bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What is the geography of Geographical Indications? Place, production methods and Protected Food Names
Authors: Rippon Matthew J
Published: March 2014

Copyright, patents and trademarks are well‐known types of Intellectual Property (IP). However, there is another form of IP known as Geographical Indications (GIs). Foods, drinks and agricultural products can be certified as GIs. The quality of each GI is considered to exclusively or significantly derive from the supposedly unique physical attributes of the defined and bounded locations from which they originate. The use of GIs discriminates between producers who are categorised as in‐place or out‐of‐place. This determines the firms that are permitted to invoke economically valuable geographical names. Producers of GIs rely on notions of place, boundaries and terroir to validate their claims to GI status. These are intrinsically geographical factors with which our discipline has long engaged. However, the GI system itself has rarely been studied from a geographical perspective. This paper interrogates the constructions of place, boundaries and terroir common to the conceptual infrastructure of all GIs. It employs Stilton Cheese – one of Britain's most iconic territorial foods – to illustrate these ideas. The Stilton case also shows that taken‐for‐granted ideas of place and production methods can be challenged by motivated adversaries who introduce new evidence in their quest to destabilise this GI. The overall aim of this work is to draw attention to the geographical infrastructure of this expanding regulatory system and more fully reveal the interests served by the GI model.
A tool for learning or a tool for cheating? The many‐sided effects of a participatory student website in mass higher education
Authors: Stöckelová Tereza , Virtová Tereza
Published: March 2014

This paper is a case study of the genesis, operation and, in particular, the educational effects of a participatory website established and run by students of one of the largest universities in theCzechRepublic, the purpose of which is to enable students to share study materials, essays and evaluations of staff and courses. We study the rise of the website as a bottom‐up reaction to deficiencies in the educational process perceived by students, which has led to changes in some of the university's educational practices. Drawing upon ethnographic data, we inquire into the various ways in which the website's existence has influenced educational processes and student–teacher relations. The findings show how such a website's impact can be both positive and negative. While it can foster collaboration and a sense of mutuality among students, trigger institutional reflexivity and generate a platform for the collective production of knowledge lacking in curricula, it can also perpetuate institutional deficiencies by compensating for them, often in undesirable ways such as cheating and plagiarism.

A video abstract of this article can be viewed athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49NlvdpEyuE
The moderating impact of self‐esteem on self‐affirmation effects
Authors: Düring Camilla , Jessop Donna C.
Published: March 2014

Objectives

This study explored whether self‐esteem would moderate the effectiveness of a self‐affirmation manipulation at increasing openness to personally relevant health‐risk information.

Design

The study employed a prospective experimental design.

Method

Participants (N = 328) completed either a self‐affirmation manipulation or a control task, prior to reading information detailing the health‐related consequences of taking insufficient exercise. They then completed a series of measures assessing their cognitions towards exercise and their derogation of the information. Exercise behaviour was assessed at 1‐week follow‐up.

Results

Self‐esteem moderated the impact of self‐affirmation on the majority of outcomes. For participants with low self‐esteem, the self‐affirmation manipulation resulted in more positive attitudes and intentions towards exercise, together with lower levels of derogation of the health‐risk information. By contrast, there was no effect of the self‐affirmation manipulation on outcomes for participants with high self‐esteem.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that self‐affirmation manipulations might be of particular benefit for those with low self‐esteem in terms of promoting openness towards health‐risk information. This is promising from a health promotion perspective, as individuals with low self‐esteem often represent those most in need of intervention.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Self‐affirmation has been shown to result in more open processing of personally relevant health‐risk information.

Individuals low in self‐esteem tend to process such information more defensively than those high in self‐esteem.

What does this study add?

It explores whether self‐esteem moderates the impact of self‐affirmation on responses to health‐risk information.

Findings suggest that individuals with low self‐esteem benefit most from the self‐affirmation manipulation.

This has important applied implications, as individuals with low self‐esteem may be most in need of intervention.
Nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptor antagonist JTC‐801 reverses pain and anxiety symptoms in a rat model of post‐traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Zhang Y , Simpson‐Durand C D , Standifer K M
Published: March 2014

Background and Purpose

Single‐prolonged stress (SPS), a rat model of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also induces long‐lasting hyperalgesia associated with hypocortisolism and elevated nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) levels in serum and CSF. Here, we determined the effect of JTC‐801 (N‐(4‐amino‐2‐methylquinolin‐6‐yl)‐2‐(4‐ethylphenoxymethyl) benzamide monohydrochloride), a nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor antagonist, on symptoms of pain and anxiety in rats after SPS exposure, and examined N/OFQ‐NOP receptor system changes.

Experimental Approach

Male Sprague Dawley rats received JTC‐801 (6 mg kg−1 i.p., once daily) during days 7–21 of SPS. The ability of JTC‐801 to inhibit N/OFQ‐stimulated [35S]‐GTPγS binding was confirmed in rat brain membranes. Anxiety‐like behaviour and pain sensitivity were monitored by changes in elevated plus maze performance and withdrawal responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli. Serum corticosterone and N/OFQ content in CSF, serum and brain tissues were determined by radioimmunoassay; NOP receptor protein and gene expression in amygdala, hippocampus and periaqueductal grey (PAG) were examined by immunoblotting and real‐time PCR respectively.

Key Results

JTC‐801 treatment reversed SPS‐induced mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, anxiety‐like behaviour and hypocortisolism. Elevated N/OFQ levels in serum, CSF, PAG and hippocampus at day 21 of SPS were blocked by JTC‐801; daily JTC‐801 treatment also reversed NOP receptor protein and mRNA up‐regulation in amygdala and PAG.

Conclusion and Implications

JTC‐801 reversed SPS‐induced anxiety‐ and pain‐like behaviours, and NOP receptor system up‐regulation. These findings suggest that N/OFQ plays an important role in hyperalgesia and allodynia maintenance after SPS. NOP receptor antagonists may provide effective treatment for co‐morbid PTSD and pain.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2
Movers and shakers: cell cytoskeleton in cancer metastasis
Authors: Fife C M , McCarroll J A , Kavallaris M
Published: March 2014

Metastasis is responsible for the greatest number of cancer deaths. Metastatic disease, or the movement of cancer cells from one site to another, is a complex process requiring dramatic remodelling of the cell cytoskeleton. The various components of the cytoskeleton, actin (microfilaments), microtubules (MTs) and intermediate filaments, are highly integrated and their functions are well orchestrated in normal cells. In contrast, mutations and abnormal expression of cytoskeletal and cytoskeletal‐associated proteins play an important role in the ability of cancer cells to resist chemotherapy and metastasize. Studies on the role of actin and its interacting partners have highlighted key signalling pathways, such as the Rho GTPases, and downstream effector proteins that, through the cytoskeleton, mediate tumour cell migration, invasion and metastasis. An emerging role for MTs in tumour cell metastasis is being unravelled and there is increasing interest in the crosstalk between key MT interacting proteins and the actin cytoskeleton, which may provide novel treatment avenues for metastatic disease. Improved understanding of how the cytoskeleton and its interacting partners influence tumour cell migration and metastasis has led to the development of novel therapeutics against aggressive and metastatic disease.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Cytoskeleton, Extracellular Matrix, Cell Migration, Wound Healing and Related Topics. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐24
Identifying ligand‐specific signalling within biased responses: focus on δ opioid receptor ligands
Authors: Charfi I , Audet N , Bagheri Tudashki H , Pineyro G
Published: March 2014

Opioids activate GPCRs to produce powerful analgesic actions but at the same time induce side effects and generate tolerance, which restrict their clinical use. Reducing this undesired response profile has remained a major goal of opioid research and the notion of ‘biased agonism’ is raising increasing interest as a means of separating therapeutic responses from unwanted side effects. However, to fully exploit this opportunity, it is necessary to confidently identify biased signals and evaluate which type of bias may support analgesia and which may lead to undesired effects. The development of new computational tools has made it possible to quantify ligand‐dependent signalling and discriminate this component from confounders that may also yield biased responses. Here, we analyse different approaches to identify and quantify ligand‐dependent bias and review different types of confounders. Focus is on δ opioid receptor ligands, which are currently viewed as promising agents for chronic pain management.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2
Recent advances on the δ opioid receptor: from trafficking to function
Authors: Gendron Louis , Mittal Nitish , Beaudry Hélène , Walwyn Wendy
Published: March 2014

Within the opioid family of receptors, δ (DOPrs) and μ opioid receptors (MOPrs) are typical GPCRs that activate canonical second‐messenger signalling cascades to influence diverse cellular functions in neuronal and non‐neuronal cell types. These receptors activate well‐known pathways to influence ion channel function and pathways such as the map kinase cascade, AC and PI3K. In addition new information regarding opioid receptor‐interacting proteins, downstream signalling pathways and resultant functional effects has recently come to light. In this review, we will examine these novel findings focusing on the DOPr and, in doing so, will contrast and compare DOPrs with MOPrs in terms of differences and similarities in function, signalling pathways, distribution and interactions. We will also discuss and clarify issues that have recently surfaced regarding the expression and function of DOPrs in different cell types and analgesia.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2
Plant DNA barcoding: from gene to genome
Authors: Li Xiwen , Yang Yang , Henry Robert J. , Rossetto Maurizio , Wang Yitao , Chen Shilin
Published: March 2014

DNA barcoding is currently a widely used and effective tool that enables rapid and accurate identification of plant species; however, none of the available loci work across all species. Because single‐locus DNA barcodes lack adequate variations in closely related taxa, recent barcoding studies have placed high emphasis on the use of whole‐chloroplast genome sequences which are now more readily available as a consequence of improving sequencing technologies. While chloroplast genome sequencing can already deliver a reliable barcode for accurate plant identification it is not yet resource‐effective and does not yet offer the speed of analysis provided by single‐locus barcodes to unspecialized laboratory facilities. Here, we review the development of candidate barcodes and discuss the feasibility of using the chloroplast genome as a super‐barcode. We advocate a new approach for DNA barcoding that, for selected groups of taxa, combines the best use of single‐locus barcodes and super‐barcodes for efficient plant identification. Specific barcodes might enhance our ability to distinguish closely related plants at the species and population levels.
Performing the Public Man: Cultures and Identities in China's Grassroots Leisure Class
Authors: Qian Junxi
Published: March 2014

This article examines cultural practices and social life in urban public spaces of postreform China, focusing on the everyday leisure, entertainment, and cultural activities spontaneously organized by grassroots residents or groups. It examines performativity in constituting cultural meanings, reproducing everyday identities, and building up mutual engagements, and unravels the ways in which ordinary people devote resources, labor, and energy to keep alive individual or collective identities. Performances of cultural identities in public spaces entail improvised and temporary social relations which emerge from the immediate contexts of mundane spatial practices. Empirical analyses of public performativity in Guangzhou identify three scenarios, namely, the performativity of public teaching, public shows and performances, and the performative displays of cultural difference between carnivalesque dancing and “high–end culture” in public leisure.
Parks for Profit: The High Line, Growth Machines, and the Uneven Development of Urban Public Spaces
Authors: Loughran Kevin
Published: March 2014

This paper investigates the growing inequality of public spaces in contemporary cities. In the era of neoliberal urbanism, stratified economic and cultural resources produce a spectrum of unevenly developed public parks, ranging from elite, privatized public spaces in wealthy districts to neglected parks in poor neighborhoods. Contemporary economic and cultural practices in public space are equally segmented, as privileged public spaces such as New York's High Line reflect the consumption habitus of the new urban middle class, while violence, disinvestment, and revanchist policing permeate public spaces on the urban periphery. Using New York's High Line as an archetypal neoliberal space, I trace its redevelopment from a decaying railroad viaduct to a celebrated public park. I argue that contemporary parks and public spaces are best analyzed on a continuum of privilege.
Osteoclast‐like cells on deproteinized bovine bone mineral and biphasic calcium phosphate: light and transmission electron microscopical observations
Authors: Jensen Simon S. , Gruber Reinhard , Buser Daniel , Bosshardt Dieter D.
Published: March 2014

Objectives

The occurrence of multinucleated giant cells (MNGCs) on bone substitute materials has been recognized for a long time. However, there have been no studies linking material characteristics with morphology of the MNGCs. The aim was to analyze the qualitative differences of MNGCs on two commercially available calcium phosphate bone substitute materials retrieved from bone defects.

Material and methods

Six defects were prepared bilaterally in the mandibular body of three mini pigs. The defects were randomly grafted with either deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) or biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP). After a healing period of four weeks, bone blocks were embedded in LR White resin. Three consecutive sections per defect were analyzed as follows: two with light microscopy using toluidine blue and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and one with transmission electron microscopy.

Results

Multinucleated giant cells appeared on both biomaterials. On BCP, MNGCs had a flat morphology and were not observed in resorption lacunae. On DBBM, the MNGCs appeared more round and were often found in shallow concavities. MNGCs on both biomaterials demonstrated a varying degree of TRAP staining, with a tendency toward higher staining intensity of MNGCs on BCP. At the ultrastructural level, signs of superficial dissolution of BCP together with phagocytosis of minor fragments were observed. MNGCs on the surface of DBBM demonstrated sealing zones and ruffled borders, both features of mature osteoclasts.

Conclusion

MNGCs demonstrated distinctly different histological features depending on the bone substitute material used. Further research is warranted to understand the clinical implications of these morphological observations.
Microbiological assessment of the implant‐abutment interface in different connections: cross‐sectional study after 5 years of functional loading
Authors: Canullo Luigi , Penarrocha‐Oltra David , Soldini Claudio , Mazzocco Fabio , Penarrocha Maria , Covani Ugo
Published: March 2014

Objective

To evaluate the bacterial microflora present inside the implant connection and in the peri‐implant sulcus fluid of healthy implants, and to analyze the relationships between these harboring sites for four different implant systems after at least 5 years of functional loading.

Materials and methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed involving 40 patients treated with metal‐ceramic cemented bridges supported by at least two healthy implants functionally loaded for 5 years. Four different implant‐abutment connections were studied: external hexagon (control group), double internal hexagon (test group 1), internal hexagon with external collar (test group 2), and conical connection (test group 3). Samples for microbiological analysis were obtained from three types of sites: peri‐implant sulci, connections' inside and abutments surface and, as control, gingival sulci of neighboring teeth. Quantitative real‐timePCRwas carried out for Total Bacterial Count and for 10 microorganisms:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythensis, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Peptostreptococcus micros, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Campylobacter rectus, Eikenella corrodens,andCandida albicans. The response variables were percentage of positive sites and absolute bacterial load. The relations of the response variables with the type of connection and of sampling site were assessed using generalized estimating equations.

Results

Regarding the analysis of positivity to bacteria in the peri‐implant sulcus no significant differences were observed. Analyzing the connection's inside, none of the connection designs had the capacity to prevent microbiological leakage through the implant/abutment microgap. Test group 3 presented the lowest mean values for red complex bacteria and control group the highest, although differences were non‐significant. Statistical significance was only reached forTreponema denticolain the bacterial load analysis inside the connection. Test groups 1 and 2 yielded lower values for orange complex bacteria but only forPeptostreptococos microsthe differences resulted significant. Test groups 2 and 3 had significantly lower total bacterial counts in the peri‐implant sulcus and inside the connection.

Conclusions

Outcomes suggested that all the analyzed connections resulted contaminated after 5 years of functional loading. However, the connection design might influence bacterial activity levels qualitatively and quantitatively, especially inside the implant connection.
Duodenal villous morphology assessed using magnification narrow band imaging correlates well with histology in patients with suspected malabsorption syndrome
Authors: Dutta Amit Kumar , Sajith Kattiparambil Gangadharan , Shah Gautam , Pulimood Anna Benjamin , Simon Ebby George , Joseph Anjilivelil Joseph , Chacko Ashok
Published: March 2014

Background and Aim

Narrow band imaging with magnification enables detailed assessment of duodenal villi and may be useful in predicting the presence of villous atrophy or normal villi. We aimed to assess the morphology of duodenal villi using magnification narrow band imaging and correlate it with histology findings in patients with clinically suspected malabsorption syndrome.

Methods

Patients with clinical suspicion of malabsorption presenting at a tertiary care center were prospectively recruited in this diagnostic intervention study. Patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy using magnification narrow band imaging. The villous morphology in the second part of the duodenum was assessed independently by two endoscopists and the presence of normal or atrophic villi was recorded. Biopsy specimen was obtained from the same area and was examined by two pathologists together. The sensitivity and specificity of magnification narrow band imaging in detecting the presence of duodenal villous atrophy was calculated and compared to the histology.

Results

One hundred patients with clinically suspected malabsorption were included in this study. Sixteen patients had histologically confirmed villous atrophy. The sensitivity and specificity of narrow band imaging in predicting villous atrophy was 87.5% and 95.2%, respectively, for one endoscopist. The corresponding figures for the second endoscopist were 81.3% and 92.9%, respectively. The interobserver agreement was very good with a kappa value of 0.87.

Conclusion

Magnification narrow band imaging performed very well in predicting duodenal villous morphology. This may help in carrying out targeted biopsies and avoiding unnecessary biopsies in patients with suspected malabsorption.
Genetic disorders of thyroid metabolism and brain development
Authors: Kurian Manju A , Jungbluth Heinz
Published: March 2014

Normal thyroid metabolism is essential for human development, including the formation and functioning of the central and peripheral nervous system. Disorders of thyroid metabolism are increasingly recognized within the spectrum of paediatric neurological disorders. Both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid disease states (resulting from genetic and acquired aetiologies) can lead to characteristic neurological syndromes, with cognitive delay, extrapyramidal movement disorders, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and neuromuscular manifestations. In this review, the neurological manifestations of genetic disorders of thyroid metabolism are outlined, with particular focus on Allan‐Herndon‐Dudley syndrome and benign hereditary chorea. We report in detail the clinical features, major neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations, molecular genetic findings, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic strategies for these emerging genetic ‘brain‐thyroid’ disorders.
Psychological and pharmacological interventions for depression in patients with diabetes mellitus: an abridged Cochrane review
Authors: Baumeister H. , Hutter N. , Bengel J.
Published: March 2014

Aims

To summarize and critically evaluate the effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological interventions for depression in patients with both diabetes and depression.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials investigating psychological and pharmacological interventions for depression in adults with diabetes and depression were included. A comprehensive search of primary studies according to Cochrane were conducted. Primary outcomes were depression and glycaemic control. Further, treatment adherence, diabetes complications, mortality, healthcare costs and quality of life were investigated. Two reviewers identified primary studies and extracted data independently. Random‐effects model meta‐analyses were conducted to compute overall estimates of treatment outcomes.

Results

The database search resulted in 3963 references, of which 19 trials were included. Randomized controlled trials of psychological interventions showed positive effects on short‐ and medium‐term depression severity [standardized mean difference short‐term range –1.47; –0.14, n = 7; medium‐term standardized mean difference –0.42 (95% CI –0.70 to –0.14), n = 3] and depression remission [odds ratio short term 2.88 (95% CI 1.58–5.25), n = 4; odds ratio medium term 2.49 (95% CI 1.44–4.32), n = 2]. Effects on glycaemic control in psychological intervention trials varied substantially (standardized mean difference range –0.97 to 0.47, n = 4). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors showed a moderate beneficial effect on short‐term depression severity [standardized mean difference –0.39 (95% CI –0.64 to –0.13], n = 5) and depression remission [odds ratio 2.52 (95% CI 1.11–5.75), n = 2]. Glycaemic control improved in randomized controlled trials comparing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors with placebo at the end of treatment [standardized mean difference –0.38 (95% CI –0.64 to –0.12), n = 5].

Conclusions

Psychological and pharmacological interventions positively affect depression outcomes in patients with diabetes at the end of treatment. Furthermore, short‐term glycaemic control improved moderately in pharmacological trials. Most outcomes have not been investigated sufficiently. Moreover, there is a lack of follow‐up data for pharmacological trials limiting the evidence on the sustainability of treatment effects.
Cardiac Function and Its Evolution with Pulmonary Vasodilator Therapy: A Myocardial Deformation Study
Authors: Sehgal Arvind , Ibrahim Masitah , Tan Kenneth
Published: March 2014

Speckle tracking echocardiography–derived myocardial strain has useful clinical applications in adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH) as well as preterm infants with chronic lung disease. It is considered more sensitive compared to conventional indices. This report presents a 3‐month‐old infant with PH and poor right ventricular function who was treated with inhaled nitric oxide. Myocardial strain was noted to be impaired with paradoxical segmental strain. Impairment in strain improved after inhaled nitric therapy. Strain analysis can help improve understanding of cardiac adaptation in critical clinical situations.
Flaws in animal studies exploring statins and impact on meta‐analysis
Authors: Moja Lorenzo , Pecoraro Valentina , Ciccolallo Laura , Dall'Olmo Luigi , Virgili Gianni , Garattini Silvio
Published: March 2014

Background

Animal experiments should be appropriately designed, correctly analysed and transparently reported to increase their scientific validity and maximise the knowledge gained from each experiment. This systematic review of animal experiments investigating statins evaluates their quality of reporting and methodological aspects as well as their implications for the conduction of meta‐analyses.

Methods

We searched medline and embase for studies reporting research on statins in mice, rats and rabbits. We collected detailed information about the characteristics of studies, animals and experimental methods.

Results

We retrieved 161 studies. A little over half did not report randomisation (55%) and most did not describe blinding (88%). All studies reported details on the experimental procedure, although many omitted information about animal gender, age or weight. Four percent did not report the number of animals used. None reported the sample size. Fixed‐ and random‐effects models gave different results (ratio of effect size increased by five folds). Heterogeneity was consistently substantial within animal models, for which accounting for covariates had minimal impact. Publication bias is highly suspected across studies.

Conclusions

Although statins showed efficacy in animal models, preclinical studies highlighted fundamental problems in the way in which such research is conducted and reported. Results were often difficult to interpret and reproduce. Different meta‐analytic approaches were highly inconsistent: a reliable approach to estimate the true parameter was imperceptible. Policies that address these issues are required from investigators, editors and institutions that care about the quality standards and ethics of animal research.
Properties of 4 Hz stimulation‐induced parallel fiber–Purkinje cell presynaptic long‐term plasticity in mouse cerebellar cortex in vivo
Authors: Chu Chun‐Ping , Zhao Guo‐Yan , Jin Ri , Zhao Sheng‐Nan , Sun Lei , Qiu De‐Lai
Published: March 2014

Cerebellar parallel fiber–Purkinje cell (PF–PC) long‐term synaptic plasticity is important for the formation and stability of cerebellar neuronal circuits, and provides substrates for motor learning and memory. We previously reported both presynaptic long‐term potentiation (LTP) and long‐term depression (LTD) in cerebellar PF–PC synapses in vitro. However, the expression and mechanisms of cerebellar PF–PC synaptic plasticity in the cerebellar cortex in vivo are poorly understood. In the present study, we studied the properties of 4 Hz stimulation‐induced PF–PC presynaptic long‐term plasticity using in vivo the whole‐cell patch‐clamp recording technique and pharmacological methods in urethane‐anesthetised mice. Our results demonstrated that 4 Hz PF stimulation induced presynaptic LTD of PF–PC synaptic transmission in the intact cerebellar cortex in living mice. The PF–PC presynaptic LTD was attenuated by either the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor antagonist, D‐aminophosphonovaleric acid, or the group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist, JNJ16259685, and was abolished by combined D‐aminophosphonovaleric acid and JNJ16259685, but enhanced by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase. Blockade of cannabinoid type 1 receptor activity abolished the PF–PC LTD and revealed a presynaptic PF–PC LTP. These data indicate that both endocannabinoids and nitric oxide synthase are involved in the 4 Hz stimulation‐induced PF–PC presynaptic plasticity, but the endocannabinoid‐dependent PF–PC presynaptic LTD masked the nitric oxide‐mediated PF–PC presynaptic LTP in the cerebellar cortex in urethane‐anesthetised mice.
Reduced levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor contribute to synaptic imbalance during the critical period of respiratory development in rats
Authors: Gao Xiu‐ping , Liu Qiuli , Nair Bindu , Wong‐Riley Margaret T. T.
Published: March 2014

Previously, our electrophysiological studies revealed a transient imbalance between suppressed excitation and enhanced inhibition in hypoglossal motoneurons of rats on postnatal days (P) 12–13, a critical period when abrupt neurochemical, metabolic, ventilatory and physiological changes occur in the respiratory system. The mechanism underlying the imbalance is poorly understood. We hypothesised that the imbalance was contributed by a reduced expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which normally enhances excitation and suppresses inhibition. We also hypothesised that exogenous BDNF would partially reverse this synaptic imbalance. Immunohistochemistry/single‐neuron optical densitometry, real‐time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) and whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings were done on hypoglossal motoneurons in brainstem slices of rats during the first three postnatal weeks. Our results indicated that: (1) the levels of BDNF and its high‐affinity tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) receptor mRNAs and proteins were relatively high during the first 1–1.5 postnatal weeks, but dropped precipitously at P12–13 before rising again afterwards; (2) exogenous BDNF significantly increased the normally lowered frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents but decreased the normally heightened amplitude and frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) during the critical period; (3) exogenous BDNF also decreased the normally heightened frequency of miniature IPSCs at P12–13; and (4) the effect of exogenous BDNF was partially blocked by K252a, a TrkB receptor antagonist. Thus, our results are consistent with our hypothesis that BDNF and TrkB play an important role in the synaptic imbalance during the critical period. This may have significant implications for the mechanism underlying sudden infant death syndrome.
Rapid evolution of an introduced insect Ophraella communa LeSage in new environments: temporal changes and geographical differences in photoperiodic response
Authors: Tanaka Koichi , Murata Kouhei , Matsuura Asana
Published: March 2014

The accidentally introduced beetle Ophraella communa was first found in 1996 in Japan and has rapidly expanded its distribution range to include regions with substantially different climates. During this range expansion and subsequent establishment in new habitats, the life history traits of O. communa have changed depending on new habitat environmental conditions. In this study, we investigated the photoperiodic response of O. communa controlling its reproductive diapause, an important trait that adjusts the life cycle to local climate and phenology of host‐plants. We examined temporal changes and geographical differences in this trait. In the Tsukuba population of O. communa, the diapause incidence under conditions of 12 h light : 12 h dark (LD 12:12), 13:11 and 14:10 did not consistently increase or decrease during 2005–2012, although it fluctuated yearly. The diapause incidence in this period, however, was lower than that in 1999 reported previously and the critical day‐length inducing diapause was shortened by >1 h from 1999 to 2005. These results suggest that the photoperiodic response of O. communa shifted during this period. To examine geographical differences in this trait, we compared the Hirosaki, Morioka, Tsukuba and Koshi lines. The diapause incidence at LD 13:11 was significantly different between the O. communa lines: 86.5% in the Hirosaki line (collected in 2010) , 81.4% in Morioka (collected in 2010), 45.0% in Tsukuba (collected in 2011) and 7.1% in Koshi (collected in 2009), and was positively correlated with the latitude of the origin. These results suggest that this trait shifted, responding to the environmental conditions in the colonized regions.
Interpreting some experimental evidences of fatigue crack size effects through a kinked crack model
Authors: Spagnoli A. , Vantadori S. , Carpinteri A.
Published: March 2014

Threshold condition and rate of fatigue crack growth in both short and long crack regime appear to be significantly affected by the degree of crack deflection. In the present paper, a theoretical model of a periodically kinked crack is proposed to describe the influence of the crack deflection degree on the fatigue behaviour. The kinking of the crack is due to a periodic self‐balanced microstress field having length scale d. By correlating the parameter d with a characteristic material length (e.g. average grain size in metals, maximum aggregate size in concrete), the present model is applied to interpret some experimental findings related to crack size effects in fatigue of materials. Well‐known experimental results concerning three different situations (fatigue threshold, fatigue short crack growth and fatigue crack growth in the Paris regime) are analysed.
Piscivory does not cause pansteatitis (yellow fat disease) in Oreochromis mossambicus from an African subtropical reservoir
Authors: Dabrowski J. , Hall G. , Lübcker N. , Oberholster P. J. , Phillips D. L. , Woodborne S.
Published: March 2014

Pansteatitis (yellow fat disease) is ubiquitous in the free‐ranging population of Oreochromis mossambicus from Loskop Reservoir (LR), South Africa. The disease is nutritionally mediated and associated with a diet high in polyunsaturated or rancid fats, frequently of fish origin. While piscivory has never been reported in dietary studies of O. mossambicus in their native range, their opportunistic and omnivorous feeding habits mean that piscivory cannot be ruled out as a cause of the disease.

The diet of O. mossambicus from LR (n = 91) was compared with a population from Flag Boshielo Reservoir (FBR; n = 81) located <100 km downstream, where no pansteatitis occurs. The stomach contents and stable isotope signatures (δ15N and δ13C) of fish and food sources were evaluated across four seasons. Isotope signatures were also compared over various time scales from historic samples and mortalities collected from LR.

There was no evidence of piscivorous feeding behaviour in fish from either location or from historic LR samples. The results of the stable isotope analysis in R mixing model and stomach contents analysis showed that the dinoflagellate, Ceratium hirundinella, was the dominant food source followed by zooplankton, detritus and Microcystis aeruginosa in LR. The diet of fish from FBR was less diverse than fish from LR and was dominated by sediment and detritus.

The distinguishing feature of the dietary comparison between reservoirs was the abundance of planktonic food items dominated by C. hirundinella in the diet of fish from LR. The lack of evidence for piscivory among O. mossambicus from LR suggests that the classic aetiology of pansteatitis does not apply. This highlights the need to further explore direct (environmental exposure to pollutants) and indirect (dietary exposure) links to pansteatitis. This study identified the major dietary constituents for O. mossambicus, which enables future research to focus on their nutritional and chemical composition.
Geographical variation in climatic sensitivity of intertidal mussel zonation
Authors: Mislan K. A. S. , Helmuth Brian , Wethey David S.
Published: March 2014

Aim

To identify geographic locations where lethal temperatures and upper zonation limits ofMytilus californianusbeds coincide and to determine the dominant climatic factor where lethal limits occur.

Location

Intertidal shores along 1500 km of the west coast ofNorthAmerica.

Methods

Lethal temperatures forM. californianuswere determined using temperature‐controlled chambers in which both the magnitude and duration of exposure were manipulated. Field surveys of the shore level and solar exposure of upper zonation limits of mussel beds were conducted at 15 sites. Measurements from the lethal temperature studies and field surveys were used with a biophysical model of mussel body temperature to hindcastM. californianusmortality rates from 1997–2007.

Results

The critical lethal high body temperature wasc. 38 °C. Hindcasts of mortality rates predicted that lethal temperatures occurred along the upper limits of the mussel bed at only two of the sites,SantaCruz andAlegria,CA,USA, and daily maximum air temperature during low tide was the variable that distinguished these sites.SantaCruz andAlegria were not adjacent to each other and not the most equatorward of the sites examined.

Main conclusions

Local upper zonation limits of the musselM. californianusare determined by lethal high body temperatures at two of 15 locations, which means that alternative environmental factors are determining local zonation at most of the study sites. Mussel body temperature is driven by many physical variables, but air temperature was higher atSantaCruz andAlegria than elsewhere making it the most likely factor driving the climatic sensitivity at local upper zonation limits. There was no significant evidence of local acclimation or local adaptation in this species. Some local zonation limits are more vulnerable to climate change than others, potentially causing the magnitude and timing of zonation shifts to differ even among closely situated sites.
A metamodelling approach to estimate global N2O emissions from agricultural soils
Authors: Perlman Joshua , Hijmans Robert J. , Horwath William R.
Published: March 2014

Aim

Modelling complex environmental and ecological processes over large geographic areas is challenging, particularly when basic research and model development for such processes has historically been at the local scale. Moving from local toward global analysis brings up numerous issues related to data processing, aggregation, tradeoffs between model quality and data quality, and prioritization of data collection and/or compilation efforts. We studied these issues in the context of modelling emissions of N2O (a potent greenhouse gas) from agricultural soils.

Location

Global.

Methods

We developed metamodels of the DeNitrification–DeComposition (DNDC) model, a mechanistic model that simulates greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils, to estimate global N2O emissions from maize and wheat fields. We ran DNDC for a diverse sample of global climate and soil types, and fitted the model output as a function of (sometimes simplified) model input variables, using the random forest machine learning algorithm. We used the metamodels to estimate global N2O emissions from maize and wheat at a very high spatial resolution (c. 1 km2) and examined the effects of different approaches of using soil data as well as the effects of spatial aggregation of soil and climate data.

Results

The average coefficient of determination (R2) between holdout data (DNDC output not used to construct the metamodel) and metamodel predictions was 0.97 for maize and 0.91 for wheat. The metamodels were sensitive to soil properties, particularly to soil organic carbon content. Global emission estimates with the metamodel were highly sensitive to the spatial aggregation and other forms of generalization of soil data, but much less so to aggregation of climate data.

Main conclusions

Using a simplified metamodel with data of high spatial resolution could produce results that are more accurate than those obtained with a full mechanistic model and lower‐resolution data.
Determinants of species abundance for eastern North American trees
Authors: Xing Dingliang , Swenson Nathan G. , Weiser Michael D. , Hao Zhanqing
Published: March 2014

Aim

We aimed to quantify the relative contributions of trait‐based selection and the flow of individuals across space created by differences in species abundance, i.e. mass effects, in determining local‐scale species relative abundance (SRA) at 0.07 ha, 1° grid cell and subregion grains.

Location

The eastern USA.

Methods

We coupled a maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) with nine species‐specific plant traits and a continental‐scale forest inventory dataset to perform our analyses. Mass effects were estimated using the next grain size up as the metacommunity (or the eastern USA at the subregion grain, and also at the 1° grid cell grain in a fourth analysis). Permutation tests were conducted to test the significance of trait constraints. The Kullback–Leibler divergence index was used to decompose the information content in each assemblage SRA.

Results

Trait constraints were significant in predicting community structures at coarse scales, but were largely not significant at fine or medium scales. At the 0.07 ha grain little of the variation in local SRA can be explained by either trait constraints or a regional SRA. At the 1° grain c. 61% of the variation could be accounted for by a regional SRA represented by subregions. At the subregion grain c. 74% of the variation could be accounted for by trait constraints and the SRA of the entire study area.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that the relative importance of community assembly processes is scale dependent. Estimated mass effects predominated at small spatial scales where environmental gradients were weak. Trait‐based selection was hard to detect at small scales and was strongest at large scales where environmental gradients are stronger. The fact that, at all scales, mass effects accounted for more variation in assemblage SRA than trait‐based selection in our analyses suggests that regional processes are important in determining community structures more locally.
The Limits of Regulation: Indirect Party Access to State Resources in Australia and the United Kingdom
Authors: Bolleyer Nicole , Gauja Anika
Published: March 2014

The way in which political parties use state resources indirectly (e.g., parliamentary expenses) receives substantial attention in public debate, particularly when surrounded by perceptions of misuse. However, scholarly studies of resources indirectly available to parties through their functions in the state, how they are used and regulated, are rare. This article presents an analytical framework that identifies and categorizes the range of indirect resources linked to parties' institutional roles. It locates these resources within a four‐fold matrix of regulation, distinguishing regimes that vary in their detail and whether compliance is externally monitored. Undertaking comparative case studies of parliamentary resource use in the United Kingdom and Australia, we argue that the blurring of party‐political and parliamentary roles can impede the effectiveness of regulatory regimes that democracies adopt, regardless of detail and external enforcement. These findings have important implications for regulatory reforms that seek to constrain parties' behavior to depoliticize democratic governance.
Semi‐Arid Aquifer Responses to Forest Restoration Treatments and Climate Change
Authors: Wyatt Clinton J.W. , O'Donnell Frances C. , Springer Abraham E.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to develop an interpretive groundwater‐flow model to assess the impacts that planned forest restoration treatments and anticipated climate change will have on large regional, deep (>400 m), semi‐arid aquifers. Simulations were conducted to examine how tree basal area reductions impact groundwater recharge from historic conditions to 2099. Novel spatial analyses were conducted to determine areas and rates of potential increases in groundwater recharge. Changes in recharge were applied to the model by identifying zones of basal area reduction from planned forest restoration treatments and applying recharge‐change factors to these zones. Over a 10‐year period of forest restoration treatment, a 2.8% increase in recharge to one adjacent groundwater basin (the Verde Valley sub‐basin) was estimated, compared to conditions that existed from 2000 to 2005. However, this increase in recharge was assumed to quickly decline after treatment due to regrowth of vegetation and forest underbrush and their associated increased evapotranspiration. Furthermore, simulated increases in groundwater recharge were masked by decreases in water levels, stream baseflow, and groundwater storage resulting from surface water diversions and groundwater pumping. These results indicate that there is an imbalance between water supply and demand in this regional, semi‐arid aquifer. Current water management practices may not be sustainable into the far future and comprehensive action should be taken to minimize this water budget imbalance.
Determinants of 1‐year changes in disease‐specific health status in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A 1‐year observational study
Authors: Wilke Sarah , Spruit Martijn A , Wouters Emiel FM , Schols Jos MGA , Franssen Frits ME , Janssen Daisy JA
Published: March 2014

We aimed to identify baseline and longitudinal determinants of change in disease‐specific health status in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Demographic and clinical characteristics as well as disease‐specific health status (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, SGRQ) were assessed in 105 outpatients with advanced COPD at baseline and at 4, 8 and 12 months. Eighty‐five patients (81.0%) had complete SGRQ data at baseline and 12 months and were included in analyses. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that lower SGRQ total score, higher depression scores and longer time needed to complete the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test at baseline, as well as increase in time needed to complete the TUG test and increase in dyspnoea during the 1‐year follow‐up period, were predictors of deterioration in disease‐specific health status. The current study reinforces the stimulation of physical mobility and the targeting of dyspnoea as components for treatment programs to optimize disease‐specific health status in patients with advanced COPD.