bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: effect of fibre supplementation on chronic idiopathic constipation in adults
Authors: Christodoulides S. , Dimidi E. , Fragkos K. C. , Farmer A. D. , Whelan K. , Scott S. M.
Published: May 2016

Background

Chronic idiopathic constipation is a common symptom‐based gastrointestinal disorder responsible for a substantial economic health service burden. Current guidelines recommend the use of fibre as a first‐line treatment.

Aim

To investigate the effect of fibre (including prebiotic) supplementation on global symptom response, stool output, gut microbiota composition and adverse events in adults with chronic idiopathic constipation.

Methods

Medline, EmBase, Web of Science, Scopus and the Cochrane central register of controlled trials were searched through to February 2016. Conference proceedings from 2003 to 2015 were hand‐searched. There were no language restrictions. Forest plots with 95%CIs were generated using a random‐effects model.

Results

The search strategy generated 1072 citations, of which seven individual randomised controlled trials were eligible. Overall, 113 of 147 (77%) patients assigned to fibre responded to therapy, compared with 61 of 140 (44%) allocated to placebo (RRof success to respond 1.71, 95%CI1.20–2.42,P= 0.003). Fibre significantly increased stool frequency (SMD, standardised mean difference = 0.39; 95%CI0.03–0.76;P= 0.03) and softened stool consistency (SMD= 0.35; 95%CI0.04–0.65;P= 0.02) compared with placebo. Flatulence was significantly higher with fibre compared to placebo (SMD0.56, 0.12–1.00,P= 0.01). Overall quality of evidence was low.

Conclusions

This meta‐analysis demonstrates that fibre is moderately effective, but also causes moderate gastrointestinal side effects. However, these findings need to be treated with caution due to a high risk of bias. Accordingly, further large, methodologically rigorous trials are required, before any definitive recommendation regarding its risk–benefit profile can be made.

PROSPERO registration number CRD42014007005.
Support for Socialist Policies: The Ideological Logic of Everyday Practices
Authors: Ben Hagai Ella , Zurbriggen Eileen L.
Published: May 2016

To better understand why individuals come to support economic policies that increase inequalities, we suggest a more expansive understanding of ideology. A broad understanding of ideology predicts that daily engagement with the material world will produce certain narratives about the self and the obstacles faced by people. We review studies on child‐rearing practices and social psychological studies on diverging understandings of the self that highlight the contrasting narratives of working and middle class people. We argue that these different narratives play a role in explaining why individuals come to support certain economic policies. This more expansive understanding of the concept of ideology can help researchers trace the links between material conditions, ideological narratives, and support for socialist or capitalist economic policies, heeding Lott's (2015) call for a structural analysis.
Robot‐assisted vs open adrenalectomy: evaluation of cost‐effectiveness and peri‐operative outcome
Authors: Probst Kai Alexander , Ohlmann Carsten‐Henning , Saar Matthias , Siemer Stefan , Stöeckle Michael , Janssen Martin
Published: May 2016

Objectives

To compare robot‐assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RALA) and open adrenalectomy (OA) with regard to intra‐operative complications, peri‐operative outcome and cost effectiveness.

Subjects and Methods

Functional and statistical data from patients who underwent OA or RALA between 2001 and 2015 were prospectively recorded including intra‐ and postoperative outcomes. Data on per‐day costs from current census reports (€540/day and €1 145/day for normal and intermediate care [IMC]) were also used to evaluate treatment costs. Additional costs for RALA were assumed at €2288 as reported in the current literature. Patients were matched by American Society of Anesthesiologists score, age, side of surgery and gender for comparison of OA and RALA. A total of 28 matched pairs were analysed with regard to patient characteristics, peri‐operative outcomes and cost‐effectiveness. Statistical significance of outcome variables was determined using Student's t‐test and Pearson's chi‐squared test.

Results

As a result of the matching process, patient groups did not differ in their main characteristics. Length of hospital stay was shorter for RALA than for OA (11.1 ± 4.8 vs 6.8 ± 1.2 days; P < 0.01) as was IMC treatment (2.3 ± 1.7 vs 1.2 ± 0.4 days; P < 0.01). The mean operating time was longer for RALA (128.5 ± 46.5 vs 102.2 ± 44.5 min; P = 0.03), but the last 10 RALA procedures (mean: 97.1 ± 35.2 min) were similar to OA. The rate of complications was similar in the two groups. Estimated costs were €8 627.5 for OA and €7 334 for RALA.

Conclusions

The study showed that RALA was safe and cost‐effective compared with OA. Increasing experience leads to similar operating times, putting high‐volume centres at an advantage.
An Empirical Comparison of Search Approaches for Moving Agents
Authors: Arica Nafiz , Mut Aysegul , Yorukcu Alper , Demir Kadir Alpaslan
Published: May 2016

This study empirically compares existing search approaches used for path planning of moving agents, namely, incremental and real‐time search approaches. The comparisons are performed in both stationary and moving target search problems separately. In each problem domain, well‐known representatives of both approaches are evaluated in partially observable environments where the agent senses a limited area based on its sensor range. In addition to the available algorithms, we propose two algorithms to be used in each problem. The simulations conducted on random grid and maze structures show that the algorithms behave differently and have advantages over each other especially as the sensor range varies. Therefore, the proposed study enables the agent to determine the most appropriate algorithm depending on its priorities and sensor range.
Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and CCR2/CCR5 Antagonist Activity of Cenicriviroc in Participants With Mild or Moderate Hepatic Impairment
Authors: Lefebvre E , Gottwald M , Lasseter K , Chang W , Willett M , Smith PF , Somasunderam A , Utay NS
Published: May 2016

Cenicriviroc, a dual CCR2/CCR5 antagonist, is being evaluated for treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis (CENTAUR; NCT02217475). As it is metabolized by the liver, cenicriviroc was investigated in hepatic‐impaired participants for pharmacokinetic changes. Participants with mild‐to‐moderate hepatic impairment (HI) (Child–Pugh class A (N  =  7) or B (N = 8)) and matched controls (N = 15) received cenicriviroc 150 mg once daily for 14 days. Serial blood samples were obtained on Days 1 and 14. Safety, tolerability, and effects on CCR2/CCR5 ligands, cytokines, and bacterial translocation biomarkers were evaluated. Cenicriviroc exposures were increased by moderate HI (AUC0‐τ 55%, Cmax 29% higher) but were not with mild HI (AUC0‐τ 38%, Cmax 40% lower). Cenicriviroc was well tolerated. Rapid and potent CCR2/CCR5 blockade was observed, not associated with increases in hepatic inflammation or bacterial translocation biomarkers. Study findings suggest that cenicriviroc 150 mg can be used in patients with mild‐to‐moderate HI.
Emotional, physical, and social needs among 0–5‐year‐old children displaced by the 2010 Chilean earthquake: associated characteristics and exposures
Authors: Arbour MaryCatherine , Murray Kara A. , Yoshikawa Hirokazu , Arriet Felipe , Moraga Cecilia , Vega Miguel Angel Cordero
Published: May 2016

An 8.8‐magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile on 27 February 2010, displacing nearly 2,000 children aged less than five years to emergency housing camps. Nine months later, this study assessed the needs of 140 displaced 0–5‐year‐old children in six domains: caregiver stability and protection; health; housing; nutrition; psychosocial situation; and stimulation. Multivariate regression was applied to examine the degree to which emotional, physical, and social needs were associated with baseline characteristics and exposure to the earthquake, to stressful events, and to ongoing risks in the proximal post‐earthquake context. In each domain, 20 per cent or fewer children had unmet needs. Of all children in the sample, 20 per cent had unmet needs in multiple domains. Children's emotional, physical, and social needs were associated with ongoing exposures amenable to intervention, more than with baseline characteristics or epicentre proximity. Relief efforts should address multiple interrelated domains of child well‐being and ongoing risks in post‐disaster settings.
Glucodynamics of long‐acting basal insulin peglispro compared with insulin glargine at steady state in patients with type 1 diabetes: substudy of a randomized crossover trial
Authors: Morrow L. A. , Hompesch M. , Jacober S. J. , Leng Choi S. , Qu Y. , Sinha V. P.
Published: May 2016

Aims

To compare, in an open‐label, randomized, crossover phase II substudy, the glucodynamics of insulin glargine and those of basal insulin peglispro (BIL) in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Methods

Patients (n = 23) underwent 24‐h euglycaemic clamps after 8 weeks of treatment with glargine or with BIL. Clinically‐titrated basal insulin doses (BIL group 16–64 U; glargine group 19–60 U) were administered on the morning of the clamp.

Results

At baseline, the patients' mean ± standard deviation (s.d.) body mass index was 26.78 ± 4.20 kg/m2 and glycated haemoglobin was 7.69 ± 0.99%. The mean ± s.d. endpoint dose for the BIL group was 0.42 ± 0.13 U/kg and for the glargine group was 0.42 ± 0.10. The daily mean ± s.d. blood glucose concentration was 7.7 ± 1.2 in the BIL group and 7.9 ± 1.2 mmol/l in the glargine group (p = 0.641). The mean ± s.d. total and nocturnal hypoglycaemia rates/30 days were 2.7 ± 2.3 and 0.5 ± 0.8, respectively, for the BIL group, and 3.0 ± 2.4 and 0.7 ± 1.1, respectively, for the glargine group (p = 0.112 and 0.428). The mean glucose infusion rate (GIR) normalized to insulin unit was lower for BIL than for glargine. One patient in the glargine group and eight patients in the BIL group had minimal (<0.8 g/kg) GIRs over 24 h. The mean ± s.d. total glucose infused over 24 h (GTOT(0–24)) was 1.22 ± 0.82 g/kg in the BIL group and 1.90 ± 1.01 g/kg in the glargine group (p = 0.002). The mean ± s.d. total glucose infused during hours 0–6 (GTOT(0–6)) was 0.21 ± 0.22 in the BIL group and 0.41 ± 0.22 g/kg in the glargine group (p < 0.001), while the mean total glucose infused during hours 18–24 (GTOT(18–24)) in the BIL group was 0.28 ± 0.18 g/kg and in the glargine group was 0.35 ± 0.23 g/kg (p = 0.198). The peak‐to‐trough ratio was 1.41 for BIL versus 2.22 for glargine.

Conclusions

BIL has a flatter profile than glargine, with potentially more stable metabolic control. The lower GTOT(0–24) observed in the BIL group is consistent with BIL's reduced peripheral action.
Assault experiences: Lessons learned from mental health nurses in Taiwan
Authors: Yang Cheng‐I , Hsieh Wen‐Po , Lee Li‐Hung , Chen Shu‐Ling
Published: May 2016

Mental health nurse are frequently subjected to patients' violent and aggressive behaviour. These assault experiences have given rise to mental health nurses' physical and psychological trauma, and negatively impact the quality of patient care. The purpose of the present qualitative study was to understand mental health nurses' experiences of being assaulted, the influences on their patient care, and their perspectives of the effectiveness of in‐service, violence‐prevention education. Ten mental health nurses from two different inpatient mental health facilities were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. Thematic analysis of interview data found six themes: (i) violence is unpredictable; (ii) violence is normal; (iii) lasting psychological trauma; (iv) limited support from peers and the administrator; (v) violence prevention requires team cooperation; and (vi) doubting the effectiveness of in‐service education on violence prevention. Psychiatric ward administrators should assess nurses' learning and skill needs to determine whether these needs are met by existing in‐service training programmes. A culture of safety should also be promoted by building a warm and supportive ward climate for both staff and patients, which would include team cooperation and support for colleagues who suffer a violent incident.
The Risk Effects of Acquiring Distressed Firms
Authors: Bruyland Evy , de Maeseneire Wouter
Published: May 2016

Existing research shows that bidder default risk increases following acquisitions due to a rise in post‐acquisition leverage and managerial risk‐taking actions offsetting the potential for asset diversification. This study examines whether the risk effects of acquiring distressed targets are fundamentally different and investigates possible explanations for any dissimilarities. Bidders often acquire relatively smaller distressed targets in domestic and related industries and have a higher initial target stake and more financial flexibility, thereby minimizing risk exposure. Controlling for several characteristics of bidder investment behaviour in both types of deals, however, we find that the increase in bidder default risk is substantially larger when acquiring distressed firms.
Sexual dichromatism in wing pigmentation of New World dragonflies follows Rensch's rule
Authors: Santos E. S. A. , Machado G.
Published: May 2016

Many animal taxa that display sexual size dimorphism (SSD) exhibit a positive allometric relationship in which the degree of dimorphism increases with body size. This macroevolutionary pattern is known as Rensch's rule. Although sexual selection is hypothesized to be the main mechanism causing this pattern, body size is influenced by several selective forces, including natural and sexual selection. Therefore, by focusing exclusively onSSDone cannot ascertain which of these selective forces drives Rensch's rule. If sexual selection is indeed the main mechanism underlying Rensch's rule, we predict that other sexually selected traits, including coloration‐based ornaments, will also exhibit interspecific allometric scaling consistent with Rensch's rule. We tested this prediction using wing pigmentation of 89 species of dragonflies. Studies show that male wing pigmentation is generally under strong intra‐ and intersexual selection, so that sexual dichromatism in this trait should follow Rensch's rule. Conversely, the available evidence suggests that male body size is usually not sexually selected in dragonflies, so we do not expectSSDto follow Rensch's rule. First, we found that sexual dichromatism in wing pigmentation was consistent with Rensch's rule. The phylogenetic major axis regression slope was significantly greater than one. We also showed that the allometric slope forSSDwas not different from unity, providing no support for Rensch's rule. Our results provide the first evidence that a trait which appears to be under strong sexual selection exhibits a pattern consistent with Rensch's rule.
Long‐term monitoring of captive red drum Sciaenops ocellatus reveals that calling incidence and structure correlate with egg deposition
Authors: Montie E. W. , Kehrer C. , Yost J. , Brenkert K. , O'Donnell T. , Denson M. R.
Published: May 2016

In the present study, quantitative data were collected to clarify the relationship between calling, call structure and eggs produced in a captive population of red drum Sciaenops ocellatus. Sciaenops ocellatus were held in four tanks equipped with long‐term acoustic loggers to record underwater sound throughout a simulated reproductive season. Maximal sound production of captive S. ocellatus occurred when the photoperiod shifted from 13·0 to 12·5 h of light, and the water temperature decreased to c. 25° C. These captive settings are similar to the amount of daylight and water temperatures observed during the autumn, which is the primary spawning period for S. ocellatus. Sciaenops ocellatus exhibited daily patterns of calling with peak sound production occurring in the evenings between 0·50 h before dark and 1·08 h after dark. Spawning occurred only on evenings in which S. ocellatus were calling, and spawning was more productive when S. ocellatus produced more calls with longer durations and more pulses. This study provides ample evidence that sound production equates to spawning in captive S. ocellatus when calls are longer than 0·8 s and contain more than seven pulses. The fact that more calling, longer calls and higher sound pressure levels are associated with spawns that are more productive indicates that acoustic metrics can provide quantitative information on spawning in the wild.
Diversity and composition of estuarine and lagoonal fish assemblages of Socotra Island, Yemen
Authors: Lavergne E. , Zajonz U. , Krupp F. , Naseeb F. , Aideed M. S.
Published: May 2016

Estuarine and lagoonal surveys of Socotra Island and selected sites on the Hadhramout coast of Yemen were conducted with the objective of documenting and analysing fish diversity and assemblage structure. A total of 74 species in 35 families were recorded, among which 65 species in 32 families were from Socotra and 20 species in 17 families were from mainland Yemen. Twenty‐one species represent new faunal records for Socotra. Including historic records re‐examined in this study, the total fish species richness of estuaries and lagoons of Socotra Island reaches 76, which is relatively high compared to species inventories of well‐researched coastal estuaries in southern Africa. Five species dominate the occurrence and abundance frequencies: Terapon jarbua, Hyporhamphus sindensis, Aphanius dispar, Ambassis gymnocephala and Chelon macrolepis. Rarefaction and extrapolation analyses suggest that the actual number of fish species inhabiting some of those estuaries might be higher than the one observed. Thus, additional sampling at specific sites should be conducted to record other less conspicuous species. Ordination and multivariate analyses identified four main distinct assemblage clusters. Two groups are geographically well structured and represent northern Socotra and mainland Yemen, respectively. The other two assemblage groups tend to be determined to a greater extent by the synchrony between physical (e.g. estuary opening periods) and biological (e.g. spawning and recruitment periods) variables than by geographical location. Finally, the single intertidal lagoon of Socotra represents by itself a specific fish assemblage. The high proportion of economically important fish species (38) recorded underscores the paramount importance of these coastal water bodies as nursery sites, and for sustaining vital provisioning ecosystem services.
Modelling gastric evacuation in gadoids feeding on crustaceans
Authors: Andersen N. G. , Chabot D. , Couturier C. S.
Published: May 2016

A mechanistic, prey surface‐dependent model was expanded to describe the course and rate of gastric evacuation in predatory fishes feeding on crustacean prey with robust exoskeletons. This was accomplished by adding a layer of higher resistance to the digestive processes outside the inner softer parts of a prey cylinder abstraction and splitting up the prey evacuation into two stages: an initial stage where the exoskeleton is cracked and a second where the prey remains are digested and evacuated. The model was parameterized for crustaceans with different levels of armour fed to Atlantic cod Gadus morhua or whiting Merlangius merlangus and recovered from the stomachs at different post‐prandial times. The prey species were krill Meganyctiphanes norvegica; shrimps and prawns Crangon crangon, Pandalus borealis, Pandalus montagui and Eualus macilentus; crabs Liocarcinus depurator and Chionoecetes opilio. In accordance with the apparent intraspecific isometric relationship between exoskeleton mass and total body mass, the model described stage duration and rate of evacuation of the crustacean prey independently of meal and prey sizes. The duration of the first stage increased (0–33 h) and the evacuation rate of both stages decreased (by a half) with increasing level of the crustacean armament in terms of chitin and ash. A common, interspecific parameterization of the model within each of the categories krill, shrimp and crab can probably be used if the contents of chitin and ash are similar among prey species per prey category. The model offers a simple way for estimating evacuation rates from stomach content data in order to obtain food consumption rates of wild fishes, provided that information about digestion stage of crustacean prey is available.
Formulation of Chestnut Cookies and their Rheological and Quality Characteristics
Authors: Demirkesen Ilkem
Published: May 2016

The influences of chestnut flour at different levels (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) on the rheological properties of rice dough formulations and the quality parameters of gluten‐free cookies were evaluated. Elevated flour replacement levels led to increases in extensional viscosity values reflecting higher force requirement to deform dough samples. Similarly, replacement of rice flour with chestnut flour led to higher complex moduli values. Cookie samples prepared by replacement of 40% rice flour with chestnut flour had the softest texture and elevated levels of chestnut flour increased hardness values. In general, as the higher amounts of rice flour were replaced with chestnut flour, the spread ratio of cookies was decreased. The replacement of rice flour with chestnut flour decreased L* values and increased a* and b* values of the cookie samples. Observing all the evaluated sensory attributes, using 40% flour replacement level in gluten‐free cookie formulation significantly enhanced sensory properties of the cookie samples.

Practical Applications

Chestnut flour provides both health and nutritional benefits. Besides, the ingredients of chestnut flour may positively influence functional properties of dough. The quality of gluten‐free cookies may be improved by the use of chestnut flour in gluten‐free cookie formulations. This study aims to provide experimental evidence for the potential use of chestnut flour as a gluten‐free flour alternative in cookie formulations. Therefore, in the present study, the effects of replacement of rice flour with chestnut flour at different levels on the rheological properties of cookie dough formulations as well as on the quality parameters of cookies were evaluated. The results of the present study showed that the problems associated with using only chestnut or rice flour can be overcome by the potential synergistic effect of using of chestnut and rice flour together in the formulation and this synergic interaction was found to be effective on improving of gluten‐free cookies with desired quality.
Deciphering the epitranscriptome: A green perspective
Authors: Burgess Alice , David Rakesh , Searle Iain Robert
Published: May 2016

The advent of high‐throughput sequencing technologies coupled with new detection methods of RNA modifications has enabled investigation of a new layer of gene regulation − the epitranscriptome. With over 100 known RNA modifications, understanding the repertoire of RNA modifications is a huge undertaking. This review summarizes what is known about RNA modifications with an emphasis on discoveries in plants. RNA ribose modifications, base methylations and pseudouridylation are required for normal development in Arabidopsis, as mutations in the enzymes modifying them have diverse effects on plant development and stress responses. These modifications can regulate RNA structure, turnover and translation. Transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA modifications have been mapped extensively and their functions investigated in many organisms, including plants. Recent work exploring the locations, functions and targeting of N6‐methyladenosine (m6A), 5‐methylcytosine (m5C), pseudouridine (Ψ), and additional modifications in mRNAs and ncRNAs are highlighted, as well as those previously known on tRNAs and rRNAs. Many questions remain as to the exact mechanisms of targeting and functions of specific modified sites and whether these modifications have distinct functions in the different classes of RNAs.
Preclinical Studies of a Kidney Safe Iodinated Contrast Agent
Authors: Rowe Elizabeth S. , Rowe Vernon D. , Biswas Sangita , Mosher Gerold , Insisienmay Lovella , Ozias Marlies K. , Gralinski Michael R. , Hunter John , Barnett James S.
Published: May 2016

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Contrast‐induced acute kidney injury (CI‐AKI) is a serious complication of the use of iodinated contrast agents. This problem is particularly acute in interventional neurology and interventional cardiology, probably due to the intra‐arterial route of injection, high contrast volumes, and preexisting risk factors of these patients. In an attempt to develop a contrast agent that is less damaging to the kidneys, we have studied the effects of adding a small amount of the substituted cyclodextrin, sulfobutyl‐ether‐β‐cyclodextrin (SBECD), to iohexol in rodent models of renal toxicity.

METHODS

Renally compromised mice and rats were injected with iohexol and iohexol‐SBECD via the tail vein. The renal pathology, creatinine clearance, and survival benefits of iohexol‐SBECD were studied. The safety of direct intra‐arterial injection of the iohexol‐SBECD formulation was studied in a dog heart model system. Mechanism of action studies in cell culture model using a human kidney cell line was performed using flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Nephrotoxicity was significantly reduced using iohexol‐SBECD compared to iohexol alone, at mole ratios of iohexol:SBECD of 1:0.025. SBECD increased survival from 50% to 88% in a rat survival study. In the dog heart model, iohexol‐SBECD was safe. Cell culture studies suggest that SBECD interferes with the early stages of contrast‐induced apoptosis in a human renal cell line.

CONCLUSION

We have shown that the addition of a small amount of SBECD (one molecule of SBECD per 40 iohexol molecules) significantly protects rodent kidneys from CI‐AKI. Further development of this new formulation of iodinated contrast is warranted.
Aras Ören and the (West) German Left
Authors: Gezen Ela
Published: May 2016

Examining both published and unpublished materials overlooked by existing scholarship, this essay sheds light on the transnational formation of literary and political genres through discussion of Aras Ören. As a poet and activist, Ören was one of the earliest and most significant contributors to the emergence of Turkish‐German literature and was affiliated with political circles and aesthetics of writers such as Bertolt Brecht. While focusing on Aras Ören's key role within Die Rote Nelke (an anti‐fascist union of progressive artists allied with communist class struggle), the essay traces the circulation of Turkish working‐class viewpoints into the world of German literary politics. Two years after joining Die Rote Nelke in 1970, Ören became the chair of its disciplinary collective “Group of Writing Workers,” which actively strove to include workers as well as artists in their cultural–political activities. Ören's transnational orientation shaped his milieu through his poetry and his writings about the politicization of literature, the politics of aesthetics, and the social responsibility of the artist in West Berlin during the early 1970s.
It's Now Or Never! Using Deadlines as Nudges
Authors: Zamir Eyal , Lewinsohn-Zamir Daphna , Ritov Ilana
Published: May 2016

Incorporating behavioral insights into regulation is plausibly the most significant development in regulatory theory and practice in recent years. Behaviorally informed regulation encourages self-benefiting and socially desirable behaviors with little intrusion on autonomy. Drawing on new empirical findings, this article puts forward the hitherto overlooked possibility of employing the deadline effect as a regulatory tool. Deadlines serve as an antidote to procrastination and forgetfulness. Many empirical and experimental studies have examined the use of deadlines in marketing. This study explores the possible use of deadlines by legal policy makers. It describes two survey experiments, a randomized field experiment and a natural experiment, which suggest that deadlines may encourage self-benefiting and socially desirable behaviors, and that relaxing deadlines may discourage less desirable behavior. The article discusses the practical and normative aspects of using deadlines as a regulatory means, compared to alternative tools, such as default rules and required choices.
The Conditional Effect of Electoral Systems and Intraparty Candidate Selection Processes on Parties' Behavior
Authors: Shomer Yael
Published: May 2016

How do electoral systems and intraparty candidate selection procedures affect party unity? In this article, I distinguish theoretically and empirically between electoral systems and candidate selections and argue that the influence of selection processes on parties' behavior is conditional on electoral system (and vice versa). Measuring parties' unity using Rice and weighted Rice scores, and applying hierarchical models to a new data set of 249 parties in 24 countries, I find support for the claim that the influence of selection processes on behavior is greater under electoral systems that encourage personal vote‐seeking incentives than under electoral systems that encourage party centeredness.
Long live the alien: is high genetic diversity a pivotal aspect of crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) long‐lasting and successful invasion?
Authors: Trucchi Emiliano , Facon Benoit , Gratton Paolo , Mori Emiliano , Stenseth Nils Chr. , Jentoft Sissel
Published: May 2016

Studying the evolutionary dynamics of an alien species surviving and continuing to expand after several generations can provide fundamental information on the relevant features of clearly successful invasions. Here, we tackle this task by investigating the dynamics of the genetic diversity in invasive crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) populations, introduced to Italy about 1500 years ago, which are still growing in size, distribution range and ecological niche. Using genome‐wide RAD markers, we describe the structure of the genetic diversity and the demographic dynamics of the H. cristata invasive populations and compare their genetic diversity with that of native African populations of both H. cristata and its sister species, H. africaeaustralis. First, we demonstrate that genetic diversity is lower in both the invasive Italian and the North Africa source range relative to other native populations from sub‐Saharan and South Africa. Second, we find evidence of multiple introduction events in the invasive range followed by very limited gene flow. Through coalescence‐based demographic reconstructions, we also show that the bottleneck at introduction was mild and did not affect the introduced genetic diversity. Finally, we reveal that the current spatial expansion at the northern boundary of the range is following a leading‐edge model characterized by a general reduction of genetic diversity towards the edge of the expanding range. We conclude that the level of genome‐wide diversity of H. cristata invasive populations is less important in explaining its successful invasion than species‐specific life‐history traits or the phylogeographic history in the native source range.
A response regulator promotes Francisella tularensis intramacrophage growth by repressing an anti‐virulence factor
Authors: Ramsey Kathryn M. , Dove Simon L.
Published: May 2016

The orphan response regulator PmrA is essential for the intramacrophage growth and survival of Francisella tularensis. PmrA was thought to promote intramacrophage growth by binding directly to promoters on the Francisella Pathogenicity Island (FPI) and positively regulating the expression of FPI genes, which encode a Type VI secretion system required for intramacrophage growth. Using both ChIP‐Seq and RNA‐Seq we identify those regions of the F. tularensis chromosome occupied by PmrA and those genes that are regulated by PmrA. We find that PmrA associates with 252 distinct regions of the F. tularensis chromosome, but exerts regulatory effects at only a few of these locations. Rather than by functioning directly as an activator of FPI gene expression we present evidence that PmrA promotes intramacrophage growth by repressing the expression of a single target gene we refer to as priM (PmrA‐repressed inhibitor of intramacrophage growth). Our findings thus indicate that the role of PmrA in facilitating intracellular growth is to repress a previously unknown anti‐virulence factor. PriM is the first bacterially encoded factor to be described that can interfere with the intramacrophage growth and survival of F. tularensis.
A generic synopsis of Malpighiaceae in the Atlantic Forest
Authors: de Almeida Rafael Felipe , Francener Augusto , Amorim André Marcio
Published: May 2016

Malpighiaceae is one of the major families of tropical and subtropical lianas, easily recognized in the field due to its remarkable flower conservatism. The family has been the subject of different phylogenetic studies over the past fifteen years, which have demonstrated the paraphyly of its subfamilies, most of its tribes, and some of its largest genera. Some of the most drastic changes have occurred in Mascagnia and Tetrapterys, where ten genera were segregated (eight of them new) making it difficult for general botanists to reassign many commonly known species. As a first attempt to clarify most of the recent generic changes within the family, we present a taxonomic synopsis of Malpighiaceae from the Atlantic Forest in Brazil and Argentina, including an illustrated key, morphological generic descriptions, an updated checklist of species for each genera, and figures of all genera found in this biome.
Gaultheria marronina sp. nov. (Ericaceae) from Sichuan, China
Authors: Fritsch Peter W. , Lu Lu , Xu Bo , Wang Hong , Li De‐Zhu
Published: May 2016

Gaultheria marronina, a new species from the Hengduan Mountain chain of western Sichuan Province, China, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to G. bryoides P. W. Fritsch & L. H. Zhou from the Gaoligong Mountains in its white fleshy calyx with a maroon capsule but differs in its stem setae 0.34–0.50 mm long, petioles 0.4–0.6 mm long, leaf blades 5.1–6.2 × 2.1–3.1 mm, overwintering flower bud pedicels 0.6–0.8 mm long, calyx lobes 2.2–3.0 mm long, and usually slightly open fruiting calyx, among other characters. The species is known only from two widely separated unprotected populations and is categorized as endangered.
Rivasmartinezia cazorlana sp. nov. (Apiaceae) from southern Spain
Authors: Blanca Gabriel , Cueto Miguel , Benavente Alfredo , Fuentes Julián
Published: May 2016

Rivasmartinezia cazorlana, from southern Spain, is newly described, illustrated, and compared with other species of the genus. The new species is characterized by a stock with abundant coarse fibres, basal leaves 4–5(–6)‐ternate with the petiole shorter than the limb and acicular ultimate segments, few‐rayed umbels, and mericarps with numerous vallecular and commissural vittae.
A pathogenic long noncoding RNA redesigns the epigenetic landscape of the infected cells by subverting host Histone Deacetylase 6 activity
Authors: Castellano Mayte , Pallas Vicente , Gomez Gustavo
Published: May 2016

Viroids – ancient plant‐pathogenic long noncoding RNAs – have developed a singular evolutionary strategy based on reprogramming specific phases of host‐metabolism to ensure that their infection cycle can be completed in infected cells. However, the molecular aspects governing this transregulatory phenomenon remain elusive.

Here, we use immunoprecipitation assays and bisulfite sequencing of rDNA to shown that, in infected cucumber and Nicotiana benthamina plants, Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) recruits and functionally subverts Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDA6) to promote host‐epigenetic alterations that trigger the transcriptional alterations observed during viroid pathogenesis.

This notion is supported by the demonstration that, during infection, the HSVd–HDA6 complex occurs in vivo and that endogenous HDA6 expression is increased in HSVd‐infected cells. Moreover, transient overexpression of recombinant HDA6 reverts the hypomethylation status of rDNA observed in HSVd‐infected plants and reduces viroid accumulation. We hypothesize that the host‐transcriptional alterations induced as a consequence of viroid‐mediated HDA6 recruitment favor spurious recognition of HSVd‐RNA as an RNA Pol II template, thereby improving viroid replication.

Our results constitute the first description of a physical and functional interaction between a pathogenic RNA and a component of the host RNA silencing mechanism, providing novel evidence of the potential of these pathogenic lncRNAs to physically redesign the host‐cell environment and reprogram their regulatory mechanisms.
Ethylene‐dependent aerenchyma formation in adventitious roots is regulated differently in rice and maize
Authors: Yamauchi Takaki , Tanaka Akihiro , Mori Hitoshi , Takamure Itsuro , Kato Kiyoaki , Nakazono Mikio
Published: May 2016

In roots of gramineous plants, lysigenous aerenchyma is created by the death and lysis of cortical cells. Rice (Oryza sativa) constitutively forms aerenchyma under aerobic conditions, and its formation is further induced under oxygen‐deficient conditions. However, maize (Zea mays) develops aerenchyma only under oxygen‐deficient conditions. Ethylene is involved in lysigenous aerenchyma formation. Here, we investigated how ethylene‐dependent aerenchyma formation is differently regulated between rice and maize. For this purpose, in rice, we used the reduced culm number1 (rcn1) mutant, in which ethylene biosynthesis is suppressed. Ethylene is converted from 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) by the action of ACC oxidase (ACO). We found that OsACO5 was highly expressed in the wild type, but not in rcn1, under aerobic conditions, suggesting that OsACO5 contributes to aerenchyma formation in aerated rice roots. By contrast, the ACO genes in maize roots were weakly expressed under aerobic conditions, and thus ACC treatment did not effectively induce ethylene production or aerenchyma formation, unlike in rice. Aerenchyma formation in rice roots after the initiation of oxygen‐deficient conditions was faster and greater than that in maize. These results suggest that the difference in aerenchyma formation in rice and maize is due to their different mechanisms for regulating ethylene biosynthesis.
Epstein–Barr virus‐positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma arising from a chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Overlapping features with classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Chen Yun‐An , Wang Ran‐Ching , Yang Youngsen , Chuang Shih‐Sung
Published: May 2016

A small proportion of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may progress to large cell lymphoma, or Richter syndrome (RS). The large cells of RS may arise through transformation of the original CLL clone (clonally related) or represent a new neoplasm (clonally unrelated), which might be Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐associated. We present a 61‐year‐old male with 5‐year history of CLL who developed RS on bilateral adrenal glands. The tumor showed a vague nodular growth pattern separated by thick fibrous bands and the tumor cells were large and pleomorphic, with focal sheet‐like growth pattern, in a background of small B and T‐lymphocytes. The large tumor cells were positive for CD15, CD19, CD20 (intensely and diffusely), CD30, fascin, PAX5, MUM1, OCT2, and LMP‐1 by immunohistochemical stains, and EBV by in situ hybridization. The tumor was diagnosed as EBV‐positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), with overlapping features of classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). The patient received salvage chemotherapy and was free of disease 2 years after adrenalectomy. We speculated that our case was a clonally unrelated tumor with his underlying CLL and discussed the differential diagnoses between EBV‐positive DLBCL and CHL in the setting of RS.
The Theory and Practice of “Nudging”: Changing Health Behaviors
Authors: Vlaev Ivo , King Dominic , Dolan Paul , Darzi Ara
Published: May 2016

Many of the most significant challenges in health care—such as smoking, overeating, and poor adherence to evidence‐based guidelines—will only be resolved if we can influence behavior. The traditional policy tools used when thinking about influencing behavior include legislation, regulation, and information provision. Recently, policy analysts have shown interest in policies that “nudge” people in particular directions, drawing on advances in understanding that behavior is strongly influenced in largely automatic ways by the context within which it is placed. This article considers the theoretical basis for why nudges might work and reviews the evidence in health behavior change. The evidence is structured according to the Mindspace framework for behavior change. The conclusion is that insights from behavioral economics offer powerful policy tools for influencing behavior in health care. This article provides public administration practitioners with an accessible summary of this literature, putting these insights into practical use.
Socioeconomic System of the Oil Boom and Rural Community Development in Western North Dakota
Authors: Fernando Felix N. , Cooley Dennis R.
Published: May 2016

An oil boom is a complex social and economic phenomenon. The socioeconomic system presented in this article represents a novel effort to explicate boom impacts and changes, within a systems framework, at the community level to enhance community planning and development efforts. Most boomtown studies focus on longitudinal changes of a boom‐bust‐recovery cycle or social‐disruption‐based approaches. This article is an effort to demonstrate that longitudinal changes or social disruptions of a boom manifest through the interactions and interrelationships between social entities and stakeholders acting within the boom conditions and surrounding conditions. The socioeconomic system approach in this article analyzes the boom as a system, which provides a useful lens for many other rural communities currently experiencing unconventional oil and gas development in the United States. The socioeconomic system highlights five main challenges or factors that need to be addressed through community development strategies: develop affordable housing, invest in community infrastructure, expand public services, attract new businesses to the area, and develop better community integration strategies to build trust and unity within the community. This article is qualitative and exploratory in nature. As a result, it explicates the functions, structure, and relationships between system entities to provide a broader understanding of coherence, conflicts, and synergies within a system.
Monitoring the inputs required to extend and sustain hygiene promotion: findings from the GLAAS 2013/2014 survey
Authors: Moreland Leslie D. , Gore Fiona M. , Andre Nathalie , Cairncross Sandy , Ensink Jeroen H. J.
Published: May 2016

Objectives

There are significant gaps in information about the inputs required to effectively extend and sustain hygiene promotion activities to improve people's health outcomes through water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions. We sought to analyse current country and global trends in the use of key inputs required for effective and sustainable implementation of hygiene promotion to help guide hygiene promotion policy and decision‐making after 2015.

Methods

Data collected in response to the GLAAS 2013/2014 survey from 93 countries of 94 were included, and responses were analysed for 12 questions assessing the inputs and enabling environment for hygiene promotion under four thematic areas. Data were included and analysed from 20 External Support Agencies (ESA) of 23 collected through self‐administered surveys.

Results

Firstly, the data showed a large variation in the way in which hygiene promotion is defined and what constitutes key activities in this area. Secondly, challenges to implement hygiene promotion are considerable: include poor implementation of policies and plans, weak coordination mechanisms, human resource limitations and a lack of available hygiene promotion budget data.

Conclusion

Despite the proven benefits of hand washing with soap, a critical hygiene‐related factor in minimising infection, GLAAS 2013/2014 survey data showed that hygiene promotion remains a neglected component of WASH. Additional research to identify the context‐specific strategies and inputs required to enhance the effectiveness of hygiene promotion at scale are needed. Improved data collection methods are also necessary to advance the availability and reliability of hygiene‐specific information.
Chemtrails, Crisis, and Loss in an Interconnected World
Authors: Bakalaki Alexandra
Published: May 2016

The narrative whereby the earth's atmosphere is systematically and deliberately sprayed with hazardous chemicals became increasingly popular in Greece after the onset of the economic crisis in 2009. This article explores concern over and mobilization against aerial spraying in Greece, drawing on research in relevant websites and interviews. More specifically, I examine the connections people draw between the alleged spraying operations in the Greek sky, the Greek financial crisis, and the emergence of a New World Order. The article also examines the relations between seeing, knowledge, and protection from danger from the perspective of the visual practices evidencing spraying.
Crisis and Visual Critique
Authors: Pinney Christopher
Published: May 2016

Perspectives from this special issue on Greece are folded into a discussion of the current post‐Foucauldian and “neo‐Benjaminian” moment of contemporary photographic theory and visual culture. Bourdieu's ethnography of photography is contrasted with his own photographic practice and considered in light of Azoulay's Civil Contract of Photography. The return to the “event” of photography and an understanding of its contingency reawakens its revolutionary potential. [visual culture, crisis, Pierre Bourdieu, Ariella Azoulay]
Systemic depletion of macrophages in the subacute phase of wound healing reduces hypertrophic scar formation
Authors: Zhu Zhensen , Ding Jie , Ma Zengshuan , Iwashina Takashi , Tredget Edward E.
Published: May 2016

Hypertrophic scars are caused by trauma or burn injuries to the deep dermis and can cause cosmetic disfigurement and psychological issues. Studies suggest that M2‐like macrophages are pro‐fibrotic and contribute to hypertrophic scar formation. A previous study from our lab showed that M2 macrophages were present in developing hypertrophic scar tissues in vivo at 3–4 weeks after wounding. In this study, the effect of systemic macrophage depletion on scar formation was explored at subacute phase of wound healing. Thirty‐six athymic nude mice that received human skin transplants were randomly divided into macrophage depletion group and control group. The former received intraperitoneal injections of clodronate liposomes while the controls received sterile saline injections on day 7, 10, and 13 postgrafting. Wound area, scar thickness, collagen abundance and collagen bundle structure, mast cell infiltration, myofibroblast formation, M1, and M2 macrophages together with gene expression of M1 and M2 related factors in the grafted skin were investigated at 2, 4, and 8 weeks postgrafting. The transplanted human skin from the control group developed contracted, elevated, and thickened scars while the grafted skin from the depletion group healed with significant less contraction and elevation. Significant reductions in myofibroblast number, collagen synthesis, and hypertrophic fiber morphology as well as mast cell infiltration were observed in the depletion group compared to the control group. Macrophage depletion significantly reduced M1 and M2 macrophage number in the depletion group 2 weeks postgrafting as compared to the control group. These findings suggest that systemic macrophage depletion in subacute phase of wound healing reduces scar formation, which provides evidence for the pro‐fibrotic role of macrophages in fibrosis of human skin as well as insight into the potential benefits of specifically depleting M2 macrophages in vivo.