bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The incidence and selection of multiple mating in plants
Authors: Pannell John R. , Labouche Anne-Marie
Published: January 2013

Mating with more than one pollen donor, or polyandry, is common in land plants. In flowering plants, polyandry occurs when the pollen from different potential sires is distributed among the fruits of a single individual, or when pollen from more than one donor is deposited on the same stigma. Because polyandry typically leads to multiple paternity among or within fruits, it can be indirectly inferred on the basis of paternity analysis using molecular markers. A review of the literature indicates that polyandry is probably ubiquitous in plants except those that habitually self-fertilize, or that disperse their pollen in pollen packages, such as polyads or pollinia. Multiple mating may increase plants' female component by alleviating pollen limitation or by promoting competition among pollen grains from different potential sires. Accordingly, a number of traits have evolved that should promote polyandry at the flower level from the female's point of view, e.g. the prolongation of stigma receptivity or increases in stigma size. However, many floral traits, such as attractiveness, the physical manipulation of pollinators and pollen-dispensing mechanisms that lead to polyandrous pollination, have probably evolved in response to selection to promote male siring success in general, so that polyandry might often best be seen as a by-product of selection to enhance outcross siring success. In this sense, polyandry in plants is similar to geitonogamy (selfing caused by pollen transfer among flowers of the same plant), because both polyandry and geitonogamy probably result from selection to promote outcross siring success, although geitonogamy is almost always deleterious while polyandry in plants will seldom be so.
Sex allocation and investment into pre- and post-copulatory traits in simultaneous hermaphrodites: the role of polyandry and local sperm competition
Authors: Schärer Lukas , Pen Ido
Published: January 2013

Sex allocation theory predicts the optimal allocation to male and female reproduction in sexual organisms. In animals, most work on sex allocation has focused on species with separate sexes and our understanding of simultaneous hermaphrodites is patchier. Recent theory predicts that sex allocation in simultaneous hermaphrodites should strongly be affected by post-copulatory sexual selection, while the role of pre-copulatory sexual selection is much less clear. Here, we review sex allocation and sexual selection theory for simultaneous hermaphrodites, and identify several strong and potentially unwarranted assumptions. We then present a model that treats allocation to sexually selected traits as components of sex allocation and explore patterns of allocation when some of these assumptions are relaxed. For example, when investment into a male sexually selected trait leads to skews in sperm competition, causing local sperm competition, this is expected to lead to a reduced allocation to sperm production. We conclude that understanding the evolution of sex allocation in simultaneous hermaphrodites requires detailed knowledge of the different sexual selection processes and their relative importance. However, little is currently known quantitatively about sexual selection in simultaneous hermaphrodites, about what the underlying traits are, and about what drives and constrains their evolution. Future work should therefore aim at quantifying sexual selection and identifying the underlying traits along the pre- to post-copulatory axis.
The consequences of polyandry for population viability, extinction risk and conservation
Authors: Holman Luke , Kokko Hanna
Published: January 2013

Polyandry, by elevating sexual conflict and selecting for reduced male care relative to monandry, may exacerbate the cost of sex and thereby seriously impact population fitness. On the other hand, polyandry has a number of possible population-level benefits over monandry, such as increased sexual selection leading to faster adaptation and a reduced mutation load. Here, we review existing information on how female fitness evolves under polyandry and how this influences population dynamics. In balance, it is far from clear whether polyandry has a net positive or negative effect on female fitness, but we also stress that its effects on individuals may not have visible demographic consequences. In populations that produce many more offspring than can possibly survive and breed, offspring gained or lost as a result of polyandry may not affect population size. Such ecological ‘masking’ of changes in population fitness could hide a response that only manifests under adverse environmental conditions (e.g. anthropogenic change). Surprisingly few studies have attempted to link mating system variation to population dynamics, and in general we urge researchers to consider the ecological consequences of evolutionary processes.
(Z)-3-(1-Hydroxy-3-oxobut-1-enyl)-6-nitro-2H-chromen-2-one
Authors: Topno Nishith Saurav , Tangeti Venkataswamy , Rao H. Surya Prakash , Krishna R.
Published: January 2013

In the title compound, C13H9NO6, the coumarin system has the benzene ring aligned at 0.61 (18)° with respect to the pyrone ring. An intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bond stabilizes the molecular conformation and a C—H...O contact also occurs. In the crystal, weak C—H...O interactions link the molecules, forming inversion dimers.
Bis(4,4′′-difluoro-1,1′:3′,1′′-terphenyl-2′-carboxylato-κO)tetrakis(methanol-κO)calcium methanol tetrasolvate
Authors: Kim Namseok , Noh Heeso , Yoon Sungho , Park Chan Ryang
Published: January 2013

In the title compound, [Ca(C19H11F2O2)2(CH3OH)4]·4CH3OH, the Ca2+ion is located on an inversion centre and is hexacoordinated by two O atoms of two 4,4′′-difluoro-1,1′:3′,1′′-terphenyl-2′-carboxylate ligands and four O atoms of four methanol ligands, forming a CaO6polyhedron with a slightly distorted octahedral coordination geometry. The Ca—O—C angle between the carboxylate group and the calcium ion is 171.8 (2)°. Two types of intermolecular hydrogen-bond interactions (C=O...H and O—H...O) between the carboxylate ligand, the methanol solvent molecules and the coordinating methanol ligands generate a two-dimensional network parallel to (001).
(4R*,4aR*,7aS*)-5-Oxo-6-phenyl-4a,5,6,7,7a,8-hexahydro-4H-furo[2,3-f]isoindole-4-carboxylic acid
Authors: Horak Yuriy I. , Lytvyn Roman Z. , Zubkov Fedor I. , Nikitina Eugeniya V. , Homza Yuriy V. , Lis Tadeusz , Kinzhybalo Vasyl , Obushak Mykola D.
Published: January 2013

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C17H15NO4, contains two independent molecules with similar geometric parameters. In both molecules, the conformation of the cyclohexene ring is half-chair, while the pyrrolidinone ring adopts an envelope conformation with the γ-carbon atom of the α-pyrrolidinone ring as the flap. In the crystal, O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the carboxylic and carbonyl groups link alternate independent molecules into chains propagating in theb-axis direction. The crystal packing also features weak C—H...π interactions.
Methyl 4′-(4-fluorophenyl)-1′-methyl-3′-nitromethyl-2-oxospiro[indoline-3,2′-pyrrolidine]-3′-carboxylate
Authors: Revathi B. K. , Sathya S. , Usha G. , Murugan G. , Bakthadoss M.
Published: January 2013

In the title compound, C21H20FN3O5, the the pyrrolidine ring makes dihedral angles of 84.91 (6) and 62.38 (7)° with the oxindole unit and the fluorophenyl ring, respectively. The pyrrolidine ring assumes an envelope conformation with the spiro C atom as the flap. The crystal packing features weak N—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds.
Benzyl 2-(benzylsulfanyl)benzoate
Authors: Leka Zorica , Novaković Sladjana B. , Bogdanović Goran A. , Radić Gordana P. , Ratković Zoran R.
Published: January 2013

In the title compound, C21H18O2S, the central aromatic ring makes dihedral angles of 5.86 (12) and 72.02 (6)° with the rings of the terminalO-benzyl andS-benzyl groups, respectively. The dihedral angle between the peripheral phenyl rings is 66.16 (6)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers. These dimers are linkedviaC—H...π interactions, forming a three-dimensional network.
rac-[2-(Dicyclohexylphosphanyl)phenyl](phenyl)phosphinic diisopropylamide–borane hemihydrate
Authors: Evans Stephen J. , Renison C. Alicia , Williams D. Bradley G. , Muller Alfred
Published: January 2013

In the title compound, C30H48BNOP2·0.5H2O, the water molecule is disordered about an inversion centre. Both phosphorus atoms shows distortions in their tetrahedral environments with the cyclohexyl substituents disordered over two orientations in a 0.851 (3):0.149 (3) occupancy ratio. The crystal structure is assembledviaO—H...O interactions between pairs of phosphininc amide molecules and water molecules, creating hydrogen-bonded dimers with graph-setR24(8) along [001]. Weak C—H...O interactions are also observed.
Forest‐poverty nexus: Exploring the contribution of forests to rural livelihoods in Kenya
Authors: Kabubo‐Mariara Jane
Published: January 2013

This paper explores the contribution of forests to the livelihoods of local communities in Kenya. The paper uses survey data to explore resource extraction and the economic reliance of households on forests. The results suggest that both rich and poor households depend on forests, and that membership in forest user groups, and therefore participation in forest activities, may be based on a household's monetary rather than asset income. The results imply that forests support the living standards of the poor through the diversification of household income sources. The econometric results point to the role of household heterogeneity in private resource endowments in influencing dependence on forests. Participation in collective action and farm size are also significant determinants of forest dependence. The results call for a balanced policy approach to forest management that facilitates both access to forests by poor households and forest conservation.
Chronic Hemodialysis Patients Without Marked Elevation of Intact Parathyroid Hormone Are Also Good Candidates for Early Intervention With Cinacalcet
Authors: Nishida Hayato , Masakane Ikuto , Kudo Kenichi , Ito Minoru , Tanida Hideki , Koshika Masataka , Nishida Wakako , Tomita Yoshihiko
Published: January 2013

Management of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) metabolism is crucial in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Cinacalcet is usually used for chronic kidney disease‐mineral and bone disorders (CKD‐MBD) patients with elevated intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels. However, a certain number of CKD‐MBD patients have normal iPTH levels and are not subjected to cinacalcet therapy. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of a new treatment algorithm of early initiation of cinacalcet therapy in this subgroup of patients, mainly for correcting Ca and P metabolism. Seventy‐one HD patients, including 44 patients without marked elevation of iPTH (102 < iPTH ≤ 300 pg/mL), who received cinacalcet therapy, were enrolled in this study. Serum parameters relating to CKD‐MBD patient metabolism, doses of phosphate binders, and type of vitamin D sterols were compared between pre‐ and post‐cinacalcet administration retrospectively. Sixty‐four of 71 patients did not require discontinuation of cinacalcet. In these 64 patients, serum Ca (P = 0.0003), P (P = 0.0153), and iPTH (P < 0.0001) levels were significantly reduced after cinacalcet administration, even in those without marked elevation of iPTH (Ca; P < 0.0001, P; P = 0.0422, and iPTH; P = 0.0018). The proportion of patients who received vitamin D sterols was unchanged (P = 0.5930) but the proportion of patients who received maxacalcitol was significantly reduced after cinacalcet administration (P = 0.0108). The new treatment algorithm of early initiation of cinacalcet is considered to be well tolerated and effective for controlling hypercalcemia, and/or hyperphosphatemia and/or increased iPTH of CKD‐MBD patients.
Estimating consensus and associated uncertainty between inherently different species distribution models
Authors: Gritti Emmanuel S. , Duputié Anne , Massol Francois , Chuine Isabelle
Published: January 2013

Forecasting shifts in biome and species distribution is crucially needed in the current context of global change. So far, most projections of vegetation distribution rely on correlative species distribution models (SDMs). Yet, process‐based or hybrid models based on explicit physiological description may be more robust to extrapolation under future climatic conditions. Differences between model projections may be wide, leading to scepticism among environmental stakeholders.

Here, we propose to combine outputs of several distribution models based on physiological responses, to produce both consensual maps of occurrences and maps of associated uncertainty. The consensus map relies on the conditional projections of each SDM. Because the models used are based on processes, their errors are likely to vary consistently with climate as some processes not implemented in a model might be important under a given set of climatic conditions. Uncertainty of the consensus model is thus assessed through multimodel regression of deviance maps with respect to current climatic conditions, and can be extrapolated to forecast climates.

We illustrate this approach using three SDMs, on three widely distributed European trees (Fagus sylvatica L., Quercus robur L. and Pinus sylvestris L.), and project their distributions under two scenarios. The conditional consensus outperforms classical methods of model consensus (i.e. to use the mean, the median or a weighted average of individual SDM outputs) in projecting current occurrences.

Consistently, with the results of individual SDMs, the conditional consensus projects that the suitable areas for F. sylvatica and Q. robur will expand towards north‐eastern Europe, while that of P. sylvestris will contract. Projections of future occurrence are most uncertain towards the margins of the distribution (particularly the trailing edge).

Our approach can help modellers identify the limitations of each SDM and stakeholders pinpoint the regions of models agreement and highest certainty.
Pain characteristics and management of inpatients admitted to a comprehensive cancer centre: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: KURITA G. P. , TANGE U. B. , FARHOLT H. , SONNE N. M. , STRÖMGREN A. S. , ANKERSEN L. , KRISTENSEN L. , BENDIXEN L. , GRØNVOLD M. , PETERSEN M. A. , NORDLY M. , CHRISTRUP L. , NIEMANN C. , SJØGREN P.
Published: January 2013

Aims

This prospective, cross‐sectional study aimed to assess cancer pain and its management in an inpatient setting at a comprehensive cancer centre in Denmark.

Methods

One hundred and eighty‐eight inpatients with cancer were invited to participate (May/June 2011). Demographics, diagnoses, World Health Organization performance status, health‐related quality of life, pain and data regarding analgesic treatment were registered.

Results

One hundred and thirty‐four (71.3%) patients agreed to participate in the study. Most frequent diagnoses were leukaemia (27.6%) and lung cancer (14.2%). A high prevalence of pain was observed, 65.7%. Thirty‐two per cent reported moderate to severe pain when it was at its worst, 96% reported no or mild pain when it was at its least. Nearly 22% reported moderate to severe pain when the pain was categorised as average. Breakthrough pain episodes were reported by 30.5%. Adjuvant medication was sparsely used and not always correctly indicated. Out of 88 patients with pain, 62.5% were left untreated according to the Electronic Medication System. Higher health‐related quality of life was associated with lower pain intensity. The use of opioids with or without adjuvants was associated with higher pain intensity and higher number of breakthrough pain episodes.

Conclusions

Approximately two thirds of inpatients reported pain and one third had breakthrough pain. A substantial number of patients with pain were left untreated. Opioid‐treated patients reported highest pain intensity and number of breakthrough episodes; however, analgesic medication seemed to be underused. Measures to improve pain assessment and management are highly required.
Incidence of neuraxial haematoma after total hip or knee surgery: RECORD programme (rivaroxaban vs. enoxaparin)
Authors: ROSENCHER N. , LLAU J. V. , MUECK W. , LOEWE A. , BERKOWITZ S. D. , HOMERING M.
Published: January 2013

Background

Patients receiving anticoagulants could be at higher risk of compressive haematoma with neuraxial anaesthesia use. The phase III RECORD programme compared rivaroxaban with enoxaparin for prevention of venous thromboembolism after total hip or knee replacement surgery in more than 12,500 patients. This observational analysis evaluated the risk of neuraxial haematoma after neuraxial anaesthesia in patients receiving rivaroxaban or enoxaparin using pooled RECORD1–4 data.

Methods

The incidences of intraspinal bleeding or haemorrhagic puncture were recorded as part of the criteria for major bleeding (the primary safety outcome in the RECORD studies). Incidences of allogeneic transfusion and venous thromboembolism by type of anaesthesia were also recorded.

Results

No compressive haematomas occurred in rivaroxaban‐treated patients (10 mg once daily started 6–8 h after surgery) who underwent neuraxial anaesthesia (n = 4086). Among enoxaparin‐treated patients (n = 4090), one compressive spinal haematoma requiring laminectomy occurred after epidural catheter removal in an elderly female patient with renal insufficiency undergoing total knee replacement. Total venous thromboembolism rates did not differ according to type of anaesthesia.

Conclusion

Although no issues were observed with the use of neuraxial anaesthesia in this population of 4086 patients receiving rivaroxaban after total hip or knee replacement, it is important to remain aware of the risk of compressive haematoma. This may be of particular concern in elderly patients with renal insufficiency receiving an anticoagulant predominantly eliminated via the kidneys.
Intra‐arrest formation of right‐heart thrombi – a case illustrated by real‐time ultrasonography
Authors: ŠKULEC R. , TRUHLÁŘ A. , ŠEBLOVÁ J. , KNOR J. , HOUDEK M. , ČERNÝ V.
Published: January 2013

The presence of free‐floating right‐heart thrombus has been reported in a cardiac arrest patient in the periarrest period. Free‐floating right atrial thrombus is a rare phenomenon seen in patients developing severe pulmonary embolism, and is associated with increased mortality. However, there have been no previously reported cases of right‐heart thrombus formation during a resuscitated cardiac arrest. We present the pre‐hospital case of a woman in the clinical setting of cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction who developed asystolic cardiac arrest on the scene. Recent implementation of ultrasonography into the regional pre‐hospital care protocol enabled sonographic investigation before and during cardiac arrest. This allowed detection of right atrial septal thrombus formation in the course of advanced life support and its migration through the tricuspid valve. The pathophysiological consequences, clinical significance and potential therapeutic options are discussed.
Influence of the forest caterpillar hunter Calosoma sycophanta on the transmission of microsporidia in larvae of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar
Authors: Goertz Dörte , Hoch Gernot
Published: January 2013

The behaviour of predators can be an important factor in the transmission success of an insect pathogen. We studied how Calosoma sycophanta influences the interaction between its prey [Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera, Lymantriidae)] and two microsporidian pathogens [Nosema lymantriae (Microsporidia, Nosematidae) and Vairimorpha disparis (Microsporidia, Burellenidae)] infecting the prey.

Using laboratory experiments, C. sycophanta was allowed to forage on infected and uninfected L. dispar larvae and to disseminate microsporidian spores when preying or afterwards with faeces.

The beetle disseminated spores of N. lymantriae and V. disparis when preying upon infected larvae, as well as after feeding on such prey. Between 45% and 69% of test larvae became infected when C. sycophanta was allowed to disseminate spores of either microsporidium.

Laboratory choice experiments showed that C. sycophanta did not discriminate between Nosema‐infected and uninfected gypsy moth larvae. Calosoma sycophanta preferred Vairimorpha‐infected over uninfected gypsy moth larvae and significantly influenced transmission.

When C. sycophanta was allowed to forage during the latent period on infected and uninfected larvae reared together on caged, potted oak saplings, the percentage of V. disparis infection among test larvae increased by more than 70%. The transmission of N. lymantriae was not affected significantly in these experiments.

Beetles never became infected with either microsporidian species after feeding on infected prey.

We conclude that the transmission of N. lymantriae is not affected. Because no V. disparis spores are released from living larvae, feeding on infected larvae might enhance transmission by reducing the time to death and therefore the latent period.
When Are Women More Effective Lawmakers Than Men?
Authors: Volden Craig , Wiseman Alan E. , Wittmer Dana E.
Published: January 2013

Previous scholarship has demonstrated that female lawmakers differ from their male counterparts by engaging more fully in consensus‐building activities. We argue that this behavioral difference does not serve women equally well in all institutional settings. Contentious and partisan activities of male lawmakers may help them outperform women when in a polarized majority party. However, in the minority party, while men may choose to obstruct and delay, women continue to strive to build coalitions and bring about new policies. We find strong evidence that minority party women in the U.S. House of Representatives are better able to keep their sponsored bills alive through later stages of the legislative process than are minority party men, across the 93rd–110thCongresses (1973–2008). The opposite is true for majority party women, however, who counterbalance this lack of later success by introducing more legislation. Moreover, while the legislative style of minority party women has served them well consistently across the past four decades, majority party women have become less effective as Congress has become more polarized.
Interleukin‐6 gene polymorphism (−174 G/C) is associated with toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis
Authors: Cordeiro Cynthia A. , Moreira Paula R. , Bessa Thais F. , Costa Germano C. , Dutra Walderez O. , Campos Wesley R. , Oréfice Fernando , Young Lucy H. , Teixeira Antônio L.
Published: January 2013

Purpose:  Experimental data have demonstrated a relevant role for IL‐6 in the modulation of acute ocular toxoplasmosis. Therefore, we aim to investigate the possible association between the IL‐6 gene polymorphism at position ‐174 and toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (TR) in humans.

Methods:  Ninety‐seven patients with diagnosed TR were recruited from the Uveitis Section, Federal University of Minas Gerais. For comparison, 83 healthy blood donors with positive serology for toxoplasmosis and without retinal signs of previous TR were included in the study. Genomic DNA was obtained from oral swabs of individuals and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers flanking the locus −174 of IL‐6 (−174G/C). PCR products were submitted to restriction endonuclease digestion and analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to distinguish allele G and C of the IL‐6 gene, allowing the detection of the polymorphism and determination of genotypes.

Results:  There was a significant difference in the genotype (χ2 = 12.9, p = 0.001) and allele (χ2 = 6.62, p = 0.01) distribution between TR patients and control subjects. In a subgroup analysis, there was no significant difference in genotypes and allele frequencies regarding TR recurrence.

Conclusions:  This study suggests that the genotypes related with a lower production of IL‐6 may be associated with the occurrence of TR.
Characterization of corneal tangent modulus in vivo
Authors: Ko Match W. L. , Leung Leo K. K. , Lam David C. C. , Leung Christopher K. S.
Published: January 2013

Purpose:  Intraocular pressure (IOP) measured using Goldmann Applanation Tonometry (GAT) changes with individual’s corneal properties, but the method to measure the in vivo corneal material properties to account for individual variation in GAT IOP is not available. In this study, a new method to measure the IOP‐dependent corneal tangent modulus in vivo is developed to address this research gap.

Methods:  Instrumented indentation and analysis were developed to measure the corneal tangent modulus. The validity of the method and procedure was verified using model silicone eye pressurized to different IOP. In addition, 15 porcine eyes and 3 rabbit eyes were tested using the corneal indentation at different set intraocular pressure and different indentation rates.

Results:  The results from silicone eye showed that the measured tangent modulus is in good agreement with the standard silicone rubber modulus. The results on the porcine eyes and rabbit eyes showed that the method can be used to measure corneal tangent modulus in vivo in the human range of intraocular pressure from 10 to 40 mmHg.

Conclusions:  An indentation method to measure the corneal tangent modulus in vivo was developed, and the IOP dependence of the corneal tangent modulus was characterized. The developed indentation method provides a new means to measure the in vivo corneal tangent modulus to account for individual and pressure variations in measurement of intraocular pressure.
Variation in genes in the endothelin pathway and endothelium‐dependent and endothelium‐independent vasodilation in an elderly population
Authors: Lind L. , Syvänen A.‐C. , Axelsson T. , Lundmark P. , Hägg S. , Larsson A.
Published: January 2013

Aim

Indirect evidences by blockade of the endothelin receptors have suggested a role of endothelin in endothelium‐dependent vasodilation. This study aimed to investigate whether circulating levels of endotehlin‐1 or genetic variations in genes in the endothelin pathway were related to endothelium‐dependent vasodilation.

Methods

In 1016 seventy‐year‐old participants of the population‐based Prospective Study of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study (52% women), we measured endothelium‐dependent vasodilation using the invasive forearm technique with acetylcholine given in the brachial artery (EDV) and the brachial artery ultrasound technique with measurement of flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD). Plasma endothelin‐1 levels were measured and 60 SNPs in genes in the endothelin pathway (ECE1, EDN1, EDNRA, EDNRB) were genotyped.

Results

No significant associations were found between circulating endothelin levels and EDV or FMD. No single genotype was related to EDV or FMD following adjustment for multiple testing, but a genotype score for 3 SNPs (rs11618266 in EDNRB, rs17675063 in EDNRA, rs3026868 in ECE1) was significantly related to EDV (beta coefficient 0.070, 95% CI 0.025–0.12, P = 0.002) when adjusting for gender, systolic blood pressure, HDL and LDL cholesterol, serum triglycerides, BMI, diabetes, smoking, antihypertensive medication or statins and CRP. This score was also related to nitroprusside‐induced vasodilation in the forearm.

Conclusion

A combination of genotypes in the endothelin pathway was related to both endothelium‐dependent and endothelium‐independent vasodilation in forearm resistance vessels, but not in the brachial artery in an elderly population, giving evidence for a role of the endothelin system in resistance vessel reactivity independent of major cardiovascular risk factors.
The Link between National Paid Leave Policy and Work–Family Conflict among Married Working Parents
Authors: Allen Tammy D. , Lapierre Laurent M. , Spector Paul E. , Poelmans Steven A.Y. , O'Driscoll Michael , Sanchez Juan I. , Cooper Cary L. , Walvoord Ashley Gray , Antoniou Alexandros‐Stamatios , Brough Paula , Geurts Sabine , Kinnunen Ulla , Pagon Milan , Shima Satoru , Woo Jong‐Min
Published: January 2013

We investigated relationships between four dimensions of work–family conflict (time‐ and strain‐based work interference with family, time‐ and strain‐based family interference with work) and three key national paid leave policies (paid parental leave, paid sick leave, paid annual leave) among a sample of 643 working married parents with children under the age of 5 across 12 industrialised nations. Results provided some evidence that paid sick leave has a small but significant negative relationship with work–family conflict. Little evidence was revealed of a link between paid parental leave or of a link between paid annual leave and work–family conflict. Family‐supportive organisational perceptions and family‐supportive supervision were tested as moderators with some evidence to suggest that paid leave policies are most beneficial when employees' perceptions of support are higher than when they are lower. Family‐supportive organisational perceptions and family‐supportive supervision were both associated with less work–family conflict, providing evidence of their potential benefit across national contexts.
T102C polymorphism of serotonin 2A type receptor gene confers susceptibility to (early onset) schizophrenia in Han Chinese: An association study and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ni Jianliang , Lu Weihong , Wu Zhiguo , Chen Jun , Yi Zhenghui , Zhang Chen
Published: January 2013

Introduction

Several lines of evidence have indicated that serotonin 2A receptor (HTR2A) may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. One functional polymorphism in HTR2A (T102C) has been widely investigated; however, the results have been inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between HTR2A T02C polymorphism and schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population.

Methods

We performed a case‐control study, using an early onset sample, which may be an attractive subgroup for genetic studies. In addition, we performed a meta‐analysis of the combined sample groups in Han Chinese.

Results

Our study, based on 385 schizophrenic patients and 399 controls, found a significant genotype‐wise association of T102C and schizophrenia (P = 0.02). After applying stratified analyses, the dominant model for T allele produced significant association (OR = 1.60, 95%CI = 1.11–2.30, P = 0.01). In the meta‐analysis including all of the published population‐based association studies in Han Chinese and the present association study, the pooled genotype‐wise result in a dominant model was statistically significant with a summary OR of 1.25 (95%CI = 1.04–1.50, P = 0.02).

Discussion

Our results suggest that the HTR2A T102C polymorphism may confer susceptibility to schizophrenia in Han Chinese.
Raising the bar for the evidence in evidence‐based guidelines
Authors: Ostacher Michael J
Published: January 2013

Ostacher MJ. Raising the bar for the evidence in evidence‐based guidelines.  Bipolar Disord 2013: 15: 50–53. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
On Session Frequency and Analytic Method
Authors: Mizen Richard
Published: January 2013

This essay differentiates ways the word ‘psychoanalysis’ has been used. Freud's () clinical method required analysts' ‘evenly suspended attention’ and patients' ‘free associations’. Importantly, the direct application of prior knowledge, in the clinical situation, is regarded as an impediment to understanding for both analyst and patient as such ‘knowledge’ may support intellectual, obsessional defences against overwhelming emotional experiences. Frequent sessions over a long time are therefore required in order to understand patients' defences and the anxieties and affective states which led to their creation. The need to discover anew each patient's emotional states as they are lived in the transference–countertransference relationship may be impaired by recourse to prior knowledge.

The optimal employment of this method is subject to limitations, however, imposed by a variety of factors, internal and external, to both analysts and patients. Freud (), recognizing this, acknowledged that the discoveries made by psychoanalysts undertaking ‘unalloyed’ analysis had created a body of prior knowledge which might be legitimately used therapeutically to undertake modified treatments of a more directive kind. Unalloyed analysis might need to be combined with ‘the copper of suggestion’ to provide ‘applied’ analytically informed treatments more widely than would otherwise be the case, for example, less frequently. However, having used the word ‘psychoanalysis’ to describe both unalloyed analysis and analysis alloyed, Freud also used the term in a polemical manner and as a kind of ‘brand‐name’.

This paper confines itself to these rather different uses Freud made of the term psychoanalysis often without distinction, and the confusions and contradictions which have arisen as a result. These different uses may be largely uncommented upon but have exerted, and continue to exert, an important influence upon both the historical and contemporary analytic discourse.
Impact of Clostridium difficile colitis following closure of a diverting loop ileostomy: results of a matched cohort study
Authors: Wilson M. Z. , Hollenbeak C. S. , Stewart D. B.
Published: January 2013

Aim

Previous reports describing Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) developing after the closure of a loop ileostomy suggest it is severe. In this study the incidence of CDC following ileostomy closure and its effect on the postoperative outcome have been studied.

Method

Patients undergoing closure of loop ileostomy from 2004 to 2008 were analysed using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Patients who developed postoperative CDC (n = 217) were matched 10:1 to a propensity‐score‐matched cohort of patients without CDC (n = 13 245). Linear and logistic regression were used to examine the effect of CDC on hospital cost (US dollars), length of stay and mortality rates. Population resampling was performed using nearest neighbour bootstrapping to confirm the validity of the results.

Results

The incidence of CDC following ileostomy closure was 16 per 1000 patients. The mean length of stay was 11.5 days longer among CDC patients (P < 0.0001), with a greater cost of hospitalization of US$21 240 (P < 0.0001). There was no difference in mortality between the cohorts.

Conclusion

CDC following ileostomy closure is an uncommon, costly and morbid complication. Patients undergoing stoma closure are at high risk for an adverse outcome if they have CDC. Should it develop they should be aggressively treated.
Neonatal posterior cerebral artery stroke: clinical presentation, MRI findings, and outcome
Authors: van der Aa Niek E , Dudink Jeroen , Benders Manon J N L , Govaert Paul , van Straaten Henrica L M , Porro Giorgio L , Groenendaal Floris , de Vries Linda S
Published: January 2013

Aim

To report the clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and follow‐up data of newborn infants with perinatal arterial ischemic stroke in the territory of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA).

Method

Data on 18 newborn infants from three neonatal intensive care units (11 males, seven females) with an MRI‐confirmed PCA stroke were analysed and reported. Infants were born at a mean gestational age of 38.7 weeks (SD 3.4) with a mean birthweight of 3244g (SD 850).

Results

Fourteen infants presented with clinical seizures. Five of these had associated hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy, four had hypoglycaemia, and five had neither hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy nor hypoglycaemia. Subclinical seizures were present in one infant with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy and one with meningitis. One preterm infant presented with apnoeas and one had hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy without seizures. Neurodevelopmental follow‐up of 17 children at a median age of 36 months (SD 28, range 12–120mo) showed five with a global delay. Two children with additional injury developed postneonatal epilepsy and one child with extensive injury developed hemiplegia. A visual field defect was observed in nine children (six hemianopia, three quadrantanopia). In the 11 children with a second MRI at 3 months, the asymmetry of the optic radiation correlated with the development of a visual field deficit.

Interpretation

Outcome after PCA stroke is fairly good, depending on additional brain injury. Follow‐up is required, as subsequent visual field defects are frequently observed. Further research will be needed to clarify the role of hypoglycaemia in perinatal arterial ischemic stroke.
Live/Real Time Three‐Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography in Percutaneous Closure of Atrial Septal Defects
Authors: Bhaya Maneesha , Mutluer Ferit Onur , Mahan Edward , Mahan Luke , Hsiung Ming C. , Yin Wei–Hsian , Wei Jeng , Tsai Shen–Kou , Zhao Guang–Yu , Yin Wei–Hsian , Pradhan Manish , Beniwal Rajesh , Joshi Deepak , Nabavizadeh Fatemeh , Singh Amitoj , Nanda Navin C.
Published: January 2013

Objectives

This study assessed the ability of live/real time three‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) in measuring (1) atrial septal defect (ASD) maximum dimension, area, and adjacent rim size, (2) ASD occluder left and right atrial disk size, (3) length of contact between the left atrial (LA) disk and the aorta, and in (4) assessing device related complications such as residual shunt, device embolization, and device encroachment upon adjacent cardiac structures.

Materials and Methods

3DTEE images acquired during percutaneous ASD closure by the Amplatzer Septal Occluder in 15 adult patients were retrospectively analyzed. Offline analysis was done using both the Philips 5500 ultrasound system and Philips QLAB software. 3D color flow Doppler images were used to assess residual ASD shunting.

Results

The Philips 5500 and Philips QLAB measurements correlated well for ASD maximum dimension and area measurements. The Philips QLAB 3DTEE disk size measurements also correlated well with the manufacturer obtained sizes. The aortic rim was deficient in 7 of the 15 patients, and the mean ASD occluder device size was 4 mm greater than the mean ASD maximum dimension. The LA occluder disk was in contact with the aorta throughout the cardiac cycle in 12 of the 15 patients, and the LA occluder disk size correlated significantly with the contact length with the aorta.

Conclusion

Most of the patients demonstrated contact between the LA occluder disk and the aorta throughout the cardiac cycle. 3DTEE may be useful in identifying patients at greater risk for aortic erosion.
Incentives and Voluntary Investment in Employer Shares
Authors: Soumaré Issouf
Published: January 2013

Using a partial equilibrium model, this paper makes a first attempt to provide an explanation based on rational behaviour for the basic big puzzle of why workers have large holdings of the shares of their employer in their defined contribution (DC) pension plans. The primary explanations in the literature seem to be behavioural ones that involve sub‐optimal behaviour. This paper attempts to see how far a standard optimizing setting in a principal–agent type framework can go in explaining the same phenomenon. It uses an incentive approach involving two agents, senior managers and workers to show how portfolio weights can be voluntarily shifted away from what would be first best in the absence of an incentive problem.
Dopamine suppresses persistent network activity via D1‐like dopamine receptors in rat medial entorhinal cortex
Authors: Mayne Elizabeth W. , Craig Michael T. , McBain Chris J. , Paulsen Ole
Published: January 2013

Cortical networks display persistent activity in the form of periods of sustained synchronous depolarizations (‘UP states’) punctuated by periods of relative hyperpolarization (‘DOWN states’), which together form the slow oscillation. UP states are known to be synaptically generated and are sustained by a dynamic balance of excitation and inhibition, with fast ionotropic glutamatergic excitatory and GABAergic inhibitory conductances increasing during the UP state. Previously, work from our group demonstrated that slow metabotropic GABA receptors also play an important role in terminating the UP state, but the effects of other neuromodulators on this network phenomenon have received little attention. Given that persistent activity is a neural correlate of working memory and that signalling through dopamine receptors has been shown to be critical for working memory tasks, we examined whether dopaminergic neurotransmission affected the slow oscillation. Here, using an in vitro model of the slow oscillation in rat medial entorhinal cortex, we showed that dopamine strongly and reversibly suppressed cortical UP states. We showed that this effect was mediated through D1‐like and not D2‐like dopamine receptors, and we found no evidence that tonic dopaminergic transmission affected UP states in our model.
Decline of nest site availability and nest density of underground bees along a distance gradient from human settlements
Authors: Xie Zhenghua , Qiu Jianshen , Chen Xiaoming
Published: January 2013

Anthropogenic disturbances have caused pollinator decline by affecting the abundance and diversity of foraging plants. Anthropogenic disturbances are also thought to drive pollinator decline by reducing nest site availability, but the exact mechanisms by which human activities influence nest site availability are not currently well understood. In this study, we investigated nesting site preference of underground bee Andrena camellia Wu in two orchards. Principal component analysis of environmental factors (bulk density, penetration resistance, water content and temperature) indicated that A. camellia preferred loose, moist and low‐temperature habitats. The favored habitats were located at the bases of the foothills a long distance from human settlements. At the bases, favored nesting substrates decreased along the distance gradient, and nest densities of digger bees increased along the distance gradient. On the summit, however, nesting substrates were compacted, dried with high temperature regardless of distance from human settlements, and the nest densities were all low along the distance gradient. In summary, anthropogenic soil disturbances in the vicinity of human settlements threaten digger bees by altering soil characteristics. The conservation of the soil substrates is addressed in terms of its role in governing the population of digger bee A. camellia.
Genomic islands of divergence and their consequences for the resolution of spatial structure in an exploited marine fish
Authors: Bradbury Ian R. , Hubert Sophie , Higgins Brent , Bowman Sharen , Borza Tudor , Paterson Ian G. , Snelgrove Paul V. R. , Morris Corey J. , Gregory Robert S. , Hardie David , Hutchings Jeffrey A. , Ruzzante Daniel E. , Taggart Christopher T. , Bentzen Paul
Published: January 2013

As populations diverge, genomic regions associated with adaptation display elevated differentiation. These genomic islands of adaptive divergence can inform conservation efforts in exploited species, by refining the delineation of management units, and providing genomic tools for more precise and effective population monitoring and the successful assignment of individuals and products. We explored heterogeneity in genomic divergence and its impact on the resolution of spatial population structure in exploited populations of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, using genome wide expressed sequence derived single nucleotide polymorphisms in 466 individuals sampled across the range. Outlier tests identified elevated divergence at 5.2% of SNPs, consistent with directional selection in one‐third of linkage groups. Genomic regions of elevated divergence ranged in size from a single position to several cM. Structuring at neutral loci was associated with geographic features, whereas outlier SNPs revealed genetic discontinuities in both the eastern and western Atlantic. This fine‐scale geographic differentiation enhanced assignment to region of origin, and through the identification of adaptive diversity, fundamentally changes how these populations should be conserved. This work demonstrates the utility of genome scans for adaptive divergence in the delineation of stock structure, the traceability of individuals and products, and ultimately a role for population genomics in fisheries conservation.
The impact of natural selection on health and disease: uses of the population genetics approach in humans
Authors: Vasseur Estelle , Quintana‐Murci Lluis
Published: January 2013

Investigations of the legacy of natural selection in the human genome have proved particularly informative, pinpointing functionally important regions that have participated in our genetic adaptation to the environment. Furthermore, genetic dissection of the intensity and type of selection acting on human genes can be used to predict involvement in different forms and severities of human diseases. We review here the progress made in population genetics studies toward understanding the effects of selection, in its different forms and intensities, on human genome diversity. We discuss some outstanding, robust examples of genes and biological functions subject to strong dietary, climatic and pathogen selection pressures. We also explore the possible relationship between cancer and natural selection, a topic that has been largely neglected because cancer is generally seen as a late‐onset disease. Finally, we discuss how the present‐day incidence of some diseases of modern societies may represent a by‐product of past adaptation to other selective forces and changes in lifestyle. This perspective thus illustrates the value of adopting a population genetics approach in delineating the biological mechanisms that have played a major evolutionary role in the way humans have genetically adapted to different environments and lifestyles over time.
Market Cycles and the Performance of Relative Strength Strategies
Authors: Stivers Chris , Sun Licheng
Published: January 2013

We study the effect of market cycles on both medium‐run and long‐run relative strength trading strategies. We find that payoffs for both strategies tend to be relatively higher within a market state (rising or falling markets), but substantially lower over transitions between states. Since shorter duration strategies are relatively less likely to include market transitions, our results help reconcile the puzzling fact that medium‐run strategies are profitable, but long‐run strategies are not. We find that the market's cross‐sectional return dispersion: 1) tends to be higher around market transitions, and 2) is negatively related to the subsequent payoffs for both medium‐run and long‐run strategies.
Do Investment Newsletters Move Markets?
Authors: Brown Scott , Cao‐Alvira Jose J. , Powers Eric
Published: January 2013

We analyze the market impact of stock recommendations made by a single investment newsletter that focuses on instances of heavy insider trading. The market reacts positively to the actual insider trades and the associated Form 4 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings that attracted the newsletter's interest. The subsequent recommendations, which occur within a delay of several days, are associated with an even larger announcement period return and higher trade volume. Thus, despite the fact that recommendations are largely based on publicly available information on insider trades and the reach of the newsletter is limited, the newsletter has a significant impact on the market.