bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasticity and heritability of morphological variation within and between parapatric stickleback demes
Authors: McCAIRNS R. J. S. , BERNATCHEZ L.
Published: April 2012

The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has emerged as an important model organism in evolutionary ecology, largely due to the repeated, parallel evolution of divergent morphotypes found in populations having colonized freshwater habitats. However, morphological divergence following colonization is not a universal phenomenon. We explore this in a large‐scale estuarine ecosystem inhabited by two parapatric stickleback demes, each physiologically adapted to divergent osmoregulatory environments (fresh vs. saline waters). Using geometric morphometric analyses of wild‐caught individuals, we detected significant differences between demes, in addition to sexual dimorphism, in body shape. However, rearing full‐sib families from each deme under controlled, reciprocal salinity conditions revealed no differences between genotypes and highly significant environmental effects. It is also noteworthy that fish from both demes were fully plated, whether found in the wild or reared under reciprocal salinity conditions. Although we found significant heritability for body shape, we also noted significant direct environmental effects for many latent shape variables. Moreover, we found little evidence for diversifying selection acting on body size and shape (QST). Nevertheless, uniform compressive variation did exceed neutral expectations, yet despite evidence of both allometry and genetic correlation with body length, we detected no correlated signatures of selection. Taken together, these results suggest that much of the morphological divergence observed in this system is the result of plastic responses to environmental variation rather than adaptive differentiation.
Molecular Identification of a Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris Associated with Cabbage Witches’‐Broom in China
Authors: Mou Hai‐Qing , Zhang Yong‐Jiang , Li Hong‐Xia , Zhu Shui‐Fang , Li Zhi‐Hong , Zhao Wen‐Jun
Published: April 2012

In 2010, cabbages (Brassica oleracea L.) showing symptoms of proliferated axillary buds, crinkled leaves and plant stunting with shortened internodes typical to phytoplasma infection were found in a breeding facility in Beijing, China. Three symptomatic plants and one symptomless plant were collected, and total DNA was extracted from the midrib tissue and the flowers. With phytoplasma universal primers R16F2n/R16R2, a special fragment of 1247 bp (16S rDNA) was obtained from all three symptomatic cabbage plants, but not from the one symptomless cabbage plant. The 16S rDNA sequence showed 99% similarity with the homologous genes of the aster yellows group phytoplasma (16SrI group), and the phytoplasma was designed as CWBp‐BJ. Phylogenetic and computer‐simulated restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the 16S rDNA gene revealed that CWBp‐BJ belongs to subgroup 16SrI‐B. This is the first report of a phytoplasma associated with cabbage witches’‐broom in China.
Combined evaluation of CK5/6, ER, p63, and MUC3 for distinguishing breast intraductal papilloma from ductal carcinoma in situ
Authors: Furuya Chiemi , Kawano Hiroo , Yamanouchi Tsuyoshi , Oga Atsunori , Ueda Junko , Takahashi Mutsuo
Published: April 2012

The differentiation of intraductal papilloma (IDP) in the breast from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is sometimes difficult. Fifty papillary lesions (25 DCIS and 25 IDP) were immunohistochemically examined using a panel of antibodies, including CK5/6, ER, p63, Ki‐67, chromogranin A, synaptophysin, neuron specific enolase, CD56, MUC1, MUC3, CD44, p21, p27, and p53. The immunohistochemical staining pattern of each antibody was evaluated using the Allred scoring system. Then, the area under curve (AUC) for each antibody was computed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. DCIS typically showed high scores for ER and MUC3 reactivity compared with IDP, and the AUC for ER and MUC3 were 0.941 and 0.908, respectively. In contrast, IDP showed high scores for CK5/6 and p63 reactivity compared with DCIS, and the AUC for CK5/6 and p63 were 1.00 and 0.954, respectively. We devised a ‘Differential Index’ (DI) using the following formula: [S(ER) + S(MUC3)]/[S(CK5/6) + S(p63) + 1]. The distributions of the DI for IDP and DCIS did not overlap when the cutoff value was placed arbitrarily at DI = 1.0. From these results, it is concluded that a panel of four CK5/6, ER, p63, and MUC3 antibodies provide valuable information for differentiating IDP from DCIS.
Arid vegetation in disequilibrium with livestock grazing: Evidence from long‐term exclosures
Authors: SILCOCK JENNY L. , FENSHAM ROD J.
Published: April 2012

In recent decades, the conventional equilibrium paradigm for explaining rangeland vegetation dynamics has been challenged. Proponents of an alternative non‐equilibrium paradigm argue that in variable rangeland environments, external climatic events are critical to vegetation dynamics and there is little opportunity for plant–herbivore interactions to reach equilibrium. Understanding which paradigm more effectively describes an ecosystem has important consequences for management. In particular, some authors have argued that a focus on reducing stocking rates in non‐equilibrium systems may be futile, and management should be opportunistic in response to unpredictable rainfall events. We measured herbaceous biomass and plant species richness and abundance at five 14‐year exclosures on Innamincka Regional Reserve. Four were situated in the dunefields land system, and one on the Cooper Creek floodplain. We did not detect any significant differences between grazed and ungrazed treatments in total species richness or abundance, life form richness or abundance, or herbaceous biomass. Only one species, Portulaca oleracea, showed differences in abundance between treatments at more than one site, but the direction of these differences was not consistent. These results suggest that the non‐equilibrium paradigm more accurately describes vegetation dynamics in the dunefields and floodplains of north‐eastern South Australia. It is possible that some species had been lost from the study area prior to the establishment of the exclosures, thereby precluding recovery with protection from grazing; however, a regional analysis of the flora reveals little evidence of this. We argue that the dominance of ephemeral species confers resilience by limiting the development of strong feedbacks between grazing intensity and vegetation dynamics. Current grazing practices seem consistent with the conservation of plant species diversity across the dunefields and floodplains. Future studies should focus on the impacts of cattle grazing on areas of the landscape dominated by palatable perennials, as well as the small number of rare and potentially grazing‐sensitive species identified.
Place of residence before hospital admission and mortality at 12‐months in Spanish patients aged 70 years or older
Authors: Pérez Martín Alejandro , Satue Bartolomé José Angel , Gonzalo Pascua Sonia , Farfán Sedano Ana I , Franco Moreno Ana , Rodríguez Benavente Ana , Zapatero Gaviria Antonio
Published: April 2012

Aim:  Hospitalization of elderly people is often followed by high mortality rates. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of prior residence on 1‐year mortality after hospital discharge in patients aged 70 years and over.

Methods:  This was a prospective observational cohort study. Participants were 426 patients discharged from the Internal Medicine Department at a Spanish Hospital who were followed for a 12‐month period. Data collection was carried out during hospitalization and included sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidity (Charlson index), functional (Barthel index and Lawton scale) and cognitive conditions (Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire), together with parameters related to the disease causing admission (diagnosis related group, laboratory tests, length of hospital stay). Mortality was carried out using telephone interviews.

Results:  A total of 420 (98.6%) patients were located at the end of follow up. Of these, 95 patients had died, giving an overall 1‐year mortality of 22.6%. The mortality rate for patients living in their private homes was 15.6% versus 24.7% for those living with relatives and 60% for those living in institutions. After adjustment for potential confounders, prior residence was associated with mortality with a hazard ratio of 3.98 (95% CI 1.94–8.17) for those institutionalized and a hazard ration of 1.68 (95% CI 0.99–2.16) for those living with relatives, as compared with patients living in their private homes.

Conclusions:  Prior residence is associated with 1‐year‐mortality following discharge after controlling for several multidimensional factors. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••–••.
Interactive virtual reality Wii in geriatric day hospital: A study to assess its feasibility, acceptability and efficacy
Authors: Chan Tuen Ching , Chan Fei , Shea Yat Fung , Lin Oi Yee , Luk James Ka Hay , Chan Felix Hon Wai
Published: April 2012

Aim:  Rehabilitation using interactive virtual reality Wii (Wii‐IVR) was shown to be feasible in patients with different medical problems, but there was no study examining its use in a geriatric day hospital (GDH). The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of Wii‐IVR in GDH.

Methods:  It was a clinical trial with matched historic controls. Patients of a GDH were recruited to participate in Wii‐IVR by playing “Wii Fit”. Participants used a Wii controller to carry out movements involved in an arm ergometer. Each participant received eight sessions of Wii‐IVR in addition to conventional GDH rehabilitation. Feasibility was assessed by the total time receiving Wii‐IVR, the percentage of maximal heart rate reserve (%MHR) and Borg perceived exertion scale (BS) after participating in Wii‐IVR. %MHR and BS were compared with those after carrying out an arm ergometer for the same duration. Acceptability was assessed by an interviewer‐administered questionnaire. Efficacy was assessed by comparing improvements in Functional Independence Measure (FIM) between participants and matched historic controls, who received conventional GDH rehabilitations only.

Results:  A total of 30 patients completed the study. Participants completed a total of 1941 min of event‐free Wii‐IVR. The mean %MHR was 15.9% ± 9.9% and the mean BS was 7.9 ± 2.3. There was no significant difference in %MHR and BS between participating in Wii‐IVR and arm ergometer. Most participants found Wii‐IVR similar to the arm ergometer, and would like to continue Wii‐IVR if they had Wii at home. Improvements in FIM of participants were significantly more than that of historic controls.

Conclusions:  Wii‐IVR in GDH was feasible and most participants accepted it. Participants had more improvements in FIM. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••–••.
At what time is the cocktail party? A late locus of selective attention to natural speech
Authors: Power Alan J. , Foxe John J. , Forde Emma‐Jane , Reilly Richard B. , Lalor Edmund C.
Published: April 2012

Distinguishing between speakers and focusing attention on one speaker in multi‐speaker environments is extremely important in everyday life. Exactly how the brain accomplishes this feat and, in particular, the precise temporal dynamics of this attentional deployment are as yet unknown. A long history of behavioral research using dichotic listening paradigms has debated whether selective attention to speech operates at an early stage of processing based on the physical characteristics of the stimulus or at a later stage during semantic processing. With its poor temporal resolution fMRI has contributed little to the debate, while EEG–ERP paradigms have been hampered by the need to average the EEG in response to discrete stimuli which are superimposed onto ongoing speech. This presents a number of problems, foremost among which is that early attention effects in the form of endogenously generated potentials can be so temporally broad as to mask later attention effects based on the higher level processing of the speech stream. Here we overcome this issue by utilizing the AESPA (auditory evoked spread spectrum analysis) method which allows us to extract temporally detailed responses to two concurrently presented speech streams in natural cocktail‐party‐like attentional conditions without the need for superimposed probes. We show attentional effects on exogenous stimulus processing in the 200–220 ms range in the left hemisphere. We discuss these effects within the context of research on auditory scene analysis and in terms of a flexible locus of attention that can be deployed at a particular processing stage depending on the task.
Anthropogenic mortality on coral reefs in Caribbean Panama predates coral disease and bleaching
Authors: Cramer Katie L. , Jackson Jeremy B. C. , Angioletti Christopher V. , Leonard‐Pingel Jill , Guilderson Thomas P.
Published: April 2012

Ecology Letters (2012)

Caribbean reef corals have declined precipitously since the 1980s due to regional episodes of bleaching, disease and algal overgrowth, but the extent of earlier degradation due to localised historical disturbances such as land clearing and overfishing remains unresolved. We analysed coral and molluscan fossil assemblages from reefs near Bocas del Toro, Panama to construct a timeline of ecological change from the 19th century—present. We report large changes before 1960 in coastal lagoons coincident with extensive deforestation, and after 1960 on offshore reefs. Striking changes include the demise of previously dominant staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis and oyster Dendrostrea frons that lives attached to gorgonians and staghorn corals. Reductions in bivalve size and simplification of gastropod trophic structure further implicate increasing environmental stress on reefs. Our paleoecological data strongly support the hypothesis, from extensive qualitative data, that Caribbean reef degradation predates coral bleaching and disease outbreaks linked to anthropogenic climate change.
The ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus converts organic matter in plant litter using a trimmed brown‐rot mechanism involving Fenton chemistry
Authors: Rineau Francois , Roth Doris , Shah Firoz , Smits Mark , Johansson Tomas , Canbäck Björn , Olsen Peter Bjarke , Persson Per , Grell Morten Nedergaard , Lindquist Erika , Grigoriev Igor V. , Lange Lene , Tunlid Anders
Published: April 2012

Soils in boreal forests contain large stocks of carbon. Plants are the main source of this carbon through tissue residues and root exudates. A major part of the exudates are allocated to symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi. In return, the plant receives nutrients, in particular nitrogen from the mycorrhizal fungi. To capture the nitrogen, the fungi must at least partly disrupt the recalcitrant organic matter–protein complexes within which the nitrogen is embedded. This disruption process is poorly characterized. We used spectroscopic analyses and transcriptome profiling to examine the mechanism by which the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus degrades organic matter when acquiring nitrogen from plant litter. The fungus partially degraded polysaccharides and modified the structure of polyphenols. The observed chemical changes were consistent with a hydroxyl radical attack, involving Fenton chemistry similar to that of brown‐rot fungi. The set of enzymes expressed by Pa. involutus during the degradation of the organic matter was similar to the set of enzymes involved in the oxidative degradation of wood by brown‐rot fungi. However, Pa. involutus lacked transcripts encoding extracellular enzymes needed for metabolizing the released carbon. The saprotrophic activity has been reduced to a radical‐based biodegradation system that can efficiently disrupt the organic matter–protein complexes and thereby mobilize the entrapped nutrients. We suggest that the released carbon then becomes available for further degradation and assimilation by commensal microbes, and that these activities have been lost in ectomycorrhizal fungi as an adaptation to symbiotic growth on host photosynthate. The interdependence of ectomycorrhizal symbionts and saprophytic microbes would provide a key link in the turnover of nutrients and carbon in forest ecosystems.
Routine preoperative chest computed tomography does not influence therapeutic strategy in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Restivo A. , Zorcolo L. , Piga S. , Cocco I. M. F. , Casula G.
Published: April 2012

Aim  Patients with lung metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC) may benefit from surgical resection. Chest computed tomography (CT) is often included in the preoperative staging. Interpretation of the nature of pulmonary lesions is not always easy and many question its clinical value.

Method  Clinical data for all patients treated at our institution for CRC have been collected prospectively in a dedicated database. Since August 2008 chest CT has been routinely performed for preoperative staging. The outcome of 147 patients operated on since then (Group A) was compared with a numerically equal group of patients (147) (Group B) treated before the introduction of preoperative routine chest CT.

Results  Pulmonary lesions were identified in 45 (30%) patients in Group A and 10 (6.8%) in Group B. Ten and nine lesions, respectively, were interpreted as metastases. In 28 (19%) patients in Group A, the lesions were considered to be indeterminate and only four were confirmed as malignant. Overall metastases were present after 1 year of follow‐up in 5 (50%) of 10 patients in Group A and 5 (55%) of 9 in Group B. The global incidence of synchronous and metachronous metastases was 6.8%, with no statistical difference between the two groups.

Conclusion  This study shows that chest CT reveals a higher number of pulmonary lesions, only a small proportion of which were malignant. The investigation does not add value to routine staging methods in patients with CRC.
Development of a social morbidity score in patients with chronic ulcerative colitis as a potential guide to treatment
Authors: Smith J. J. , Netuveli G. , Sleight S. P. , Das P. , Tekkis P. P. , Gabe S. M. , Clark S. K. , Nicholls R. J.
Published: April 2012

Aim  Present quality of life instruments for inflammatory bowel disease do not evaluate many social aspects of patients’ lives that are potentially important in clinical decision making. We have developed a new Social Impact of Chronic Conditions – Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SICC‐IBD) questionnaire to assess these areas.

Method  A 34‐item questionnaire was piloted to determine quality of life relating to education, personal relationships, employment, independence and finance. It was compared with the Short Form 36‐Item version 2 (SF‐36v2) and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) in 150 patients with chronic ulcerative colitis on an endoscopic surveillance register who had never had surgery.

Results  Reliability and validity testing enabled the questionnaire to be shortened to only eight items. There was a high level of reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.72). The questionnaire correlated well with the social functioning domain of the SF‐36 (rs = 0.56) and was able to distinguish clinical severity of disease.

Conclusion  The SICC‐IBD is a new tool for assessment of patients with ulcerative colitis, which has identified new aspects of social disability for further study and for potential use as an additional tool in therapy decisions.
Role of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in focal therapy of prostate cancer: report from a Consensus Panel
Authors: Smeenge Martijn , Barentsz Jelle , Cosgrove David , de la Rosette Jean , de Reijke Theo , Eggener Scott , Frauscher Ferdinand , Kovacs Gyoergy , Matin Surena F. , Mischi Massimo , Pinto Peter , Rastinehad Ardeshir , Rouviere Olivier , Salomon Georg , Polascik Thomas , Walz Jochen , Wijkstra Hessel , Marberger Michael
Published: April 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Focal therapy techniques are emerging in prostate cancer treatment. However, several key questions about patient selection, treatment and monitoring still have to be addressed. The concept of focal therapy is barely discussed in current urological guidelines.

In the present manuscript, we report the results of a consensus meeting focused on ultrasonography, the most common used urological imaging method, in relation to focal therapy of prostate cancer.

To establish a consensus on the utility of ultrasonography (US) to select patients for focal therapy. Topics were the current status of US to determine focality of prostate cancer, to monitor and assess outcome of focal therapy and the diagnostic advantages of new US methods. In addition, the biopsy techniques required to identify focal lesions were discussed.

Urological surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and basic researchers from Europe and North America participated in a consensus meeting on the use of transrectal US (TRUS) in focal therapy of prostate cancer. The consensus process was face‐to‐face and specific clinical issues were raised and discussed with agreement sought when possible.

TRUS is commonly used and essential for diagnosing men with prostate cancer. It is particularly useful for targeting specific anatomical regions or visible lesions. However, it has several limitations and there is a need for improvement. Newer visualisation techniques, e.g. colour Doppler US, contrast‐enhanced US and elastography, are being developed but currently there is no US technique that can accurately characterise a cancer suitable for focal therapy. Systematic biopsy is the only known procedure that allows the identification of prostate cancers suitable for focal therapy. Scarce data exist about the role of US for monitoring patients during or after ablative therapy.

Consensus was reached on all key aspects of the meeting.

US cannot reliably identify focal prostate cancer. New US methods show promising results in identifying prostate cancer focality.

Currently selecting appropriate candidates for focal therapy should be performed using dedicated protocols and biopsy schemes.
Evaluating an intensive ward‐based writing coach programme to improve nursing documentation: lessons learned
Authors: Jefferies D. , Johnson M. , Nicholls D. , Langdon R. , Lad S.
Published: April 2012

JEFFERIES D., JOHNSON M., NICHOLLS D., LANGDON R. & LAD S. Evaluating an intensive ward‐based writing coach programme to improve nursing documentation: lessons learned. International Nursing Review59, 394–401

Aim:  This study aimed to develop a ward‐based writing coach programme to improve the quality of patient information in nursing documentation.

Background:  Omissions in the patient information make nursing notes an unreliable source for care planning. Strategies to improve the quality of nursing documentation have been unsuccessful. An education programme, with one‐to‐one coaching in the clinical environment, was tested.

Method:  A concurrent mixed methods approach including a pre–post test intervention and control design for the quantitative component combined with a qualitative approach using a focus group (eight nurses) was used. Healthcare records for 87 patients (intervention) (46 pre and 41 post) and 88 patients (control) (51 pre and 37 post) were reviewed using the Nursing and Midwifery Content Audit Tool for quality nursing documentation. Sixteen nurses from two intervention wards participated in an introductory workshop with 2 weeks of coaching. No intervention was given to the control ward.

Results:  No significant differences were found between the wards across the 14 criteria representing quality documentation; most criteria were present in 75% or more of the records. Improvements were demonstrated in both the intervention and comparison units. Themes identified from the focus groups included the impact these changes had on nurses and patients, perceived difficulties with nursing documentation, medicolegal aspects and the attributes of an effective writing coach.

Conclusion:  Writing coaching is a supportive approach to improving nursing documentation. Also, regular auditing prompts nurses to improve nursing documentation. Further research using larger sample sizes can further confirm or refute these findings.
Predicting the century‐long post‐fire responses of reptiles
Authors: Nimmo Dale. G. , Kelly Luke T. , Spence‐Bailey Lisa M. , Watson Simon J. , Haslem Angie , White John G. , Clarke Mike F. , Bennett Andrew F.
Published: April 2012

Aim  We examined the century‐long post‐fire responses of reptiles to (1) determine the time‐scales over which fauna – fire relationships occur, (2) assess the capacity of a conceptual model to predict faunal response to fire, and (3) investigate the degree to which models of fauna – fire relationships can predict species occurrence and are transferable across space.

Location  A 104,000 km2 area in the semi‐arid Murray Mallee region of south‐eastern Australia.

Methods  We surveyed reptiles at 280 sites across a century‐long post‐fire chronosequence. We developed generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) of the relationship between time since fire and the occurrence of 17 species in two subregions, and compared modelled responses with predictions derived from the conceptual model. The predictive capacity of GAMMs was then assessed (1) within the subregion the model was developed and (2) when transferred into a novel subregion.

Results  Eleven species displayed a significant relationship with time‐since‐fire, with changes in species probability of occurrence continuing up to 100 years post‐fire. Predictions of the timing of species post‐fire peak in occurrence were accurate for 9 of 13 species models for which a significant fire response was detected, but little success was achieved in predicting the shape of a species' response. GAMMs predicted species occurrence more accurately when applied within the subregion in which they were developed than when transferred into a novel subregion, primarily due to some species responding to fire more strongly in one part of their geographic range.

Main conclusions  Fire influences the occurrence of reptiles in semi‐arid ecosystems over century‐long time frames. Habitat‐use conceptual models have value in predicting the peak occurrence of species following fire, particularly for species with distributions strongly shaped by fire. Species relationships with fire can differ across their geographic range, probably associated with variation in climatic influences on post‐fire succession and the consequent provision of habitat resources.
Exploring the phylogenetic history of mammal species richness
Authors: Davies T. Jonathan , Buckley Lauren B.
Published: April 2012

Aim At broad geographical scales, species richness is a product of three basic processes: speciation, extinction and migration. However, determining which of these processes predominates is a major challenge. Whilst palaeontological studies can provide information on speciation and extinction rates, data are frequently lacking. Here we use a recent dated phylogenetic tree of mammals to explore the relative importance of these three processes in structuring present‐day richness gradients.

Location The global terrestrial biosphere.

Methods We combine macroecological data with phylogenetic methods more typically used in community ecology to describe the phylogenetic history of regional faunas. Using simulations, we explore two simple phylogenetic metrics, the mean and variance in the pairwise distances between taxa, and describe their relationship to phylogenetic tree topology. We then use these two metrics to characterize the evolutionary relationships among mammal species assemblages across the terrestrial biome.

Results We show that the mean and variance in the pairwise distances describe phylogenetic tree topology well, but are less sensitive to phylogenetic uncertainty than more direct measures of tree shape. We find the phylogeny for South American mammals is imbalanced and ‘stemmy’ (long branches towards the root), consistent with recent diversification within evolutionarily disparate lineages. In contrast, the phylogeny for African mammals is balanced and ‘tippy’ (long branches towards the tips), more consistent with the slow accumulation of diversity over long times, reflecting the Old World origin of many mammal clades.

Main conclusions We show that phylogeny can accurately capture biogeographical processes operating at broad spatial scales and over long time periods. Our results support inferences from the fossil record – that the New World tropics are a diversity cradle whereas the Old World tropics are a museum of old diversity.
Geographic isolation and climate govern the functional diversity of native fish communities in European drainage basins
Authors: Schleuter Diana , Daufresne Martin , Veslot Jacques , Mason Norman W. H. , Lanoiselée Cédric , Brosse Sébastien , Beauchard Olivier , Argillier Christine
Published: April 2012

Aim  In times of biodiversity crisis, it is extremely important to understand diversity gradients. In particular, the study of the diversity of ecological functions is a key issue for the management of ecosystem integrity. Here we identify areas of low functional diversity of the native fish fauna in European drainage basins and we determine the relative importance of three underlying mechanisms: environmental filtering, geographic isolation and climatic history.

Location  The European continent.

Methods  Based on 14 morphological traits that are closely related to fish function (habitat and dietary niches), three independent functional diversity indices [functional richness (FR), functional evenness (FE), functional divergence (FD)] were calculated for 128 European drainage basins with a total of 230 fish species. The indices were standardized for species richness using null models. The patterns of the standardized indices are described and three potentially underlying mechanisms are tested using variance partitioning and multi‐linear regression models.

Results  FR and FD were highest in eastern European drainage basins and in Great Britain and lowest in the Mediterranean. FE patterns were less pronounced. All observed patterns were mainly governed by geographic isolation and present environmental conditions. Within the environmental conditions, average annual temperature and precipitation were good predictors for functional diversity. The role of habitat diversity and size was negligible.

Main conclusions  Geographic isolation coupled with harsh environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures and low precipitation, as in Mediterranean regions, can lead to low FR and FD. This can be explained by extinction that could not be compensated by re‐colonization and high speciation. Due to their high functional redundancy, communities in these areas might better withstand further species extinctions on a small scale. Over the short term, however, their often extremely low FR suggests a less flexible functioning that can hinder their ability to withstand today's rapid environmental and anthropogenic threats.
THE 2010ANTIPODERGS‐IBG LECTURE Wars of Interpretations
Authors: Wright Melissa W.
Published: April 2012

Abstract: Since 2006, when Mexico's President declared war against the drug trade, the people of the northern Mexican border city, Ciudad Juárez, have been living through a record‐breaking escalation of violence, the occupation of their city by federal troops and police forces, unprecedented human and civil rights violations, and a pervasive experience of fear in public space. These events have occurred simultaneous to a devastating economic crisis. This paper asks the question, how can a feminist and Marxist geographer contribute to an analysis of what is happening in Ciudad Juárez? To address this question, I create a dialogue among activists in northern Mexico and post‐structuralist feminist and Marxist positions regarding the meaning of public fear in this city for the city's residents, for Mexico's democracy and for the making of public knowledge about the Mexico–US border.
Wales in the World: Intergovernmental Relations and Sub-State Diplomacy
Authors: Wyn Jones Richard , Royles Elin
Published: April 2012

This article explores intergovernmental relations between the devolved Welsh Assembly Government and the central UK government through the prism of two case studies focusing on examples of Welsh sub-state diplomacy, the first being international activity aimed at promoting trade and investment and the second the ‘Wales for Africa’ programme. The article focuses in particular on the implications for Wales–UK relations of partial party incongruence brought about by the formation of the Labour–Plaid Cymru coalition government in Cardiff in the summer of 2007. The authors also examine the early indications of the impact of full party incongruence following the formation of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government in London in June 2010.
Where the Wild Things Are: Informal Experience and Ecological Reasoning
Authors: Coley John D.
Published: April 2012

Category‐based induction requires selective use of different relations to guide inferences; this article examines the development of inferences based on ecological relations among living things. Three hundred and forty‐six 6‐, 8‐, and 10‐year‐old children from rural, suburban, and urban communities projected noveldiseasesorinsidesfrom one species to an ecologically or taxonomically related species; they were also surveyed about hobbies and activities. Frequency of ecological inferences increased with age and with reports of informal exploration of nature, and decreased with population density. By age 10, children preferred taxonomic inferences forinsidesand ecological inferences fordisease, but this pattern emerged earlier among rural children. These results underscore the importance of context by demonstrating effects of both domain‐relevant experience and environment on biological reasoning.
Intermanual Transfer of Shapes in Preterm Human Infants From 33 to 34 + 6 Weeks Postconceptional Age
Authors: Lejeune Fleur , Marcus Leïla , Berne‐Audeoud Frédérique , Streri Arlette , Debillon Thierry , Gentaz Edouard
Published: April 2012

This study investigated the ability of preterm infants to learn an object shape with one hand and discriminate a new shape in the opposite hand (without visual control). Twenty‐four preterm infants between 33 and 34 + 6 gestational weeks received a tactile habituation task with either their right or left hand followed by a tactile discrimination task in the opposite hand. The results confirmed that habituation occurred for both shapes and both hands. Infants subsequently held the novel shape longer in the opposite hand. The results reveal that preterm infants are capable of intermanual transfer of shape information. In spite of the immaturity of the corpus callosum in preterm infants, its development seems to be sufficient to allow some transfer of information between both hands.
British Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Understanding and Reasoning About the Religious and Nonreligious Rights of Asylum‐Seeker Youth
Authors: Tenenbaum Harriet R. , Ruck Martin D.
Published: April 2012

This study examined British young people’s understanding of the rights of asylum‐seeking young people. Two hundred sixty participants (11–24 years) were read vignettes involving asylum‐seeking young people’s religious and nonreligious self‐determination and nurturance rights. Religious rights were more likely to be endorsed than nonreligious rights. In general, younger participants were more likely than older participants to endorse the rights of asylum‐seeking young people. Supporting a social cognitive domain approach, patterns of reasoning varied with the type of right and whether scenarios involved religious or nonreligious issues. Few developmental differences were found regarding participants’ reasoning about asylum‐seeking young people’s religious or nonreligious rights. The findings are discussed with reference to available theory and research on young people’s conceptions of rights.
Child Development and Molecular Genetics: 14 Years Later
Authors: Plomin Robert
Published: April 2012

Fourteen years ago, the first article on molecular genetics was published in this journal: Child Development, Molecular Genetics, andWhat to Do With Genes Once They Are Found (R. Plomin & M. Rutter, 1998). The goal of the article was to outline what developmentalists can do with genes once they are found. These new directions for developmental research are still relevant today. The problem lies with the phrase “once they are found”: It has been much more difficult than expected to identify genes responsible for the heritability of complex traits and common disorders, the so‐called missing heritability problem. The present article considers reasons for the missing heritability problem and possible solutions.
Neurobehçet disease: clinical and demographic characteristics
Authors: Peño I. Casanova , De las Heras Revilla V. , Carbonell B. Parejo , Di Capua Sacoto D. , Ferrer M. E. Fuentes , García‐Cobos R. , González R. Arroyo
Published: April 2012

Background:  Neurobehçet disease (NBD) is a rare complication of Behçet disease (BD) but with important burdens of morbidity and mortality. Little is known about this complication because there are no validated diagnostic criteria, and all the studies have small number of patients. The prevalence reported normally ranges between 5% and 15% and it is more frequent amongst men between 20 and 40 years old. The typical presentations include focal parenchymal lesions, vascular thrombosis, arterial vasculitis, and aseptic meningo‐encephalitis.

Methods:  We retrospectively studied medical histories of all patients admitted to the hospital and discharged from it with diagnosis of BD from January 1996 to September 2009. NBD was defined as having neurological and/or psychiatric symptoms with compatible abnormalities in MRI and/or cerebrospinal fluid and without another possible explanation for their symptoms.

Results:  Behcet disease was diagnosed in 25 patients and seven from these patients fulfilled our criteria of Neurobehcet disease (28%). Patients with NBD were significantly younger at the onset of their symptoms and had a significantly longer evolution until diagnosis and treatment compared to patients with non‐Neuobehçet disease. Six presented a relapsing–remitting pattern, with a good outcome with corticosteroids.

Conclusions:  As reported in previous studies, progressive course was less frequent, with only one case, and had a more aggressive disease. Brainstem involvement bears a poorer prognosis because it is linked with a progressive evolution. In our series, NBD complication was not that infrequent. It is very important to be highly suspicious of this possibility to start early a correct treatment.
Taste disorders in myasthenia gravis: a multicenter cooperative study
Authors: Kabasawa C. , Shimizu Y. , Suzuki S. , Masuda M. , Nagane Y. , Utsugisawa K. , Suzuki Y. , Utsumi H. , Fujihara K. , Suzuki N. , Uchiyama S.
Published: April 2012

Background and purpose:  The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of taste disorders in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).

Methods:  We studied 371 Japanese patients with MG (127 men and 244 women; mean age, 56.6 ± 16.9 years) consecutively evaluated between May and September 2010 in six neurological centers comprising the East Japan MG Study Group. Ninety‐three patients (25%) had thymoma. We interviewed all patients to determine whether they had taste disorders during the clinical course of MG and then further evaluated the patients with MG, who reported having taste disorders, using a questionnaire.

Results:  Taste disorders were observed in 16 (4.3%) of the 371 patients with MG. We concluded that taste disorders in 2.4% of patients with MG excluding other factors were associated with MG itself. All patients had thymoma with seropositivity for anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibodies. Thymoma tended to be advanced, and four patients with Masaoka stage IVa required radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Five patients noticed taste disorders 2–3 months before the onset of MG. Sweet taste loss was more common than salty, bitter, and sour taste loss.

Conclusions:  This was the first systematic survey of taste disorders in patients with MG by a multicenter study. Taste disorders were more common in the present sample of patients with MG than in the general population.
The Radical Status Factor (RSF): a novel metric to characterize skin products
Authors: Herrling T. , Jung K.
Published: April 2012

Synopsis

A scale of skin treatments is analysed, which bases on the detection of UV‐generated free radicals in pig skin. Physiological and anatomical similarities between man and pig made this animal a good model for man in many research areas. The determination of the Radical Status (free radical response) offers the possibility to see in an early stage the effect of exterior and interior influences. The detection of the skin’s response after a normalized radical generation by defined UV dose combined with the application of external and internal influences enables a comprehensive and easy classification of skin products and therapies. The effect of substances, especially, applied topically on the skin, like it is usual in cosmetics and pharmacy, can be classified. The relevance of the RSF method is demonstrated with the application of numerous different treatments on the skin.
Scaling and mechanics of the felid calcaneus: geometric similarity without differential allometric scaling
Authors: Gálvez‐López Eloy , Casinos Adrià
Published: April 2012

Six mechanically significant skeletal variables were measured on the calcanei from 60 Felidae specimens (22 species) to determine whether these variables were scaled to body mass, and to assess whether differential scaling exists. The power equation (y = a · xb) was used to analyse the scaling of the six variables to body mass; we compared traditional regression methods (standardised major axis) to phylogenetically independent contrasts. In agreement with previous studies that compared these methodologies, we found no significant differences between methods in the allometric coefficients (b) obtained. Overall, the scaling pattern of the felid calcaneus conformed to the predictions of the geometric similarity hypothesis, but not entirely to those of the elastic similarity hypothesis. We found that the moment arm of the ankle extensors scaled to body mass with an exponent not significantly different from 0.40. This indicated that the tuber calcanei scaled to body mass faster than calcaneus total length. This explained why the effective mechanical advantage of the ankle extensors increased with body mass, despite the fact that limb posture does not change in felid species. Furthermore, this finding was consistent with the hypothesis of the isometric scaling of ground reaction forces. No evidence for differential scaling was found in any of the variables studied. We propose that this reflected the similar locomotor pattern of all felid species. Thus, our results suggested that the differences in allometric coefficients for ‘large’ and ‘small’ mammals were in fact caused by different types of locomotion among the species included in each category.
Stimulation‐history effects on the M100 revealed by its differential dependence on the stimulus onset interval
Authors: Zacharias Norman , König Reinhard , Heil Peter
Published: April 2012

The amplitudes of the most prominent component of auditory evoked magnetic fields and electrical potentials, the M100 and N100, recorded from the human scalp depend on the duration of the stimulus onset interval (SOI). Here, we show, using magnetoencephalography, that the SOI dependence of the M100 amplitude strongly depends upon whether stimuli with different SOIs are presented in a conventional block design or in a random manner. This differential dependence reveals that the M100 is affected not only by the stimulus evoking it and by its predecessor, but by a longer‐term history of stimulation. We provide a parsimonious model that accounts for our findings with both designs in a quantitative manner. It assumes a transient, temporally asymmetric reduction in the excitability of a fraction of potentially excitable neurons. A rather stereotyped response function may therefore underlie the stimulation‐history effects in the human auditory cortex.
Circulating cytokine signatures in healthy medical students exposed to academic examination stress
Authors: Kamezaki Yoshiko , Katsuura Sakurako , Kuwano Yuki , Tanahashi Toshihito , Rokutan Kazuhito
Published: April 2012

Stress‐induced production of proinflammatory cytokines in the brain and periphery is associated with mental distress. In this study, we measured changes in levels of salivary cortisol and 50 circulating immune mediators in 28 4th‐grade medical students (19 males and 9 females) 7 weeks before, 1 day before, immediately after, and 1 week after an authorized nationwide examination for promotion. Repeated measures ANOVA with multiple testing correction and post hoc tests revealed that the examination significantly increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor, interferon‐γ, interleukin (IL)‐1β, and tumor necrosis factor‐α), Th2 cytokines (IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐13), and β‐nerve growth factor in association with significant decreases in salivary cortisol levels and anxiety after the examination. These mediators may have a negative impact on the mental state of healthy young adults exposed to naturalistic stressors.
Cerebrospinal fluid α‐synuclein levels are elevated in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica patients during replase
Authors: Wang Honghao , Wang Kai , Xu Wen , Wang Conghui , Qiu Wei , Zhong Xiaonan , Dai Yongqiang , Wu Aimin , Hu Xueqiang
Published: April 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 19–23.

The concept that the immune system plays a central role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) was indisputable. However, neurodegenerative pathological features including loss of axons and neurons were also found in the lesions of these diseases. α‐Synuclein is one of the most abundant proteins in pre‐synaptic terminals. Recently, many research show α‐synuclein level in CSF may reflect the progression of synaptic dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis. Whether the levels of CSF α‐synuclein are changed in MS and NMO patients remain unknown. In this study, CSF α‐synuclein was measured by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in MS (n = 18) patients, NMO (n = 22) patients, Parkinson’s disease patients (n = 9), and the controls (n = 11). We found concentration of α‐synuclein in MS and NMO patients were significantly higher than Parkinson’s disease subgroup and the controls. Both MS and NMO revealed an increased disease disability with increased CSF α‐synuclein. Thus, CSF α‐synuclein may be reflect injure axons and neurons in inflammatory demyelinating diseases.