; 5.6% were related to obesity. The proportion of those who were obese increased over the study period (ranging from 3.7% in 2004 to 7.3% in 2010). The mean age of those who were obese was 45 years (compared to 38.7 years for those who were not obese). Close to 41% of those who were obese were males (compared to 51% who were not obese). Whites comprised 62.4% of those who were obese (compared to 59.2% of those who were not obese). Those who were obese had a higher comorbid burden compared to those who were not obese (83.5% of those who were obese had at least one comorbid condition, whereas 56.4% of those who were not obese had at least one comorbid condition). Those who were obese had higher hospitalization charges ($US2225 more, P = 0.0001).

Conclusions

Obesity is associated with high comorbid burden and hospital charges among patients hospitalized due to dental conditions.
Criticality of the Geological Zinc, Tin, and Lead Family
Authors: Harper E. M. , Kavlak Goksin , Burmeister Lara , Eckelman Matthew J. , Erbis Serkan , Sebastian Espinoza Vicente , Nuss Philip , Graedel T. E.
Published: January 2015

Concerns about the future availability and continuity of metal supplies have triggered research efforts to define and assess metal criticality. In this study, we apply a comprehensive methodology to the elements of the geological zinc, tin, and lead family: zinc (Zn); germanium (Ge); cadmium (Cd); indium (In); tin (Sn); and lead (Pb). Zn, Sn, and Pb have played important roles in various technological sectors for centuries, whereas Ge, Cd, and In are by‐product metals that are increasingly utilized in emerging and strategic technologies. Criticality assessments are made on national (i.e., the United States) and global levels for 2008. The results are presented with uncertainty estimates in three‐dimensional “criticality space,” comprised of supply risk (SR), environmental implications, and vulnerability to supply restriction (VSR) axes. SR is the highest for In for both the medium (i.e., five to ten years) and long term (i.e., a few decades). Pb and Zn have the lowest SR for the medium term and Pb the lowest SR for the long term. In and Ge production have the highest environmental burdens, mainly as a result of emissions from Zn smelting and subsequent metals purification and recovery from Zn leaching residues. VSR is highest for Pb at the global and national levels.
The structural and compositional transition of the meniscal roots into the fibrocartilage of the menisci
Authors: Andrews Stephen H. J. , Rattner Jerome B. , Jamniczky Heather A. , Shrive Nigel G. , Adesida Adetola B.
Published: January 2015

The meniscal roots, or insertional ligaments, firmly attach the menisci to tibial plateau. These strong attachments anchor the menisci and allow for the generation of hoop stress in the tissue. The meniscal roots have a ligament‐like structure that transitions into the fibrocartilagenous structure of the meniscal body. The purpose of this study was to carry out a complete analysis of the structure and tissue organization from the body of the meniscus through the transition region and into the insertional roots. Serial sections were obtained from the meniscal roots into the meniscal body in fixed juvenile bovine menisci. Sections were stained for collagen and proteoglycans (PG) using fast green and safranin‐o staining protocols. Unstained sections were imaged used a backlit stereo microscope. Optical projection tomography (OPT) was employed to evaluate the three‐dimensional collagen architecture of the root–meniscus transition in lapine menisci. Tie‐fibres were observed in the sections of the ligaments furthest from the bovine meniscal body. Blood vessels were observed to be surrounded by these tie‐fibres and a PG‐rich region within the ligaments. Near the tibial insertion, the roots contained large ligament‐like collagen fascicles. In sections approaching the meniscus, there was an increase in tie‐fibre size and density. Small tie‐fibres extended into the ligament from the epiligamentous structure in the outermost sections of the meniscal roots, while large tie‐fibre bundles were apparent at the meniscus transition. The staining pattern indicates that the root may continue into the outer portion of the meniscus where it then blends with the more fibrocartilage‐like inner portions of the tissue. In unstained sections it was observed that the femoral side of the epiligamentous structure surrounding the root becomes more fibrous and thickens in the inferior inner portion of the posterior medial root. This thickening changes the shape of the root to more closely resemble the meniscus wedge shape. These observations support the concept of root continuity with the outer portion of the meniscus, thereby connecting with the hoop‐like structure of the peripheral meniscus. OPT identified continuous collagen organization from the root into the meniscal body in longitudinal sections. In the radial direction, the morphology of the root continues into the meniscal body consistent with the serially sectioned bovine menisci. Blood vessels were prevalent on the periphery of the root. These blood vessels then arborized to cover the anterior femoral surface of the meniscus. This is the first study of the structural transition between the insertional ligaments (roots) and the fibrocartilagenous body of the menisci. These new structural details are important to understanding the meniscal load‐bearing mechanism in the knee.
A Socioemotional Wealth Approach to CEO Career Horizons in Family Firms
Authors: Strike Vanessa M. , Berrone Pascual , Sapp Stephen G. , Congiu Lorenzo
Published: January 2015

This paper challenges the predominant view that as CEOs near retirement, they forgo risky long‐term strategic choices and instead focus on decisions that enhance their own short‐term self‐interests. Drawing on the socioemotional wealth (SEW) literature, we argue that unlike near‐retirement CEOs in widely held firms, near‐retirement CEOs in family firms are more concerned about transgenerational control and the legacy that they pass on to future generations. We further contend that the priority of SEW dimensions can change within family firms depending on the CEO's time to retirement. Consequently, near‐retirement CEOs in family firms differ from their counterparts in non‐family firms in that they are willing to continue to engage in international acquisitions as they approach retirement, despite the potential short‐term risks. We further hypothesize that this effect depends on whether the CEO is a family member, whether the CEO is succeeded by another family member, and whether the CEO is the founder. In analysing 3432 family and non‐family firm‐year observations from the S&P 500 for the period between 1997 and 2009, we find support for our hypotheses. Subsequent analyses indicate that near retirement, family CEOs acquire larger and culturally closer targets than their non‐family counterparts. Our paper confirms the need to more fully consider the characteristics of owners and managers in analyses of the CEO career horizon problem.
Effect of the tongue rotation exercise training on the oral functions in normal adults – Part 1 investigation of tongue pressure and labial closure strength
Authors: Arakawa I. , Koide K. , Takahashi M. , Mizuhashi F.
Published: January 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the tongue rotation exercise training on the oral functions using the measurement of maximum tongue pressure (MTP) and labial closure strength (LCS) in normal adults. In experiment 1, the differences in MTP and LCS at the measurement point for both groups with and without tongue rotation exercise training were examined. We instructed subjects to perform the tongue rotation exercise for 2 months. We measured MTP and LCS at the point before training and at the points of 1 and 2 months after the beginning of training. In experiment 2, the changes of MTP and LCS based on the sex differences and the measurement points in training were examined. We instructed subjects to perform the tongue rotation exercise for 3 months, and measured MTP and LCS at the point before training and at the points of 2 weeks and 1, 2 and 3 months after the beginning of training. The results of experiment 1 showed MTP and LCS increased with the progress of continuous training. The results of experiment 2 showed MTP and LCS were always higher in men than in women and increased significantly at 2 weeks of training in both sexes (P < 0.01). These results might be suggested that the tongue rotation exercise training was effective for the recovery of the activity of the stomatognathic system.
Gender, Generational Status, and Parent–Adolescent Sexual Communication: Implications for Latino/a Adolescent Sexual Behavior
Authors: Deutsch Arielle R. , Crockett Lisa J.
Published: January 2015

There is little research on how specific parent–adolescent sexual communication topics influence Latino/a youth's sexual behaviors, and how gender and generational status may moderate effects. This study examined effects of three different messages on intercourse and condom use among 1,944 Latino/as from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (T1 mean age = 15.46; SD = 1.50). Results indicated discussing health consequences predicted higher odds of intercourse 1 year later across gender and generation groups. Birth control recommendation effects on subsequent intercourse and condom use differed by generational status and gender. Results indicated that message content is important for understanding effects of parent–adolescent sex communication on adolescents' behavior and underscored the need to consider gender and generational status in Latino/a parent–adolescent sexual communication studies.
Antimicrobial Activity of Syzygium aromaticum and Zanthoxylum xanthoxyloides Essential Oils Against Phytophthora megakarya
Authors: Nana Wakam Louise , Eke Pierre , Fokom Raymond , Bakanrga‐Via Issakou , Begoude Didier , Tchana Tertuleine , Tchameni Nguemezi Séverin , Kuate Jean , Menut Chantal , Fekam Boyom Fabrice
Published: January 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the chemical composition and the antimicrobial activity of essential oils of dried fruits and buds of Zanthoxylum xanthoxyloides (Z. xanthoxyloides) and Syzygium aromaticum (S. aromaticum or clove), respectively, against Phytophthora megakarya (P. megakarya). Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation, and their composition was determined by gas chromatography and by gas chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal lethal concentration (MLC) of the essential oils against P. megakarya were assessed by the Agar dilution method. The in vivo efficacy study consisted of spraying the essential oil emulsions on cocoa pod husk pieces (CPHP), followed by the inoculation with P. megakarya zoospores. The hydrodistillation yielded 10.54 and 1.89% of essential oils for S. aromaticum and Z. xanthoxyloides, respectively. Both oils were mainly made up of oxygenated monoterpenes (89.58 and 88.2%, respectively). Eugenol (83.02%) and eugenyl acetate (9.15%) were the main components of clove oil while α‐citronelol (25.83%) and trans‐geraniol (16.49%) were mostly found in the Z. xanthoxyloides oil. Clove oil exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity with a MIC of 250 μl/l than Z. xanthoxyloides with MIC of 350 μl/l. The symptoms were totally suppressed on pod husk treated with clove oil at 2000 μl/l. The decrease in the growth rate of the necrosis (GRN) and the sporulation of P. megakarya (PS) on cocoa husk after the successful infection was significant after the treatment with essential oils. These results are promising and indicate that the studied essential oils might be further investigated as natural alternatives to synthetic fungicides for the control of cocoa black pod diseases.
“With This You Can Meet Your Baby”: Fetal Personhood and Audible Heartbeats in Oaxacan Public Health
Authors: Howes‐Mischel Rebecca
Published: January 2015

This article examines how amplified fetal heartbeats may be used to make claims about fetuses’ social presence. These claims are supported by the Mexican Public Health system's selection of the maternal–child relationship as a key site of clinical intervention, intertwining medical and moral discourses. Drawing on the robust literature on cross‐cultural propositions of “fetal personhood,” this analysis uses ethnographic material from public health institutions in Oaxaca, Mexico, to explore how doctors use diagnostic technology to materialize fetuses for their patients. I argue that Spanish's epistemological distinction between saber (to have knowledge about) and conocer (to be acquainted with) is key to how diagnostic technologies may be deployed to make social claims. I use one doctor's attempts to use technology to shift her patient from saber to conocer as illustrative of underlying cultural logics about fetal embodiment and its proof. Focused on the under‐theorized socio–medical deployment of audio fetal heartbeat technology, this article suggests that sound—in addition to sight—is a potent tool for constructing fetal personhood.
The Science of Philosophy
Authors: McGinn Colin
Published: January 2015

If philosophy consists of conceptual analysis, is it thereby debarred from being a science? This article argues that it is not and that philosophy so conceived is a science. The argument takes the form of careful attention to the meaning of “science,” “experiment,” “empirical,” and related words. Philosophy is a formal science. This does not mean it is not part of the humanities. The role of observation in other kinds of science is investigated. There is more methodological homogeneity in the various sciences, including philosophy, than has been recognized, despite some clear differences. Seeing this helps restore philosophy to its rightful place in the academic firmament.
Which Are the Genuine Properties?
Authors: Rives Bradley
Published: January 2015

This article considers three views about which properties are genuine. According to the first view, we should look to successful commonsense and scientific explanations in determining which properties are genuine. On this view, predicates that figure in such explanations thereby pick out genuine properties. According to the second view, the only predicates that pick out genuine properties are those that figure in our best scientific explanations. On this view, predicates that figure in commonsense explanations pick out genuine properties only if such explanations are vindicated by the sciences. According to the third view, the only genuine properties are the fundamental, microphysical ones. On this view, although there are “higher‐level” predicates that figure in true commonsense and scientific explanations, there are no “higher‐level” properties corresponding to such predicates. The article argues that the third view is superior to the others.
The Functional Complexity of Scientific Evidence
Authors: Brown Matthew J.
Published: January 2015

This article sketches the main features of traditional philosophical models of evidence, indicating idealizations in such models that it regards as doing more harm than good. It then proceeds to elaborate on an alternative model of evidence that is functionalist, complex, dynamic, and contextual, a view the author callsdynamic evidential functionalism(DEF). This alternative builds on insights from philosophy of scientific practice,Kuhnian philosophy of science, pragmatist epistemology, philosophy of experimentation, and functionalist philosophy of mind. Along the way, the article raises concerns about the total evidence condition, requirements of certainty or incorrigibility on evidence, and accounts that restrict the type of things that can serve as evidence (to, for example, sense data, facts about particulars).DEFcan also help us see the special value of novel predictions and experiments as evidence, as well as help us think about how to critically evaluate the putative evidence to determine whether itisevidence.
The relationship with the ambulance clinicians as experienced by significant others
Authors: Holmberg Mats , Forslund Kerstin , Wahlberg Anna Carin , Fagerberg Ingegerd
Published: January 2015

Background

Interpersonal relationships between clinicians and patients are important aspects of the ambulance care, requiring a balance between objectified acute medical treatment and a holistic care. Being a significant other (SO) in the ambulance care setting is described as being caught between hope and dread. Little research has focused on SOs' experiences of the relationship with the ambulance clinicians.

Aim

To elucidate meanings of the relationship with the clinicians in the ambulance care setting as experienced by the patients' SOs.

Design

Qualitative lifeworld design.

Methods

Data was collected using open‐ended interviews with nine SOs. The verbatim transcribed interviews were analysed with a phenomenological hermeneutic method.

Findings

The structural analysis resulted in one main theme: ‘Being lonely together’. The main theme comprises three themes: ‘Being in a shared struggle’, ‘To hand over the affected person in trust’ and ‘Being the second person in focus’ and six subthemes. The main theme is for the SOs to share the struggles of the affected person with the ambulance clinicians and to be comforted while handing over the responsibility for the affected person. Hence the SO is excluded and lonely and on his/her own, while not the primary focus of the ambulance clinicians.

Conclusions

The relationship with the ambulance clinicians from the perspective of the SOs can be understood as complex, involving both being lonely and together at the same time. The findings support a holistic approach towards the ambulance care involving SOs.

Relevance for clinical practice

This study outlines the importance of an emergency ambulance care involving SOs as affected persons and supports a balance between emergency medical treatment to the patient and a holistic care, involving the SOs' suffering.
Plasmablastic lymphoma of the oral cavity in an undiagnosed HIV‐positive patient
Authors: Tabbenor O. , Halai T. , Bailey E. , Coulthard P.
Published: January 2015

Plasmablastic lymphoma is an HIV‐associated non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma that has a known effect on the oral cavity and jaws. A case is presented of oral plasmablastic lymphoma in an apparently medically well 38 year old male. The patient presented with a large mass fungating from the upper left second molar socket, 2 weeks following extraction. The presence of an exophytic soft tissue lesion in a socket shortly after extraction is an infrequent occurrence. Such lesions should be investigated appropriately as malignant lesions may clinically mimic the appearance of benign lesions.
Investigating a case of minor salivary malignancy: a report
Authors: Gopalraju P. , Prasad K. , Rau A. , Muniyappa S. , Kumar N.
Published: January 2015

Myoepithelial carcinoma, also known as malignant myoepithelioma, is a rare locally aggressive primary salivary gland neoplasm. It is composed almost exclusively of neoplastic cells with myoepithelial differentiation and characterised by infiltrative growth and potential for distant metastasis. There is limited data on the natural history of this tumour including its metastatic potential due to the lack of large case series. We report a case of myoepithelial carcinoma of minor salivary gland with multiple skeletal metastasis.
Adult attachment insecurity and dyadic adjustment: The mediating role of self‐criticism
Authors: Martins Teresa C. , Canavarro Maria Cristina , Moreira Helena
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Although it is well established that adult attachment is associated with relationship quality, the mechanisms involved in this association are still poorly understood. Individual variables that are shaped in early attachment experiences, such as self‐criticism, may be particularly important. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self‐criticism and self‐reassurance on the association between attachment‐related anxiety and avoidance and dyadic adjustment.

Design and methods

About 230 individuals from a community sample completed an online battery of self‐report measures of adult attachment, dyadic adjustment, and forms of self‐criticism and self‐reassuring. A parallel mediation model was tested.

Results

Data showed that attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with poorer dyadic adjustment through high levels of self‐criticism in the form of an inadequate self.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the importance of targeting feelings of self‐inadequacy in couple therapy to promote better dyadic adjustment and relationship functioning. The innovative contribution of this work is the identification of a new mechanism underlying the association between adult attachment and dyadic functioning.

Practitioner points

Self‐criticism in the form of an inadequate self mediates the association between attachment and dyadic adjustment.

Although correlated with attachment dimensions and dyadic adjustment, the hated self and the reassured self do not act as mediators of the relationship between attachment and dyadic adjustment.

It seems important to evaluate and address feelings of inadequacy in the context of couple therapy.
Small RNA sequencing identifies miRNA roles in ovule and fibre development
Authors: Xie Fuliang , Jones Don C. , Wang Qinglian , Sun Runrun , Zhang Baohong
Published: January 2015

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be differentially expressed during cotton fibre development. However, which specific miRNAs and how they are involved in fibre development is unclear. Here, using deep sequencing, 65 conserved miRNA families were identified and 32 families were differentially expressed between leaf and ovule. At least 40 miRNAs were either leaf or ovule specific, whereas 62 miRNAs were shared in both leaf and ovule. qRT‐PCR confirmed these miRNAs were differentially expressed during fibre early development. A total of 820 genes were potentially targeted by the identified miRNAs, whose functions are involved in a series of biological processes including fibre development, metabolism and signal transduction. Many predicted miRNA‐target pairs were subsequently validated by degradome sequencing analysis. GO and KEGG analyses showed that the identified miRNAs and their targets were classified to 1027 GO terms including 568 biological processes, 324 molecular functions and 135 cellular components and were enriched to 78 KEGG pathways. At least seven unique miRNAs participate in trichome regulatory interaction network. Eleven trans‐acting siRNA (tasiRNA) candidate genes were also identified in cotton. One has never been found in other plant species and two of them were derived from MYB and ARF, both of which play important roles in cotton fibre development. Sixteen genes were predicted to be tasiRNA targets, including sucrose synthase and MYB2. Together, this study discovered new miRNAs in cotton and offered evidences that miRNAs play important roles in cotton ovule/fibre development. The identification of tasiRNA genes and their targets broadens our understanding of the complicated regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in cotton.
Molecular loci associated with seed isoflavone content may underlie resistance to soybean pod borer (Leguminivora glycinivorella)
Authors: Zhao Guiyun , Jiang Zhenfeng , Li Dongmei , Han Yingpeng , Hu Haibo , Wu Lin , Wang Yan , Gao Yuan , Teng Weili , Li Yongguang , Zeng Guoliang , Meng Fanli , Li Wenbin
Published: January 2015

Soybean pod borer (SPB) (Leguminivora glycinivorella (Mats.) Obraztsov) causes severe loss of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) seed yield and quality in some regions of the world, especially in north‐eastern China, Japan and Russia. Isoflavones in soybean seed play a crucial role in plant resistance to diseases and pests. The aim of this study was to find whether SPB resistance QTL are associated with soybean seed isoflavone content. A cross was made between ‘Zhongdou 27’ (higher isoflavone content) and ‘Jiunong 20’ (lower isoflavone content). One hundred and twelve F5:10 recombinant inbred lines were derived through single‐seed descent. A plastic‐net cabinet was used to cover the plants in early August, and thirty SPB moths per square metre were put in to infest the soybean green pods. The results indicated that the percentage of seeds damaged by SPB was positively correlated with glycitein content (GC), whereas it was negatively correlated with genistein (GT), daidzein (DZ) and total isoflavone content (TI). Four QTL underlying SPB damage to seeds were identified and the phenotypic variation for SPB resistance explained by the four QTL ranged from 2% to 14% on chromosomes Gm7, 10, 13 and 17. Moreover, eleven QTL underlying isoflavone content were identified, and ten of them were encompassed within the same four marker intervals as the SPB QTL (BARC‐Satt208‐Sat292, Satt144‐Sat074, Satt540‐Sat244 and Satt345‐Satt592). These QTL could be useful in marker‐assisted selection for breeding soybean cultivars with both SPB resistance and high seed isoflavone content.
Melanotic oncocytic metaplasia of the nasopharynx
Authors: Uehara Keiichiro , Usami Yu , Imai Yukihiro , Shimizu Michio
Published: January 2015

We present three cases of melanotic oncocytic metaplasia of the nasopharynx. Case 1 and Case 2 were a 70‐ and a 61‐year‐old woman, and Case 3 was a 74‐year‐old man. Although Case 1 was asymptomatic, Cases 2 and 3 had hoarseness. All cases were Japanese and their nasopharyngeal examination revealed single or multiple black nodules measuring a few millimeters in diameter. In each case, biopsies were performed to rule out malignancy. Histological examination showed respiratory mucosa with oncocytic metaplasia and melanin pigments. Immunohistochemically, S‐100 protein and melan‐A positive dendritic melanocytes were observed in the basal layer of the oncocytes. Melanotic oncocytic metaplasia is extremely rare, and so far only 21 cases have been reported in the English literature to our knowledge. It has been reported in only older Asians, predominantly in males; there have been only three female patients including our two cases. All of our cases were long‐time smokers, which supports the previously described hypothesis that smoking may be a predisposing factor for melanin pigmentation. Since melanotic oncocytic metaplasia may clinically mimic a malignant tumor, it is important to be aware of this lesion.
Comparison of root and foliar applications of potassium silicate in potentiating post‐infection defences of melon against powdery mildew
Authors: Dallagnol L. J. , Rodrigues F. A. , Pascholati S. F. , Fortunato A. A. , Camargo L. E. A.
Published: January 2015

The application of silicon to the roots or leaves reduces the severity of powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) in melon but the latter treatment is less effective. This study compared key biochemical defence responses of melon triggered by P. xanthii after root or foliar treatment with potassium silicate (PS). Treatments consisted of pathogen‐inoculated or mock‐inoculated plants supplied with PS via roots or foliarly, as well as a non‐treated control. The activity of defence enzymes and the concentration of phenolic compounds, lignin and malondialdehyde were determined from leaf samples at different time points after inoculation. Pathogen‐inoculated plants irrigated with PS showed both an accumulation of silicon and primed defence responses in leaves that were not observed in pathogen‐inoculated plants either sprayed with PS or not treated. These responses included the anticipated activity of peroxidase and accumulation of soluble phenols, the activation of chitinase and repression of catalase, and the stronger activation of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and β‐1,3‐glucanase. Moreover, the lignin concentration increased in response to inoculation, whereas the malondialdehyde concentration decreased. For the foliar treatment, however, only an increase in lignin deposition was observed compared with the control plants. The results show that silicon strongly plays an active role in modulating the defence responses of melon against P. xanthii when supplied to the roots as opposed to the foliage.
Effect of host and non‐host crops on Plasmodiophora brassicae resting spore concentrations and clubroot of canola
Authors: Hwang S. F. , Ahmed H. U. , Zhou Q. , Turnbull G. D. , Strelkov S. E. , Gossen B. D. , Peng G.
Published: January 2015

Plasmodiophora brassicae, causal agent of clubroot of crucifers, poses a serious threat to Canadian canola production. The effects of fallow (F) periods and bait crops (clubroot‐susceptible canola (B) and perennial ryegrass (R)) on clubroot severity and P. brassicae resting spore populations were evaluated in five sequences: R–B, B–R, R–F, B–F and F–F. Both host and non‐host bait crops reduced clubroot severity in a subsequent crop of a susceptible canola cultivar compared with fallow. Resting spore and P. brassicae DNA concentrations decreased in all treatments, but were lowest for the R–B and B–R bait crop sequences. In addition, two studies were conducted in mini‐plots under field conditions to assess the effect of rotation of susceptible or resistant canola cultivars on clubroot severity and P. brassicae resting spore populations. One study included three crops of susceptible canola compared with a 2‐year break of oat–pea, barley–pea, wheat–wheat or fallow–fallow. The other study assessed three crops of resistant canola, two crops of resistant canola with a 1‐year break, one crop of resistant canola and a 2‐year break, and a 3‐year break with barley followed by a susceptible canola. The rotations that included non‐host crops of barley, pea or oat reduced clubroot severity and resting spore concentrations, and increased yield, compared with continuous cropping of either resistant or susceptible canola. Growing of a susceptible canola cultivar contributed 23–250‐fold greater gall mass compared with resistant cultivars.
Variation in growth rates and aggressiveness of naturally occurring self‐fertile and self‐sterile isolates of the wilt pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus
Authors: Lee D. H. , Roux J. , Wingfield B. D. , Wingfield M. J.
Published: January 2015

Ceratocystis albifundus is the most important fungal pathogen of black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) grown in plantations in southern and eastern Africa. It is a homothallic fungus but also undergoes unidirectional mating type switching. As a result, the ascospore progeny can be either self‐fertile or self‐sterile. The only apparent difference between these mating types is the deletion of the MAT1‐2‐1 gene in self‐sterile isolates. There is some evidence suggesting that self‐sterile isolates grow more slowly than self‐fertile isolates, but this has not been tested rigorously. The aim of this study was to determine whether self‐sterile isolates are less fit by examining growth rate, relative germination rate and pathogenicity. Five self‐sterile isolates were generated from each of five self‐fertile isolates of C. albifundus and these 30 isolates were compared. The results showed that the self‐sterile isolates grew consistently slower and were less pathogenic than the self‐fertile isolates. The germination ratio of self‐fertile to self‐sterile isolates from single ascospores collected from the ascomata of five self‐fertile isolates was on average 7:3. This could be a consequence of the self‐sterile isolates having a lower germination rate. This observation, and the lower growth and pathogenicity levels, suggests that self‐sterile isolates are not likely to compete effectively in nature, raising intriguing questions regarding their role and value to C. albifundus and other fungi having a similar mating system.
Tracing Process to Performance of Collaborative Governance: A Comparative Case Study of Federal Hydropower Licensing
Authors: Ulibarri Nicola
Published: January 2015

Despite collaborative governance's popularity, whether collaboration improves policy performance remains uncertain. This study assesses the link between collaborative decision making and licensed environmental management protocols in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) process for licensing hydropower facilities in the United States. Using results from a previous study of FERC relicensing (Ulibarri, forthcoming), one high‐, one medium‐, and one low‐collaboration case were selected. Using documents including meeting minutes, public comments, and issued licenses, I assessed collaboration and license outputs, then conducted process tracing to examine whether and how differences in collaboration produced differences in license quality. High collaboration resulted in jointly developed and highly implementable operating regimes designed to improve numerous resources, while low collaboration resulted in operating requirements that ignored environmental concerns raised by stakeholders and lacked implementation provisions. These results support the hypothesis that collaboration can improve environmental outcomes, revealing the pragmatic value of collaboration. [Correction added on 13 January 2015, after first online publication: the occurrences of ‘0’ in the abstract were erroneous and have now been corrected.]
Seed selection for grassland restoration: competitive effect of a dominant grass is mediated by seed source and nutrient availability
Authors: Walker Emer A. , Conradi Timo , Meimberg Harald , Kollmann Johannes
Published: January 2015

Cultivars are selected for advantageous traits, which may enable them to have a greater competitive effect (CE), particularly under high nutrient conditions. Sites with high nutrient availability may favor the development of dominant grasses rather than subordinate species, especially in nutrient‐limited systems, such as calcareous grasslands. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether seed source influences the CE of a dominant grass on a subordinate species, and whether this relationship is mediated by nutrient availability. A greenhouse experiment with three nutrient levels was established; Dianthus carthusianorum was chosen as the subordinate “phytometer” to detect variation in the CE of different Festuca rubra seed sources. The grass species was sourced from 13 cultivar and 12 commercially propagated, but not selected, wild sources. When CE was calculated from biomass, propagated wild seed sources of F. rubra had a greater CE on the subordinate species than cultivars for medium and high nutrient levels. Based on phytometer height, propagated wild seed sources of F. rubra had a greater CE under all three nutrient levels. Our findings do not support the general notion that cultivars are more competitive than wild genotypes. Thus, the cultivar F. rubra may facilitate the establishment of other species during grassland restoration, particularly under elevated nutrient conditions.
Density‐dependent effects on initial growth of a branching coral under restoration
Authors: Griffin John N. , Schrack Elizabeth C. , Lewis Kemit‐Amon , Baums Iliana B. , Soomdat Nicole , Silliman Brian R.
Published: January 2015

Coral reef restoration aims to help threatened coral ecosystems recover from recent severe declines. Here we address whether coral fragments should be out‐planted individually or in larger aggregations. Theory suggests alternative possible outcomes: whereas out‐plants within aggregations might suffer from heightened negative interactions with neighbors (e.g. competition for space), they may alternatively benefit from positive interactions with neighbors (e.g. buffering wave disturbances). On a degraded reef in the Caribbean (St. Croix, USVI), using out‐plants of the critically endangered staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis, we experimentally tested how aggregation density (1–20 out‐planted coral fragments spaced at approximately 5 cm) influenced initial coral growth (over 3 months). Coral growth declined as a function of aggregation size, and out‐plants within larger aggregations had fewer and shorter secondary branches on average, indicative of horizontal competition for space. Our results therefore suggest that wide spacing of individuals will maximize the initial growth of out‐planted branching corals.
The Hidden Side of Zero Tolerance Policies: The African American Perspective
Authors: Bell Charles
Published: January 2015

Several papers have documented the disproportionate representation of African Americans in school discipline and incarceration settings as a result of zero tolerance policies. In 2009, a federal study of the Chicago Public School system found African American boys represented 23 percent of the school age population, 44 percent of students who were suspended, and 61 percent of students who were expelled within the 2007 school year. Twenty years after the implementation of the Anti‐Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988, studies show African Americans comprised a startling 74 percent of those incarcerated for drug offenses despite being only 15 percent of America's drug users. Despite overwhelming evidence that suggests African Americans are adversely affected by zero tolerance policies, African American perceptions of zero tolerance policies remain relatively hidden in the literature. The current review seeks to explore a seemingly bidirectional process that involves how zero tolerance impacts African Americans and how African Americans perceive zero tolerance policies.
Neuroscience and Education – an Incompatible Relationship
Authors: Sehgal Cuthbert Alka
Published: January 2015

To date, there has been little opposition to the growing influence of cognitive neuroscience in education from the education profession itself. However there is growing criticism from the fields of psychology and philosophy. This paper aims to summarize the central arguments found in literature critical of the claims made by cognitive neuroscientists who advocate its potential to improve education. The paper is organized around three sections which draw together assessments from psychology, philosophy and sociology of education. The first, “Brain, Mind and Culture,” lays out the general argument against neuro‐education and evaluates two common assumptions made by advocates of neuro‐education: that there is a causal relationship between brain and mind and that learning is a central tenet of education. The second section, “Promises and Problems,” critically considers an example of neuro‐educational research and then goes on to discuss how neuro‐education has detrimental consequences for two necessary conditions of liberal subject‐based education; disciplinarity and pedagogic authority. The final section, “Discourses of Risk, Vulnerability and Optimal Outcomes,” considers wider sociological literature to locate neuro‐education within its contemporary cultural context. The paper concludes with a summary of the main philosophical and moral objections to neuro‐education.
Explaining Attitudes toward Immigrants and Immigration Policy: A Review of the Theoretical Literature
Authors: Berg Justin Allen
Published: January 2015

In the research literature on immigration attitudes, there are a number of theories that explain why individuals hold positive or negative opinions of certain immigrant groups and immigration policies. In this review of the literature, the theories are summarized into five categories: personal and social identity, self and group interest, cultural values and beliefs, social interaction, and multilevel theories. The majority of the theories offer explanations that favor one causal direction, focus on social psychology or the social structural environment, and assume that effects are additive rather than interactive. It is argued in this review that scholars would benefit by using multilevel theories, such as group position theory and intersectionality, in order to extend their explanatory reach past the theoretical standards and, in doing so, be able to better examine some understudied but important questions, such as why individuals often hold pro‐ and anti‐immigrant opinions simultaneously. Multilevel theories have the potential to offer a nuanced understanding of immigration attitudes.