bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfectionist decision-making style and ethical investment willingness
Authors: Lin Yu-Cheng , Huang Chiung-Yao , Wei Yu-Shan
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ethical investment willingness decision-making process to understand how investors evaluate corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a survey of 298 individual investors and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results reveal that perfectionist decision-making style is positively related to perceived moral intensity, substitutability of financial returns, and ethical investment willingness. In addition, perceived moral intensity and substitutability of financial returns are positively related to ethical investment willingness. Finally, perceived moral intensity is positively related to substitutability of financial returns, and a two-factor causal mediation model is supported.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of this study was that the pre-tests and sampling methods required all participants to have investing experience; however, procurement of trading information for each investor was impossible; thus, actual investment behaviors were undetermined. This study shed light on the mediating roles of perceived moral intensity and the substitutability of financial returns. Future studies can further investigate the factors influencing perceived moral intensity and the substitutability of financial returns.

Practical implications

Future ethical investment education can focus on cultivate the ability to distinguish ethical investments and change ethical investment willingness into actual investment behavior.

Originality/value

Understanding the relationship between these variables can help understand why ethical investment willingness varies among investors and how the traditional financial theory investment decision model should be revised as, internationally, more people have begun to observe CSR and sustainable development.
Joint facies and rock properties Bayesian amplitude‐versus‐offset inversion using Markov random fields
Authors: Gunning James , Sams Mark
Published: February 2018

Seismic reflection pre‐stack angle gathers can be simultaneously inverted within a joint facies and elastic inversion framework using a hierarchical Bayesian model of elastic properties and categorical classes of rock and fluid properties. The Bayesian prior implicitly supplies low frequency information via a set of multivariate compaction trends for each rock and fluid type, combined with a Markov random field model of lithotypes, which carries abundance and continuity preferences. For the likelihood, we use a simultaneous, multi‐angle, convolutional model, which quantifies the data misfit probability using wavelets and noise levels inferred from well ties. Under Gaussian likelihood and facies‐conditional prior models, the posterior has simple analytic form, and the maximum a‐posteriori inversion problem boils down to a joint categorical/continuous non‐convex optimisation problem. To solve this, a set of alternative, increasingly comprehensive optimisation strategies is described: (i) an expectation–maximisation algorithm using belief propagation, (ii) a globalisation of method (i) using homotopy, and (iii) a discrete space approach using simulated annealing. We find that good‐quality inversion results depend on both sensible, elastically separable facies definitions, modest resolution ambitions, reasonably firm abundance and continuity parameters in the Markov random field, and suitable choice of algorithm. We suggest usually two to three, perhaps four, unknown facies per sample, and usage of the more expensive methods (homotopy or annealing) when the rock types are not strongly distinguished in acoustic impedance. Demonstrations of the technique on pre‐stack depth‐migrated field data from the Exmouth basin show promising agreements with lithological well data, including prediction accuracy improvements of 24% in and twofold in density, in comparison to a standard simultaneous inversion. Much clearer and extensive recovery of the thin Pyxis gas field was evident using stronger coupling in the Markov random field model and use of the homotopy or annealing algorithms.
Application of amplitude spectrum and genetic inversion to determine shaly facies distribution: a case study: Murzuq Basin, Libya
Authors: Abushalah Yousf , Serpa Laura
Published: February 2018

Late Ordovician glacial deposits of the Mamuniyat Formation are the main oil reservoir in the Murzuq Basin in Libya. Autopicking the strong reflection at the base of the Silurian shales can be used to map the top of the Mamuniyat reservoir in the area where it is in direct contact with the Silurian shales. However, in areas where the Bir Tlacsin Formation, a mud‐prone unit, is between the Silurian shales and the Mamuniyat reservoir, the top of the Mamuniyat is difficult to pick because the units juxtaposed across the boundary are too similar to produce a strong reflection. Defining the Bir Tlacsin facies is important because it impacts hydrocarbon accumulation and migration. To predict the distribution of the shaly facies of Bir Tlacsin and enhance mapping of the top Mamuniyat reservoir, we utilized a continuous wavelet transform to identify the distinctive thickness of the Hot Shale and Bir Tlacsin units. We also used genetic inversion to distinguish the bulk density of the Bir Tlacsin facies. A 64 Hz frequency gave good time resolution to the amplitude spectrum and was used to predict the facies distribution of the Bir Tlacsin. In contrast, the 24 Hz frequency showed good frequency resolution of the amplitude spectrum and was used to estimate the temporal thickness of the non‐reservoir unit of Bir Tlacsin and Hot Shale. That estimate was then used to modify the autopick horizon for the base of the Silurian reflector to approximate the top of the Mamuniyat reservoir. Because of the large density contrast between the shaly facies of the Bir Tlacsin and the underlying and overlying units, inverted density also provides a way to predict the distribution of the Bir Tlacsin through estimated temporal thickness and to enhance mapping of the top Mamuniyat reservoir through mapping the base of the inverted density of the Bir Tlacsin. A comparison between mapping of the top reservoir using spectral decomposition and inverted density with respect to autopick shows that both methods improved the top of the Mamuniyat reservoir mapping. Prediction of the presence of Bir Tlacsin and improved accuracy of the top of the Mamuniyat reservoir mapping reduce the risk of drilling the shaly facies of Bir Tlacsin and provide a better estimate of the reservoir reserve.
Good Daphnia parents do not control the offspring microbiome
Authors: Douglas Angela E.
Published: February 2018

In Focus: Mushegian, A. A., Walser, J. ‐C., Sullam, K. E., & Ebert, D. (2018). . Journal of Animal Ecology, 87, 400–413. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12709.

All animals are colonized by micro‐organisms, most of which are benign or beneficial. Where do these micro‐organisms come from? Theory predicts that micro‐organisms which are transmitted vertically from parent to offspring are especially likely to be beneficial to the host, while horizontally acquired micro‐organisms are opportunistic and more variable in their impact on host performance. In this issue, Mushegian et al. () investigate the source of bacteria that are required for the growth and development of Daphnia water fleas to reproductive adults. They find that, although vertically transmitted bacteria can occur in the capsule enclosing the Daphnia eggs, the micro‐organisms that promote Daphnia performance are associated with the external surface of the capsule and are of likely environmental origin. This mode of transmission may be adaptive for Daphnia because, linked to the longevity and capacity for long‐distance dispersal of these eggs, the environmental circumstances encountered by parent and offspring may be different; with the implication, the parental micro‐organisms may not be optimal for the offspring. This study demonstrates that, although some animals require symbioses with specific coevolved, vertically transmitted microbial symbionts, other animals have evolved dependence on taxonomically variable micro‐organisms of environmental origin.
Metabolomics‐based chemotaxonomy of root endophytic fungi for natural products discovery
Authors: Maciá‐Vicente Jose G. , Shi Yan‐Ni , Cheikh‐Ali Zakaria , Grün Peter , Glynou Kyriaki , Kia Sevda Haghi , Piepenbring Meike , Bode Helge B.
Published: February 2018

Fungi are prolific producers of natural products routinely screened for biotechnological applications, and those living endophytically within plants attract particular attention because of their purported chemical diversity. However, the harnessing of their biosynthetic potential is hampered by a large and often cryptic phylogenetic and ecological diversity, coupled with a lack of large‐scale natural products' dereplication studies. To guide efforts to discover new chemistries among root‐endophytic fungi, we analyzed the natural products produced by 822 strains using an untargeted UPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS‐based approach and linked the patterns of chemical features to fungal lineages. We detected 17 809 compounds of which 7951 were classified in 1992 molecular families, whereas the remaining were considered unique chemistries. Our approach allowed to annotate 1191 compounds with different degrees of accuracy, many of which had known fungal origins. Approximately 61% of the compounds were specific of a fungal order, and differences were observed across lineages in the diversity and characteristics of their chemistries. Chemical profiles also showed variable chemosystematic values across lineages, ranging from relative homogeneity to high heterogeneity among related fungi. Our results provide an extensive resource to dereplicate fungal natural products and may assist future discovery programs by providing a guide for the selection of target fungi.
A comparative hierarchical analysis of bacterioplankton and biofilm metacommunity structure in an interconnected pond system
Authors: Souffreau Caroline , Busschaert Pieter , Denis Carla , Van Wichelen Jeroen , Lievens Bart , Vyverman Wim , De Meester Luc
Published: February 2018

It is unknown whether bacterioplankton and biofilm communities are structured by the same ecological processes, and whether they influence each other through continuous dispersal (known as mass effects). Using a hierarchical sampling approach we compared the relative importance of ecological processes structuring the dominant fraction (relative abundance ≥0.1%) of bacterioplankton and biofilm communities from three microhabitats (open water, Nuphar and Phragmites sites) at within‐ and among‐pond scale in a set of 14 interconnected shallow ponds. Our results demonstrate that while bacterioplankton and biofilm communities are highly distinct, a similar hierarchy of ecological processes is acting on them. For both community types, most variation in community composition was determined by pond identity and environmental variables, with no effect of space. The highest β‐diversity within each community type was observed among ponds, while microhabitat type (Nuphar, Phragmites, open water) significantly influenced biofilm communities but not bacterioplankton. Mass effects among bacterioplankton and biofilm communities were not detected, as suggested by the absence of within‐site covariation of biofilm and bacterioplankton communities. Both biofilm and plankton communities were thus highly structured by environmental factors (i.e., species sorting), with among‐lake variation being more important than within‐lake variation, whereas dispersal limitation and mass effects were not observed.
Development of novel, nutritive antacid tablets based on milk proteins
Authors: Thesiya Ankitkumar J , Patel Ashokkumar A , Singh Ram Ran B
Published: February 2018

Antacid tablets based on milk proteins were developed by a wet granulation method, with the aim of controlling the problem of hyperacidity in its early stages. Optimisation of the tablet formulation was carried out using milk protein ingredients, viz. rennet casein (RC) and whey protein concentrate (WPC), with mannitol used as a functional filler. An RC‐WPC ratio and a mannitol level of 1.96% and 10.75% w/w, respectively, were found to be optimum. The RC‐WPC ratio had a significant impact on buffering capacity (BC), tablet friability and density. The filler material, mannitol, also has an impact on BC and tablet density.
Home hospitalization for the surgical and conservative treatment of acute calculous cholecystitis
Authors: Escartín Alfredo , Mías Maria‐Carmen , González Marta , Cuello Elena , Pinillos Ana , Muriel Pablo , Mestres Nuria , Villalobos Rafael , Olsina Jorge‐Juan
Published: February 2018

Aim

Acute calculous cholecystitis is a frequent complication of gallstones that can manifest in up to 10–15 per cent of previously asymptomatic patients. Current guidelines recommend laparoscopic cholecystectomy as the gold standard treatment; however, the presence of surgery risk factors might compel physicians to opt for conservative treatment, which is often associated with longer hospital stay. Home hospitalization could be an alternative to inpatient stay for these patients.

Patients and Methods

The present study was a retrospective analysis of data from a prospective patient single‐centre registry. Data from 915 patients with mild or moderate acute calculous cholecystitis, who presented in the Department of General Surgery of our hospital between 2010 and 2015, were analysed. The variables included grade of acute cholecystitis, type of treatment, use of antibiotics, inpatient stay, stay in hospital‐at‐home, complications, mortality, readmissions and relapse.

Results

A total of 147 (16 per cent) patients were referred to hospital‐at‐home, while the rest completed their treatment in the hospital ward. There were no significant differences between the home hospitalization and conventional hospitalization groups in the rates of complications, mortality, readmissions, relapse and length of antibiotherapy. Home hospitalization was associated with shorter inpatient stay, but longer total hospitalization, likely due to a prolonged follow up by the home care unit.

Conclusions

Home hospitalization is an effective and safe alternative to conventional hospitalization, as it provides hospital‐level care and reduces the number of admissions and length of inpatient stay. The timely referral of patients to other levels of assistance, such as primary care, is needed to ensure economic benefits of home hospitalization programmes.
Producing Global Governance in the Global Factory: Markets, Politics, and Regulation
Authors: Haufler Virginia
Published: February 2018

Coen and Pegram challenge us to integrate global governance theorising in ways that are pragmatic, policy‐oriented and interdisciplinary. One of the most prominent arenas for pursuing this challenge is through a focus on governing transnational production through voluntary and regulatory approaches. This focus directs attention to the structure and relationships within global value chains which influence the problems, actors, and mechanisms of global governance. Future research needs to explore how multiple governance initiatives within an industry interact, how issue boundaries evolve and change, the local implementation of global rules, and the relationships that shape governance outcomes.
Towards a Third Generation of Global Governance Scholarship
Authors: Coen David , Pegram Tom
Published: February 2018

Global governance is widely viewed as in crisis. Deepening interdependence of cross‐border activity belies the relative absence of governance mechanisms capable of effectively tackling major global policy challenges. Scholars have an important role to play in understanding blockages and ways through. A first generation of global governance research made visible an increasingly complex and globalising reality beyond the interstate domain. A varied second generation of scholarship, spanning diverse subfields, has built upon this ‘signpost scholarship’ to generate insight into efforts to manage, bypass and even – potentially – transcend multilateral gridlock to address pressing transboundary problems. This article plots a course towards a ‘third generation’ of global governance research, serving to also introduce a special section which brings together leading scholars in the field of global governance, working across theoretical, analytical and issue‐area boundaries. This collaborative endeavour proposes to advance a convergence, already underway, across a theoretically and empirically rich existing scholarship, distinguished by a concern for the complexity of global public policy delivery.
Regional Contributions to Global Migration Governance: Introduction
Authors: Larik Joris , Sahoo Niranjan
Published: February 2018

The European migration crisis and the ongoing Rohingya refugee surge from Myanmar to Bangladesh have brought back the focus on migration governance and underlying policy challenges governing the issue. Many questions remain on how to properly manage mass migration flows. In particular, policy makers continue to face the challenge of respecting international commitments such as the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol while at the same time mitigating political backlash promoted by a sense of loss of control and overburdening in receiving states. The present special section contributes to the ongoing debate in two ways. First, it homes in on regional perspectives on global migration governance with a view to fostering common approaches and better burden sharing. Second, the special section looks not only at Europe and its ‘new governance’ model, but also at South America's ‘emerging resettlement countries’ and the potential for enhanced inter‐regional cooperation between South Asia and Europe. In doing so, it puts the European crisis into a broader perspective and points to untapped potential of regional and inter‐regional approaches around the world.
The real question about China: Why was the Song economic achievement not repeated?
Authors: Jones E. L.
Published: February 2018

The pertinent question about China’s economic performance from the thirteenth to nineteenth centuries is less why she did not have a European–style industrial revolution than why even her own Song dynasty achievement was not repeated. Supposed explanations which appear in the literature are discussed: no scientific revolution; technological regression; population pressure; Confucian values; and the institutions within the Ming–Qing state. It is suggested that while the substitutes for direct economic policy and independent law were sufficient to permit the economy to expand, they restricted the market enough to prevent a return to previous levels of activity.
Segmenting The Contours: Australian Economic Growth 1828–1913
Authors: Greasley David , Oxley Les
Published: February 2018

The statistical properties of Australian GDP estimates are used to investigate discontinuities in economic growth between 1828 and 1913. Australian GDP appears to follow a segmented trend stationary process, with discontinuities around 1851 and 1891. The results are used to shed light on the impact of the 1851 gold discoveries and the 1890s depression on Australian economic development.
Capital Markets and Capital Formation In Australia, 1890–1945
Authors: Merrett D.T.
Published: February 2018

This survey article examines the interaction between the domestic capital markets and capital formation in Australia from the 1890s up to the end of World War II. The disenchantment of the City of London with Australian securities in the 1890s opened a window for the development of domestic capital markets. It was the demands of the government for funds, especially during both wars, that transformed the scale and character of local markets. Local deposit taking institutions and stock exchanges handled a sufficient volume of domestic savings to fund the lion’s share of both public and private sector capital formation.
Uterine adenosarcoma in Japan: Clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and management
Authors: Tate Keisei , Watanabe Reiko , Yoshida Hiroshi , Shimizu Hanako , Uehara Takashi , Ishikawa Mitsuya , Ikeda Shun‐ichi , Hiraoka Nobuyoshi , Kato Tomoyasu
Published: February 2018

Aim

Uterine adenosarcoma is a rare malignancy with limited cohort data in Asian countries. This study evaluated the clinicopathologic features of Japanese patients with uterine adenosarcoma and their potential treatment challenges.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Japan from 2000 to 2016. A literature search for Japanese cases of uterine adenosarcoma was conducted using PubMed, Japanese Central Review of Medicine, and the Annual of Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan. Only histologically confirmed cases of uterine adenosarcoma were included. All collected data were analyzed.

Results

A total of 110 cases was identified (6 from our hospital and 104 from the literature review). Most baseline characteristics were similar to those reported in western countries. Death due to the disease was observed in 34% (29/86) of patients, whereas patients with stage IA disease showed a 13% (4/30) recurrence rate and a 3.3% (1/30) mortality rate. Preoperative radiological and pathological examinations occasionally failed to help reach the correct diagnosis. In cases of sarcomatous overgrowth, the recurrence and mortality rates were 45% (9/20) and 35% (7/20), respectively. Distant recurrence occurred in 44% (12/27) of cases, 75% of which included lung metastasis.

Conclusions

This study showed the clinicopathologic features of Japanese patients with uterine adenosarcoma and suggested potential solutions for improving prognosis including early treatment based on a timely diagnosis, the development of effective adjuvant therapy for patients at high risk of recurrence, and optimal follow‐up focusing on late recurrence and lung metastasis.
Laparoscopic surgery with urinary tract reconstruction and bowel endometriosis resection for deep infiltrating endometriosis
Authors: Ota Yoshiaki , Andou Masaaki , Ota Ikuko
Published: February 2018

Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is the most severe form of endometriosis. It causes chronic pelvic pain, severe dysmenorrhea, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia, and dysuria, markedly impairing the quality of life of women of reproductive age. A number of randomized controlled trials on surgical and medical treatments to reduce the pain associated with endometriosis have been reported, but few have focused on this in DIE. DIE causes not only pain but also functional invasion to the urinary organs and bowel, such as hydronephrosis and bowel stenosis. In addition to DIE resection, surgical treatment involves adhesion separation as well as resection and reconstruction of the urinary organs and bowel; high‐level skills are required. The severity of DIE should be evaluated preoperatively as accurately as possible. Using ENZIAN in conjunction with the AFS (The revised American Fertility Society classification of endometriosis) classification makes a more detailed assessment of DIE possible. The operative procedures used for laparoscopic resection of urinary DIE and reconstruction of the urinary organs are chosen based on the type of lesion (intrinsic/extrinsic) and length of stenosis. In addition to ureteroneocystostomy, the psoas bladder hitch and Boari bladder flap procedures are applied when necessary to extend the urinary tract. Bowel resection for bowel endometriosis is classified into classic segmental resection and conservative approaches (shaving/discoid). When these procedures are employed, it is advisable to work in consultation with urologists and gastroenterologists and to inform the patients of the associated risks and outcomes. Furthermore, postoperative medication is essential because it is difficult to conduct repeated surgeries.
Disturbance type influences plant community resilience and resistance to Bromus tectorum invasion in the sagebrush steppe
Authors: Seipel Tim , Rew Lisa J. , Taylor Kimberley T. , Maxwell Bruce D. , Lehnhoff Erik A.
Published: February 2018

Question

How does type of disturbance alter plant community composition when an invasive species with high intrinsic population growth rate is present? The sagebrush steppe is a cold semi‐arid steppe dominated by the native shrub Artemisia tridentata Nutt., native bunchgrasses, and has been invaded by the non‐native winter annual Bromus tectorum L.

Location

Sagebrush steppe, Montana, USA.

Methods

We assessed the effect of fire and soil disturbance, due to bulldozing to create a firebreak, on the resilience of plant communities and their resistance to invasion by B. tectorum. Plant species richness and species composition were monitored for 3 years at two sites post‐fire and firebreak construction.

Results

Burned plant communities were resilient and had similar native grass cover and native species richness compared with the unburned sites after 3 years. Soil disturbance from firebreak construction resulted in species composition that was distinct and had lower native grass cover. Type of disturbance also affected the community's resistance to B. tectorum. Bromus tectorum cover was similar in burned and unburned areas, but increased up to three times and remained high where soil disturbance occurred, suggesting a shift to an alternative state.

Conclusion

In this northern portion of the sagebrush steppe, communities with native plant cover were resilient to fire but not soil disturbance, which facilitated B. tectorum increase and a transition to an alternative state. In areas of high native plant cover, management tactics should avoid soil disturbance.
Acute myeloid/T‐lymphoblastic leukaemia (AMTL): a distinct category of acute leukaemias with common pathogenesis in need of improved therapy
Authors: Gutierrez Alejandro , Kentsis Alex
Published: February 2018

Advances in the classification of acute leukaemias have led to improved outcomes for a substantial fraction of patients. However, chemotherapy resistance remains a major problem for specific subsets of acute leukaemias. Here, we propose that a molecularly distinct subtype of acute leukaemia with shared myeloid and T cell lymphoblastic features, which we term acute myeloid/T‐lymphoblastic leukaemia (AMTL), is divided across 3 diagnostic categories owing to variable expression of markers deemed to be defining of myeloid and T‐lymphoid lineages, such as myeloperoxidase and CD3. This proposed diagnostic group is supported by (i) retained myeloid differentiation potential during early T cell lymphoid development, (ii) recognition that some cases of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) harbour hallmarks of T cell development, such as T‐cell receptor gene rearrangements and (iii) common gene mutations in subsets of AML and T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T‐ALL), including WT1, PHF6, RUNX1 and BCL11B. This proposed diagnostic entity overlaps with early T cell precursor (ETP) T‐ALL and T cell/myeloid mixed phenotype acute leukaemias (MPALs), and also includes a subset of leukaemias currently classified as AML with features of T‐lymphoblastic development. The proposed classification of AMTL as a distinct entity would enable more precise prospective diagnosis and permit the development of improved therapies for patients whose treatment is inadequate with current approaches.
Dietary niche separation of rodents and shrews in an African savanna
Authors: Namukonde Ngawo , Simukonda Chuma , Ganzhorn Jörg U.
Published: February 2018

While niche separation and relationships with environmental conditions of large mammals of the African savanna have been studied intensively, less conspicuous components have not received similar attention. This is the case of Kafue National Park (KNP), Zambia, where mechanisms supporting coexistence among rodent and shrew species remain unclear, much less the influence of fire on their dietary resource use. Here, we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to assess dietary resource use and partitioning among rodents and shrews found in three vegetation formations ofKNP. According to the nitrogen isotope signatures, rodents are one to two trophic levels above primary production, save forMus tritonthat is above by two to three. Shrews are two trophic levels above primary production. Among shrews, factors allowing coexistence of similar sized species could not be resolved. Rodent species of the same assemblage either differ in body mass by a factor of two (following Hutchinson's rule) or similar sized species occupy different trophic levels or dietary guilds based on their isotopic nitrogen or carbon signatures. At sites with frequent fires, rodents have broader dietary niches than at sites with low fire frequencies. This could either indicate relaxed competition under high fire frequencies as rodent populations do not reach the carrying capacity of the habitat, or it could reflect reduced competition due to lower species numbers under high versus low fire recurrence regimes. The results indicate competition as an important component structuring rodent communities in Zambian savannas, thus suggesting limited resources.
99mTc‐HYNIC‐(Ser)3‐J18 peptide: A radiotracer for non‐small‐cell lung cancer targeting
Authors: Shaghaghi Zahra , Abedi Seyed Mohammad , Hosseinimehr Seyed Jalal
Published: February 2018

Radiolabeled peptide could be a useful tool for the diagnosis of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, HYNIC‐(Ser)3‐J18 peptide was labeled with 99mTc using EDDA/tricine as coligands. The in vitro and in vivo studies of this radiolabeled peptide were performed for cellular‐specific binding and tumor targeting in A‐549 cells and tumor‐bearing mice, respectively. The high radiochemical purity was obtained and this radiolabeled peptide exhibited high stability in buffer and serum. The radiolabeled peptide showed high affinity for the A‐549 cells with a dissociation constant value (KD) of 4.4 ± 0.8 nm. The tumor–muscles ratios were 2.7 and 4.4 at 1 and 2 hr after injection of 99mTc‐(EDDA/tricine)‐HYNIC‐(Ser)3‐J18 in tumor‐bearing mice. The tumor uptake was decreased after preinjection with non‐labeled peptide for this radiolabeled peptide in blocking experiment. The results of this study showed the 99mTc‐(EDDA/tricine)‐(Ser)3‐HYNIC‐J18 peptide might be a promising radiolabeled peptide for NSCLC targeting.
Investigation of corneal endothelial changes post selective laser trabeculoplasty
Authors: Leahy Kate E , Madigan Michele C , Sarris Maria , Watson Stephanie L , McCluskey Peter , White Andrew JR
Published: February 2018

Importance

Transient corneal endothelial changes are routinely noted on slit‐lamp examination immediately following selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT).

Background

To determine the mechanism of transient corneal endothelial changes observed following SLT.

Design

University laboratory‐based observational study.

Samples

Ten corneas from six human cadaveric donors.

Methods

Corneas were treated with SLT, direct laser or peroxide, or used as controls. Haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunolabelling for zonula occludens‐1 (ZO‐1) and beta‐catenin were performed.

Main Outcome Measures

Histological appearance; ZO‐1 and beta‐catenin immunostaining.

Results

There were no differences in histological features between SLT‐treated and control corneas. Corneas treated with SLT or peroxide showed reduced and less regular ZO‐1 immunofluorescence along cell membranes compared with ZO‐1 expression in controls. These changes were generalized across the endothelium. There was no effect on the ZO‐1 immunostaining after direct laser. There was no difference in beta‐catenin immunostaining patterns between control, SLT and peroxide‐treated corneas.

Conclusions and Relevance

Altered ZO‐1 immunostaining may represent disassembly of tight junctions between corneal endothelial cells. The similarity of our findings between SLT‐treated and peroxide‐treated corneas suggests that both conditions trigger changes at the level of endothelial tight junctions, perhaps triggered by liberation of free radicals as previously proposed.
Impact of type 1 diabetes mellitus and sitagliptin treatment on the neuropeptide Y system of rat retina
Authors: Campos Elisa J , Martins João , Brudzewsky Dan , Correia Sandra , Santiago Ana R , Woldbye David PD , Ambrósio António F
Published: February 2018

Background

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a neuromodulator that is expressed in the retina. Increasing evidence suggests that NPY has pronounced anti‐inflammatory effects, which might depend on the inhibition of dipeptidyl‐peptidase‐IV (DPP‐IV). The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and sitagliptin, a DPP‐IV inhibitor, on the NPY system in the retina using an animal model.

Methods

Type 1 DM was induced in male Wistar rats by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Starting 2 weeks after DM onset, animals were treated orally with sitagliptin (5 mg/kg.day) for 2 weeks. The expression of NPY and NPY receptors (Y1, Y2 and Y5 receptors) was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and/or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The immunoreactivity of NPY and NPY receptors was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the [35S]GTPγS binding assay was used to assess the functional binding of NPY receptors.

Results

DM decreased the mRNA levels of NPY in the retina, as well as the protein levels of NPY and Y5 receptor. No changes were detected in the localization of NPY and NPY receptors in the retina and in the functional binding of NPY to all receptors. Sitagliptin alone reduced retinal NPY mRNA levels. The effects of DM on the NPY system were not affected by sitagliptin.

Conclusion

DM modestly affects the NPY system in the retina and these effects are not prevented by sitagliptin treatment. These observations suggest that DPP‐IV enzyme is not underlying the NPY changes detected in the retina induced by type 1 DM.
A B3GALT6 variant in patient originally described as Al‐Gazali syndrome and implicating the endoplasmic reticulum quality control in the mechanism of some β3GalT6‐pathy mutations
Authors: Ben‐Mahmoud A. , Ben‐Salem S. , Al‐Sorkhy M. , John A. , Ali B.R. , Al‐Gazali L.
Published: February 2018

Al‐Gazali syndrome encompasses several clinical features including prenatal growth retardation, large joints contractures with camptodactyly, bilateral talipes equinovarus, small mouth, anterior segment anomalies of the eyes, and early lethality. Recently, a baby with features very similar to Al‐Gazali syndrome was found to have compound heterozygous variants in B3GALT6. This gene encodes Beta‐1,3‐galactosyltransferase 6 (β3GalT6), an essential component of the glycosaminoglycan synthesis pathway. Pathogenic variants in B3GALT6 have also been shown to cause Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome spondylodysplastic type (spEDS‐B3GALT6) and spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia with joint laxity type I (SEMD‐JL1). In 2017, a new international classification of EDS included these 2 conditions together with the child reported to have features similar to Al‐Gazali syndrome under spondylodysplastic EDS (spEDS). We report a disease‐causing variant c.618C > G, p.(Cys206Trp) in 1 patient originally described as Al‐Gazali syndrome and reported in 1999. We evaluated the involvement of the endoplasmic reticulum‐associated protein degradation, in the pathogenesis of 13 B3GALT6 variants. Retention in endoplasmic reticulum was evident in 6 of them while the c.618C > G, p.(Cys206Trp) and the other 6 variants trafficked normally. Our findings confirm the involvement of B3GALT6 in the pathogenesis of Al‐Gazali syndrome and suggest that Al‐Gazali syndrome represents the severe end of the spectrum of the phenotypes caused by pathogenic variants in this gene.
Predictive performance of a genetic risk score using 11 susceptibility alleles for the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population: a nested case–control study
Authors: Goto A. , Noda M. , Goto M. , Yasuda K. , Mizoue T. , Yamaji T. , Sawada N. , Iwasaki M. , Inoue M. , Tsugane S. ,   the JPHC Study Group
Published: February 2018

Aims

To assess the predictive ability of a genetic risk score for the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population.

Methods

This prospective case–control study, nested within a Japan Public Health Centre‐based prospective study, included 466 participants with incident Type 2 diabetes over a 5‐year period (cases) and 1361 control participants, as well as 1463 participants with existing diabetes and 1463 control participants. Eleven susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphisms, identified through genome‐wide association studies and replicated in Japanese populations, were analysed.

Results

Most single nucleotide polymorphism loci showed directionally consistent associations with diabetes. From the combined samples, one single nucleotide polymorphism (rs2206734 at CDKAL1) reached a genome‐wide significance level (odds ratio 1.28, 95% CI 1.18–1.40; P = 1.8 × 10–8). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2206734 in CDKAL1, rs2383208 in CDKN2A/B, and rs2237892 in KCNQ1) were nominally significantly associated with incident diabetes. Compared with the lowest quintile of the total number of risk alleles, the highest quintile had a higher odds of incident diabetes (odds ratio 2.34, 95% CI 1.59–3.46) after adjusting for conventional risk factors such as age, sex and BMI. The addition to the conventional risk factor‐based model of a genetic risk score using the 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly improved predictive performance; the c‐statistic increased by 0.021, net reclassification improved by 6.2%, and integrated discrimination improved by 0.003.

Conclusions

Our prospective findings suggest that the addition of a genetic risk score may provide modest but significant incremental predictive performance beyond that of the conventional risk factor‐based model without biochemical markers.
Cover Image, Volume 20, Issue 3
Authors: Franklin Zara J. , Tsakmaki Anastasia , Fonseca Pedro Patricia , King Aileen J. , Huang Guo Cai , Amjad Sakeena , Persaud Shanta J. , Bewick Gavin A.
Published: February 2018

The cover image, by Zara J. Franklin et al., is based on the Original Article Islet neuropeptide Y receptors are functionally conserved and novel targets for the preservation of beta‐cell mass, DOI: 10.1111/dom.13119.

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Weathering of primary mineral phosphate in the early stages of ecosystem development in the Hailuogou Glacier foreland chronosequence
Authors: Zhou J. , Bing H. , Wu Y. , Sun H. , Wang J.
Published: February 2018

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plants. Although the transformation of P speciation and the availability of P in soil have been extensively investigated, the weathering processes and rates of weathering of primary mineral phosphate during the initial stage of pedogenesis are not well understood. Soil samples were collected from six sites that had been exposed for different lengths of time in the foreland of the Hailuogou Glacier, SW China. Three classes of P in different minerals were operationally defined using a sequential extraction procedure. The results revealed that the weathering processes of apatite in the Hailuogou chronosequence were divided into two stages: the first was observed at the 30‐, 40‐ and 52‐year‐old sites, where the average rate of weathering of primary mineral phosphate (RLP) increased from 2.6 to 8.7 mmol m−2 year−1, and the second was observed at the 80‐ and 120‐year‐old sites, where the average RLP increased markedly to 26.0 mmol m−2 year−1. The RLP at the 120‐year‐old site was significantly larger than at sites with similar ages in temperate and subtropical zones, mainly because of differences in climate, vegetation type and initial P content of the parent material. The rapid increase in RLP with age in the Hailuogou chronosequence was fitted well by a power function (RLP = 0.012 × Age1.66) and was affected mainly by the rapid decrease in soil pH and rapid development of vegetation. By compiling the data in this study and from the literature, we propose that changes in the RLP with age (100–12 000 years) can be described by a decreasing power function and can be divided roughly into three stages. The average RLP (14.1 mmol m−2 year−1) in the Hailuogou chronosequence was ∼47 times larger than the global rate of P release, thus indicating the importance of glacier forelands in global P cycling.

Highlights

The rate of weathering of apatite (RLP) increased as a function: RLP = 0.012 × Age1.66 (Age ≤ 120).

Rapid decrease in pH and development of vegetation controlled the rapid increase in RLP over 0–120 years.

Change in RLP over hundreds to thousands of years depended mainly on length of exposure.

Young glacier forelands are ‘hot spot’ areas of phosphate weathering.
Feedstock determines biochar‐induced soil priming effects by stimulating the activity of specific microorganisms
Authors: Yu Z. , Chen L. , Pan S. , Li Y. , Kuzyakov Y. , Xu J. , Brookes P. C. , Luo Y.
Published: February 2018

Uncertainty remains over what properties of biochar and which groups of microorganisms are responsible for the direction and magnitude of observed biochar‐induced priming effects (PE). We selected maize straw, grass, peanut shells and sugar cane as feedstocks to produce biochar at 300, 400 and 500°C by slow pyrolysis, and carried out an 80‐day soil–biochar incubation experiment to investigate biochar‐induced soil PE by adopting isotopic techniques. Irrespective of pyrolysis temperature, grass‐derived biochar (Grass‐B) induced the largest PE (348 to 1214 mg C kg−1 soil), whereas peanut shell‐derived biochar (Peanut‐B) induced the smallest (−135 to 261 mg C kg−1 soil) PE. The intensity of PE was largely determined by the feedstock and was closely related to the proportion of cellulose and lignin in it. The bacterial and fungal communities at days 8 and 40 were investigated by high‐throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS genes. Biochar additions explained 54.0 and 52.9% of the total variation in bacterial and fungal community structure, respectively. The bacterial Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were dominant during the initial phase of the PE (at day 8), whereas the fungal Sordariomycetes and Tremellomycetes were abundant after the longer phase of incubation at day 40. A succession from bacterial community (used the available C fraction of biochar) to fungal community (used the recalcitrant C fraction of biochar and soil organic C) might occur during the PE, together with the alternation of apparent PE to real PE.

Highlights

Feedstock type determines biochar‐induced priming effects (PE).

A succession from bacterial to fungal community occurred.

Actinobacteria and Firmicutes used biochar available C during the early stage.

Sordariomycetes and Tremellomycetes were associated with the later real PE.
Increased socially mediated plasticity in gene expression accompanies rapid adaptive evolution
Authors: Pascoal Sonia , Liu Xuan , Fang Yongxiang , Paterson Steve , Ritchie Michael G. , Rockliffe Nichola , Zuk Marlene , Bailey Nathan W.
Published: February 2018

Recent theory predicts that increased phenotypic plasticity can facilitate adaptation as traits respond to selection. When genetic adaptation alters the social environment, socially mediated plasticity could cause co‐evolutionary feedback dynamics that increase adaptive potential. We tested this by asking whether neural gene expression in a recently arisen, adaptive morph of the field cricketTeleogryllus oceanicusis more responsive to the social environment than the ancestral morph. Silent males (flatwings) rapidly spread in a Hawaiian population subject to acoustically orienting parasitoids, changing the population's acoustic environment. Experimental altering crickets’ acoustic environments during rearing revealed broad, plastic changes in gene expression. However, flatwing genotypes showed increased socially mediated plasticity, whereas normal‐wing genotypes exhibited negligible expression plasticity. Increased plasticity in flatwing crickets suggests a coevolutionary process coupling socially flexible gene expression with the abrupt spread of flatwing. Our results support predictions that phenotypic plasticity should rapidly evolve to be more pronounced during early phases of adaptation.
Pyrodiversity interacts with rainfall to increase bird and mammal richness in African savannas
Authors: Beale Colin M. , Courtney Mustaphi Colin J. , Morrison Thomas A. , Archibald Sally , Anderson T. Michael , Dobson Andrew P. , Donaldson Jason E. , Hempson Gareth P. , Probert James , Parr Catherine L.
Published: February 2018

Fire is a fundamental process in savannas and is widely used for management. Pyrodiversity, variation in local fire characteristics, has been proposed as a driver of biodiversity although empirical evidence is equivocal. Using a new measure of pyrodiversity (Hempson et al.), we undertook the first continent‐wide assessment of how pyrodiversity affects biodiversity in protected areas across African savannas. The influence of pyrodiversity on bird and mammal species richness varied with rainfall: strongest support for a positive effect occurred in wet savannas (> 650 mm/year), where species richness increased by 27% for mammals and 40% for birds in the most pyrodiverse regions. Range‐restricted birds were most increased by pyrodiversity, suggesting the diversity of fire regimes increases the availability of rare niches. Our findings are significant because they explain the conflicting results found in previous studies of savannas. We argue that managing savanna landscapes to increase pyrodiversity is especially important in wet savannas.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans infection causes DNA double‐strand breaks in host cells
Authors: Teshima Rie , Hanada Katsuhiro , Akada Junko , Kawano Kenji , Yamaoka Yoshio
Published: February 2018

Periodontal disease, an inflammatory disease, is caused by infection with periodontal pathogens. Long‐term periodontal disease increases the risk of oral carcinogenesis. Similar to other peptic cancers, oral carcinogenesis also requires multiple genome instabilities; however, the risk factors related to the accumulation of genome instabilities are poorly understood. Here, we suggested that specific periodontal pathogens may increase the risk of genome instability. Accordingly, we screened several periodontal pathogens based on the ability to induce DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) in host cells. We found that Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Y4 infection induced DSB formation in host cells. To assess whether DSB formation induced by infection with A. actinomycetemcomitans occurred through apoptotic chromosome fragmentation, cells were treated with a caspase inhibitor, Z‐VAD‐FMK. DSB accumulation induced by infection with A. actinomycetemcomitans was observed, even in the presence of Z‐VAD‐FMK, suggesting that this breakage occurred independently of apoptosis. These results suggested that some periodontal pathogens can increase the risk of genome instabilities in host cells and subsequently increase the risk of carcinogenesis.