bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical and social determinants of dietary variety among older adults living alone in Japan
Authors: Fukuda Yoshiharu , Ishikawa Midori , Yokoyama Tetsuji , Hayashi Tatsumi , Nakaya Tomoki , Takemi Yukari , Kusama Kaoru , Yoshiike Nobuo , Nozue Miho , Yoshiba Kaori , Murayama Nobuko
Published: February 2017

Aim

Food security and sufficient nutrient intake are critical to longevity and active aging. The present study aimed to elucidate physical and social factors related to dietary variety among single‐living older adults in Japanese communities.

Methods

The cross‐sectional survey with a self‐administrated questionnaire was carried out for all older adults living alone aged 65 years and older in three cities of Japan during 2014. Dietary variety score (DVS) was determined by counting the number of 10 food groups consumed at least once in 2 days using a food frequency questionnaire. Using the data of 704 men and 1366 women, the sex‐specific association of low DVS (<4) with age, region, frailty, annual income, social support, distance to the nearest supermarket and car ownership was analyzed.

Results

The prevalence of low DVS was 40.9% for men and 18.4% for women. Frailty and low social support were associated with low DVS. A gradient association with income was found for women, whereas men showed a threshold: <1.5 million yen per year was associated with low DVS. The distance to the nearest supermarket was not significantly associated with DVS.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study imply that as well as frailty, poor social support and economic disadvantage are associated with a decline in dietary variety. In particular, frail men with income <1.5 million yen per year had a high risk of decreased dietary variety. Formal and informal support to secure food accessibility for physically and socially vulnerable older adults should be encouraged. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2232–2238.
Daclatasvir and asunaprevir for genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Kondo Chisa , Atsukawa Masanori , Tsubota Akihito , Shimada Noritomo , Abe Hiroshi , Asano Toru , Yoshizawa Kai , Okubo Tomomi , Chuganji Yoshimichi , Aizawa Yoshio , Iio Etsuko , Tanaka Yasuhito , Iwakiri Katsuhiko
Published: February 2017

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of daclatasvir and asunaprevir combined therapy in genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C patients with non‐dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods

In a multicenter collaborative study, 249 patients received 60 mg daclatasvir (NS5A inhibitor) once a day and 100 mg of asunaprevir (NS3/4A protease inhibitor) twice a day for 24 weeks between September 2014 and September 2015 and were subjected to this analysis. Virological response and adverse events in non‐dialysis patients with CKD (stage 3–5, excluding 5D: dialysis), which was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, were compared with those in patients without CKD.

Results

Overall, the rates of rapid viral response, end‐of‐treatment response, and sustained virological response (SVR) were 76.7%, 91.2%, and 86.3%, respectively. Among 55 patients with CKD, the rapid viral response, end‐of‐treatment response, and SVR rates were 76.4%, 87.3%, and 83.6%, respectively. Among 194 patients without CKD, they were 76.8, 92.3, and 87.1%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the virological response rates between the two groups (P = 0.999, 0.282, and 0.509, respectively). The baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate did not affect the achievement of SVR. The incidence of adverse events in patients with and without CKD were 21.8% and 13.9%, respectively (not significant, P = 0.142).

Conclusion

The efficacy and safety of daclatasvir and asunaprevir combined therapy in genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C patients with non‐dialysis CKD are not inferior to those in patients without CKD.
Late Qing Multilingualism and National Linguistic Practice in the Qing Borderlands
Authors: He Jiani
Published: February 2017

This exploratory article reviews recent scholarship about late Qing multilingualism and discusses its influence on studies of national linguistic practice in modern Chinese history, particularly in the borderlands. The Qing Empire (1644–1911) was a multilingual empire with the Manchu, Mongolian, Chinese, Tibetan, and Uighur languages being used in its large territory. Qing multilingualism maintained distinctive group identities and the integrity of the empire. The real difficulty for Chinese national linguistic practice in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was how to transform the social ideology and structure which supported Qing multilingualism. Linking empire and nation by the legacies of Qing multilingualism helps us reconsider the result and future of national linguistic practice and its aspiration to build the Chinese nation within its multilingual background. Qing borderlands largely inherited and maintained the empire's multilingual legacies. The infiltration of the Russian and Japanese languages further highlighted the complexity of the challenges faced by modern Chinese national linguistic practice in borderland areas. All of these make the Qing borderlands a good setting to examine the complicated and sometimes contradictory relationship between late Qing multilingualism and national linguistic practice.
German economic and social sciences between the national and the transnational: The Verein für Sozialpolitik, 1872–1952
Authors: McClellan Steven
Published: February 2017

The Verein für Sozialpolitik is the preeminent organization of German‐speaking economists in the world. Aside from a brief interruption between during the Nazi period, it has been central in the development of the economic and social sciences in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland but also globally, since 1872. However, historical scholarship on the Verein has been narrowly focused on different thematic or temporal episodes that emphasize conceptual, generational, or political breaks in Germany's turbulent history. This essay gives a brief historical overview of the Verein and the historical literature. It calls for a re‐evaluation that highlights the persistence of the organization as it navigated between national and transnational developments.
p53 protein accumulation predicts malignant progression in Barrett's metaplasia: a prospective study of 275 patients
Authors: Younes Mamoun , Brown Keith , Lauwers Gregory Y , Ergun Gulchin , Meriano Frank , Schmulen A Carl , Barroso Alberto , Ertan Atilla
Published: February 2017

Aims

The purpose of this study was to determine prospectively whether p53 protein accumulation in biopsies of Barrett's metaplasia (BM) is a predictor of malignant progression, without relying on dysplasia grading.

Methods and results

Sections of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue from the initial biopsies of 275 patients with BM, who had no high‐grade dysplasia (HGD) or oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), were stained for p53 by immunohistochemistry. The mean follow‐up was 41 months. p53‐positive biopsies were divided into four groups: scattered positive cells, multifocal scattered positive cells, aggregates of positive cells, and multifocal aggregates of positive cells. Kaplan–Meier analysis with the log‐rank test was used to determine the rate of progression to HGD/EAC. Of the 275 patients, 227 had initial biopsies that were completely negative for p53, and, of these, one (0.4%) progressed to HGD/EAC; none of 24 (0%) patients with scattered positive cells and none of four (0%) of patients with multifocal scattered positive cells progressed. In contrast, five of 16 (31.25%) patients with aggregates of positive cells and three of four (75%) of those with multifocal aggregates of positive cells progressed to HGD/EAC. Kaplan–Meier analysis with log‐rank statistics showed the difference in progression rate between the five groups to be highly significant (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

We conclude that p53 protein accumulation, detected by immunohistochemistry in aggregates of cells, is a significant predictor of malignant progression in patients with BM.
A33 shows similar sensitivity to but is more specific than CDX2 as an immunomarker of colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Wong Newton A C S , Adamczyk Lukasz A , Evans Shanna , Cullen Jayne , Oniscu Anca , Oien Karin A
Published: February 2017

Aims

CDX2 is widely used as a sensitive and specific immunomarker for colorectal carcinoma (CRC), but neither its sensitivity nor its specificity is absolute. The aim of this study was to compare CDX1 and A33 with CDX2 as immunomarkers for CRC.

Methods and results

As a pilot study, whole sections of 51 cases of liver metastatic carcinoma with different origins—colorectum (n = 32), breast (n = 3), oesophagogastric tract (n = 4), lung (n = 3), pancreas (n = 8), and prostate (n = 1)—were immunostained with CDX1, CDX2, and A33. A33 showed higher sensitivity as a CRC immunomarker, greater interobserver reproducibility for assessment of expression and less background cross‐reactivity than CDX1. Therefore, only A33 was compared with CDX2 for a tissue microarray (TMA)‐based study of primary adenocarcinomas with different origins: CRC (n = 55), liver deposits of metastatic CRC (n = 60), breast (n = 101), lung (n = 40), oesophagogastric tract (n = 134), ovary (n = 67), pancreas (n = 77), and prostate (n = 56). When the whole section and TMA cases of CRC were combined, A33 had a sensitivity of 95.9% and CDX2 had a sensitivity of 97.2%. When the whole section and TMA cases of non‐colorectal carcinomas were combined, A33 had a specificity of 85.4% as a marker of CRC and CDX2 had a specificity of 64.3%. The higher specificity of A33 than of CDX2 as a CRC immunomarker was particularly seen among pancreatic and ovarian carcinomas. Furthermore, unlike what was seen with CDX2, none of the prostatic and lung carcinomas studied showed A33 positivity.

Conclusions

A33 shows similar sensitivity to but is more specific than CDX2 as an immunomarker of CRC.
Diversity among maize populations from Spain and the United States for dough rheology and gluten‐free breadmaking performance
Authors: Garzón Raquel , Rosell Cristina M. , Malvar Rosa A. , Revilla Pedro
Published: February 2017

Maize is used for bakery and for gluten‐free food for coeliac patients. Our objective was assessing diversity for dough rheology and breadmaking in maize with different origins, grain types and growth cycles. Endosperm type affected bread crumb colour having dent maize higher L* and a* and instant recovery speed. Population origin affected flotation index, onset pasting temperature, bread crumb colour, hardness and instant recovery speed. Finally, growth cycle affected flotation index, crumb colour L* and a* and cohesiveness. Water‐binding capacity, crumb colour and hardness were the most discriminative parameters for maize. The maize population Andaluz/Daxa was the less distant from wheat parameters, and Tremesino was the most different.
The predictors of quality of life in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome
Authors: Aliasghari Fatemeh , Mirghafourvand Mojgan , Charandabi Sakineh Mohammad‐Alizadeh , lak Tahereh Behroozi
Published: February 2017

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorder that may be effective in reducing the quality of life. This study aimed to determine the predictors of quality of life in women with PCOS. This cross‐sectional study was conducted on 174 women with PCOS who attended in public and private fertility clinics in Urmia (West Azerbaijan, Iran), 2015. The data were collected through the questionnaires of sociodemographic and obstetrics characteristics, quality of life and Beck depression inventory‐II. Multivariate linear regression was used to estimate the effect rate of the independent variables (depression and sociodemographic characteristics) on the dependent variable (quality of life). In this study, the mean (standard deviation) of total score of the quality of life was obtained, 45.8 (11.3) in the range 0‐100. The highest and lowest mean scores were in the subdomains of weight and hirsutism. The variables of depression, body mass index, woman's job, menstrual cycle intervals, and sexual satisfaction were predictors of the quality of life in women with PCOS. Because of various effective factors on quality of life in these women such as depression, necessary strategies must be implemented to control these factors and improve the quality of life.
Prevalence and characteristics of fecal antimicrobial‐resistant Escherichia coli in a cohort of Japanese men undergoing prostate biopsy
Authors: Kamei Jun , Yagihara Yuka , Kume Haruki , Horiuchi Takamasa , Sato Tomoaki , Nakagawa Tohru , Fujimura Tetsuya , Fukuhara Hiroshi , Moriya Kyoji , Homma Yukio
Published: February 2017

Objectives

To examine resistant Escherichia coli in rectal swab culture of Japanese men undergoing prostate biopsy, and to determine its prevalence, genotypic characteristics and carriage risk factors.

Methods

Rectal swabs of consecutive men undergoing transrectal ultrasound‐guided prostate biopsy from April 2013 to March 2015 were cultured to isolate fluoroquinolone‐resistant and extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing E. coli. The prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of these resistant E. coli strains and extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase genotyping were examined. The risk factors of antimicrobial resistance carriage were also examined.

Results

The cohort was 376 men with a mean age of 67.8 years. Fluoroquinolone‐resistant E. coli and extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing E. coli were detected in 37 men (9.8%) and 22 men (5.9%), respectively, with fluoroquinolone‐resistant and/or extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing E. coli in 48 men (13.0%). All 49 antimicrobial‐resistant strains were susceptible to tazobactam/piperacillin, amikacin, fosfomycin, meropenem and faropenem. CTX‐M‐9 and CTX‐M‐1 group were detected in 14 (63.6%) and eight (36.4%) men, respectively. CTX‐M‐9 showed relatively higher susceptibility to LVFX and minocycline compared with CTX‐M‐1. Diabetes mellitus was a significant factor for carriage of resistance by multivariate analysis (odds ratio 2.12, P = 0.039).

Conclusions

The present study showed the fecal carriage of fluoroquinolone‐resistant E. coli and extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing E. coli at 9.8% and 5.9%, respectively, with CTX‐M‐9 group of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing E. coli comprising 63.6%, in Japanese men receiving prostate biopsy. The carriage of fluoroquinolone‐resistant and/or extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing E. coli was significantly related to diabetes.
Follow My Gaze: Face Race and Sex Influence Gaze‐Cued Attention in Infancy
Authors: Pickron Charisse B. , Fava Eswen , Scott Lisa S.
Published: February 2017

Using the eye gaze of others to direct one's own attention develops during the first year of life and is thought to be an important skill for learning and social communication. However, it is currently unclear whether infants differentially attend to and encode objects cued by the eye gaze of individuals within familiar groups (e.g., own race, more familiar sex) relative to unfamiliar groups (e.g., other race, less familiar sex). During gaze cueing, but prior to the presentation of objects, 10‐month‐olds looked longer to the eyes of own‐race faces relative to 5‐month‐olds and relative to the eyes of other‐race faces. After gaze cueing, two objects were presented alongside the face and at both ages, infants looked longer to the uncued objects for faces from the more familiar‐sex and longer to cued objects for the less familiar‐sex faces. Finally, during the test phase, both 5‐ and 10‐month‐old infants looked longer to uncued objects relative to cued objects but only when the objects were cued by an own‐race and familiar‐sex individual. Results demonstrate that infants use face eye gaze differently when the cue comes from someone within a highly experienced group.
Global Problem of Drug‐Induced Hearing Loss
Authors: Arslan Edoardo , Orzan Eva , Santarelli Rosamaria
Published: February 2017

Clinically used drugs and chemical agents may potentially cause adverse effects to the human auditory and vestibular systems. Many of them, such as aminoglycosides and cisplatin, can play a critical role in the treatment of serious or life‐threatening diseases; others, like loop diuretics or salycilates, offer such important therapeutical effects compared to the ototoxic side effects that the ototoxicity risk can be considered to be of minor importance. The problem of ototoxic side effects is more acute in developing countries, where highly effective and low‐cost drugs are more easily prescribed without adequate monitoring.

Medical awareness of doses, forms of administration, populations at risk, and possible synergism is necessary in order to develop appropriate care in the prescription of drugs with ototoxic side effects. Relatively recent issues such as risk‐benefit analysis, patient‐informed consent, and quality‐of‐life considerations, particularly when life expectancy can be low, are also to be considered.

At present, a uniform method of monitoring for all potentially ototoxic therapeutics does not seem reasonable or practical. It is recommended, however, that individual auditory function be noted for a particular drug being employed. Protocols and exams should be easy, quick, sensitive, reliable, and as objective as possible. Benefits of audiological monitoring include the opportunity to change the patient's treatment course, improvement of patient and family awareness of the impact of hearing impairment, and timely prescription of amplification devices. Finally, particular attention should be paid to high‐risk populations such as neonatal intensive care unit patients.
Nanoceria synthesis in the KCl‐LiCl salt system: Crystal formation and properties
Authors: Lan Yuan‐Pei , Sohn Hong Yong , Mohassab Yousef , Liu Qingcai , Xu Baoqiang
Published: February 2017

Nanoceria is an important function material and is widely used in catalytic applications due to its excellent redox properties. Here, we report a simple method to synthesize uniform polyhedral nanoceria powder by the KCl‐LiCl molten salt method. TEM micrographs of the product showed that polyhedral nanoceria particles of 30 nm average size were obtained from cerium carbonate hydroxide when treated at 600°C for 4 hours. Results indicated that the crystal structure broke down to ceria crystal nuclei in the molten salt system at an elevated temperature, and the Ce3+ dissolved in the KCl‐LiCl molten salts provided a cerium source for crystal growth. The crystal and particle sizes increased with treatment temperature. UV‐visible absorption results showed that this nanoceria powder had a significant red shift, and its narrow band gap of 2.7 eV suggests a potential application for photocatalysis. The produced nanoceria had a somewhat lower catalytic activity for CO oxidization than commercial nanoceria, mainly due to smaller specific surface area, but had a higher stability.
NK1.1−CD4+NKG2D+ T cells suppress DSS‐induced colitis in mice through production of TGF‐β
Authors: Qian Xingxing , Hu Chunxia , Han Sen , Lin Zhijie , Xiao Weiming , Ding Yanbing , Zhang Yu , Qian Li , Jia Xiaoqing , Zhu Guoqiang , Gong Weijuan
Published: February 2017

CD4+ NKG2D+ T cells are associated with tumour, infection and autoimmune diseases. Some CD4+ NKG2D+ T cells secrete IFN‐γ and TNF‐α to promote inflammation, but others produce TGF‐β and FasL to facilitate tumour evasion. Here, murine CD4+ NKG2D+ T cells were further classified into NK1.1− CD4+ NKG2D+ and NK1.1+ CD4+ NKG2D+ subpopulations. The frequency of NK1.1− CD4+ NKG2D+ cells decreased in inflamed colons, whereas more NK1.1+ CD4+ NKG2D+ cells infiltrated into colons of mice with DSS‐induced colitis. NK1.1− CD4+ NKG2D+ cells expressed TGF‐β and FasL without secreting IFN‐γ, IL‐21 and IL‐17 and displayed no cytotoxicity. The adoptive transfer of NK1.1− CD4+ NKG2D+ cells suppressed DSS‐induced colitis largely dependent on TGF‐β. NK1.1− CD4+ NKG2D+ cells did not expressed Foxp3, CD223 (LAG‐3) and GITR. The subpopulation was distinct from NK1.1+ CD4+ NKG2D+ cells in terms of surface markers and RNA transcription. NK1.1−CD4+ NKG2D+ cells also differed from Th2 or Th17 cells because the former did not express GATA‐3 and ROR‐γt. Thus, NK1.1− CD4+ NKG2D+ cells exhibited immune regulatory functions, and this T cell subset could be developed to suppress inflammation in clinics.
SLC2A3 single‐nucleotide polymorphism and duplication influence cognitive processing and population‐specific risk for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Merker Sören , Reif Andreas , Ziegler Georg C. , Weber Heike , Mayer Ute , Ehlis Ann‐Christine , Conzelmann Annette , Johansson Stefan , Müller‐Reible Clemens , Nanda Indrajit , Haaf Thomas , Ullmann Reinhard , Romanos Marcel , Fallgatter Andreas J. , Pauli Paul , Strekalova Tatyana , Jansch Charline , Vasquez Alejandro Arias , Haavik Jan , Ribasés Marta , Ramos‐Quiroga Josep Antoni , Buitelaar Jan K. , Franke Barbara , Lesch Klaus‐Peter
Published: February 2017

Background

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder with profound cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial impairments with persistence across the life cycle. Our initial genome‐wide screening approach for copy number variants (CNVs) in ADHD implicated a duplication of SLC2A3, encoding glucose transporter‐3 (GLUT3). GLUT3 plays a critical role in cerebral glucose metabolism, providing energy for the activity of neurons, which, in turn, moderates the excitatory–inhibitory balance impacting both brain development and activity‐dependent neural plasticity. We therefore aimed to provide additional genetic and functional evidence for GLUT3 dysfunction in ADHD.

Methods

Case–control association analyses of SLC2A3 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CNVs were conducted in several European cohorts of patients with childhood and adult ADHD (SNP, n = 1,886 vs. 1,988; CNV, n = 1,692 vs. 1,721). These studies were complemented by SLC2A3 expression analyses in peripheral cells, functional EEG recordings during neurocognitive tasks, and ratings of food energy content.

Results

Meta‐analysis of all cohorts detected an association of SNP rs12842 with ADHD. While CNV analysis detected a population‐specific enrichment of SLC2A3 duplications only in German ADHD patients, the CNV + rs12842 haplotype influenced ADHD risk in both the German and Spanish cohorts. Duplication carriers displayed elevated SLC2A3 mRNA expression in peripheral blood cells and altered event‐related potentials reflecting deficits in working memory and cognitive response control, both endophenotypic traits of ADHD, and an underestimation of energy units of high‐caloric food.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results indicate that both common and rare SLC2A3 variation impacting regulation of neuronal glucose utilization and energy homeostasis may result in neurocognitive deficits known to contribute to ADHD risk.
Development and application of monoclonal antibodies against IgM of black rockfish Sebastes schlegeli
Authors: Zhang W. , Tang X. Q. , Sheng X. Z. , Xing J. , Zhan W. B.
Published: February 2017

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against black rockfish Sebastes schlegeli serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) were developed, which showed a specific reaction with the heavy chain of S. schlegeli IgM in Western blotting and with surface IgM positive (sIgM+) lymphocytes in indirect immunofluorescence. mAb 2A6 was employed to investigate the antibody and sIgM+ lymphocyte responses of S. schlegeli injected with inactivated Edwardsiella tarda, by ELISA and flow cytometry. Compared with controls, the level of specific antibodies and the percentage of sIgM+ lymphocytes both increased in the immunized fish and simultaneously reached their peaks at day 35 after immunization.
BIK1 cooperates with BAK1 to regulate constitutive immunity and cell death in Arabidopsis
Authors: Liu Jun , Chen Sufen , Chen Lijuan , Zhou Qi , Wang Menglong , Feng Dongru , Li Jian‐Feng , Wang Jinfa , Wang Hong‐Bin , Liu Bing
Published: February 2017

In Arabidopsis, both the membrane‐anchored receptor‐like kinase (RLK) BAK1 and the receptor‐like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) BIK1 are important mediators of transmembrane signal transduction that regulate plant development and immunity. However, little attention has been paid to their genetic association. This study found the bak1 bik1 double mutant of Arabidopsis displayed a severe dwarfism phenotype due to constitutive immunity and cell death in developing plants. These data suggest that BIK1 cooperates with BAK1 to regulate constitutive immunity and cell death.
Heterogeneous Firms and Asymmetric Product Differentiation
Authors: Altomonte Carlo , Colantone Italo , Pennings Enrico
Published: February 2017

We introduce asymmetric product differentiation in a model characterized by a linear demand system, endogenous markups and heterogeneous firms (as in Melitz‐Ottaviano [2008]). In particular, a single industry is divided into a number of market segments, each characterized by a different degree of horizontal product differentiation. Such a setup allows us to explain, within a single theoretical framework, the non‐linear relations between firm productivity, size and exporting behavior that have been documented by the empirical literature. The theoretical results are tested empirically by examining the performance of French wine producers operating in market segments characterized by different levels of horizontal product differentiation. Such segments are identified using the official classification of French wines based upon the controlled denomination of origin, i.e., the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system.
Regulation and Contract Design: The Impact of Relationship Specific Investment
Authors: Kacker Kanishka
Published: February 2017

A primary explanation for variation in contract structure is the extent to which contracting parties make investments specific to their transaction. Investment decisions are typically endogenous in contract choice, however, frustrating attempts at causal verification. I analyze the impact of a major environmental regulation, the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, on coal procurement strategies of U.S. utilities. I exploit a key feature of the Amendment's design to define a difference‐in‐difference model that is arguably less susceptible to endogeneity concerns. I find wide support for the theoretical prediction: reduced specificity leads to shorter length, fixed price contracts.
Price Discrimination with Demarketing
Authors: Kim Jaesoo , Shin Dongsoo
Published: February 2017

We study how demarketing interacts with pricing decisions to explain why and when it can be employed as the seller's optimal strategy. In our model, a monopolistic seller offers different price‐quality bundles of the product. A consumer's preference is private information. With demarketing, consumers must make a costly effort to purchase and/or utilize the product, whereas with marketing, the seller instead makes the effort so that the consumer's purchasing decision is independent of the cost of effort. Our result suggests that, for small or large effort costs, it is optimal for the seller to engage in marketing. For intermediate effort costs, however, demarketing can be optimal. With demarketing, the seller induces only the consumers with high valuation to make transaction effort. By doing so, the seller can price discriminate more effectively, thus extracting more surplus. We extend our analysis to the case where the seller can offer special deals through exclusive sales channels along with demarketing. Then, demarketing can be optimal even for large costs of effort.
In vitro Antifungal Activity of Essential oils and Major Components against Fungi Plant Pathogens
Authors: López‐Meneses Ana Karenth , Sánchez‐Mariñez Reyna Isabel , Quintana‐Obregón Eber Addi , Parra‐Vergara Norma Violeta , González‐Aguilar Gustavo Adolfo , López‐Saiz Carmen María , Cortez‐Rocha Mario Onofre
Published: February 2017

The indiscriminate use of synthetic fungicides has caused several problems to the environment, which place human and animal health at risk. Due to this fact, the search for natural alternatives to control phytopathogenic fungi growth has increased. This study aims to evaluate the antifungal activity of two essential oils (EOs) and three major components of EOs on the radial growth and spore germination of Fusarium verticillioides and Alternaria tenuissima. Minimum and half‐maximal inhibitory concentrations (CMI and CI50) at 96 h for each treatment were calculated. Lemongrass EO and citral caused the highest inhibition for A. tenuissima (CMI of 1000 μl/l and CI50 of 10 μl/l). For F. verticillioides, the most effective component was geraniol (CMI and CI50 of 1000 and 250 μl/l, respectively). Spore germination rate was delayed by the EOs and major components tested. The use of EOs was effective to control these two fungal species in their different grow stages.
A trait‐based approach to understand the consequences of specific plant interactions for community structure
Authors: Schöb Christian , Macek Petr , Pistón Nuria , Kikvidze Zaal , Pugnaire Francisco I.
Published: February 2017

Question

In plant communities, the presence of a species has consequences for other species, with some being competitively excluded while others benefit from the close vicinity of neighbours. Even though such specificity in plant interactions is common and known, there is no empirical assessment of the mechanisms that would help us understand its importance for plant diversity. Here we asked whether analysing spatial associations between plant traits known to affect the environment (i.e. effect traits) and those known to respond to the environment (i.e. response traits) might explain plant–plant interactions and their role in community assembly.

Location

Sierra Nevada Mountains, Spain.

Methods

In a field study, we addressed the specificity of plant–plant interactions by quantifying effect traits of three co‐occurring cushion‐forming species and response traits of their associated plant assemblages. Traits were measured at the individual level and then aggregated to trait metrics (mean, range, dispersion) at the plot level. Finally, plot‐level metrics of effect traits were related to response traits and the species composition of plant communities.

Results

Each cushion‐forming species had a distinctive combination of effect traits and harboured a unique plant community with an exclusive composition of response traits. With multivariate statistics we showed that differences in effect traits (branch density and canopy height) among and within cushion species significantly explained response traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content) of associated species and the local‐scale species composition.

Conclusions

Using effect and response traits measured at the individual level, we provide a mechanistic understanding of the species specificity of plant interactions and demonstrate how important such specificity is for species diversity in an ecosystem.
Assessing community and ecosystem sensitivity to climate change – toward a more comparative approach
Authors: Smith Melinda D. , Wilcox Kevin R. , Power Sally A. , Tissue David T. , Knapp Alan K.
Published: February 2017

Plant communities can vary widely in their sensitivity to changing precipitation regimes, as reported by Byrne et al., Mulhouse et al. and Sternberg et al. in this issue of Journal of Vegetation Science. But to understand why communities differ in their sensitivity, we argue that clearly defined metrics of sensitivity and coordinated research approaches are needed to elucidate mechanisms.
Vascularization of the Selaginella rhizophore: anatomical fingerprints of polar auxin transport with implications for the deep fossil record
Authors: Matsunaga Kelly K. S. , Cullen Nevin P. , Tomescu Alexandru M. F.
Published: February 2017

The Selaginella rhizophore is a unique and enigmatic organ whose homology with roots, shoots, or neither of the two remains unresolved. Nevertheless, rhizophore‐like organs have been documented in several fossil lycophytes. Here we test the homology of these organs through comparisons with the architecture of rhizophore vascularization in Selaginella.

We document rhizophore vascularization in nine Selaginella species using cleared whole‐mounts and histological sectioning combined with three‐dimensional reconstruction.

Three patterns of rhizophore vascularization are present in Selaginella and each is comparable to those observed in rhizophore‐like organs of fossil lycophytes. More compellingly, we found that all Selaginella species sampled exhibit tracheids that arc backward from the stem and side branch into the rhizophore base. This tracheid curvature is consistent with acropetal auxin transport previously documented in the rhizophore and is indicative of the redirection of basipetal auxin from the shoot into the rhizophore during development.

The tracheid curvature observed in Selaginella rhizophores provides an anatomical fingerprint for the patterns of auxin flow that underpin rhizophore development. Similar tracheid geometry may be present and should be searched for in fossils to address rhizophore homology and the conservation of auxin‐related developmental mechanisms from early stages of lycophyte evolution.
Taxonomic effect on plant base concentrations and stoichiometry at the tips of the phylogeny prevails over environmental effect along a large scale gradient
Authors: Yang Xuejun , Huang Zhenying , Zhang Keliang , Cornelissen J. Hans C.
Published: February 2017

Despite the well‐known importance of all elements to plant growth and nutrient fluxes in ecosystems, most studies to date have been restricted to the roles of foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Much less is known about cycling and pools of base cations in ecosystems and the drivers of variation in cation concentrations among plant species, even though these cations are paramount for plant and ecosystem function. In particular, little is known about the contributions of taxonomic position and environmental variation on base cation concentrations. The extent to which concentrations of elements in plants are determined by phenotypic response to their availability in current environments versus by inherent species‐specific uptake and processing adaptations, should be most directly evident at the tips of the phylogeny, where inherent variation among species should reflect relatively recent adaptation to environmental variation since their common ancestry. To test this hypothesis, we explored the geographic pattern and the effects of taxonomy, climate and soil on concentrations and stoichiometry of the base cations potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) across a lineage of Artemisia species and their close relatives across northern China. We found that species identity explained the largest proportion of the total variance for all four base cations (38.3–53.8%) and their stoichiometry (35.2–59.6%). K, Na and Ca concentrations increased significantly with climate seasonality, while Ca concentration decreased with annual temperature and precipitation. Plant K concentration, K:Ca and K:Mg were negatively correlated with soil organic carbon concentrations, but positively with soil pH. Our results suggest that taxonomy still needs to be fully considered for interpreting variation in vegetation nutrition and stoichiometry along broad geographical gradients even for species at the tips of the phylogeny.
Clinical Performance of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Conditional and Nonconditional Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices
Authors: SHAH ANAND D. , PATEL ADARSH U. , KNEZEVIC ANDREA , HOSKINS MICHAEL H. , HIRSH DAVID S. , MERCHANT FAISAL M. , EL CHAMI MIKHAEL F. , DELURGIO DAVID B. , PATEL ANSHUL M. , LEON ANGEL R. , LANGBERG JONATHAN J. , LLOYD MICHAEL S.
Published: February 2017

Objectives

This study compared risks associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with non‐MRI conditional and MRI conditional pacing and defibrillator systems with particular attention to clinically actionable outcomes.

Background

While recipients of new MRI conditional pacemaker and defibrillator systems may undergo MRI scanning with very low risk, safety and regulatory concerns persist regarding such scanning in recipients of non‐MRI conditional systems.

Methods

Patients with any cardiac device who were referred for MRI were prospectively enrolled at a single center and underwent scanning at 1.5 Tesla. Pre‐ and postscan lead characteristic changes, system integrity, and symptoms were analyzed. A comparison was made between non‐MRI conditional and MRI conditional devices.

Results

105 patients were evaluated allowing for comparison of 97 scans with non‐MRI conditional devices and 16 scans with MRI conditional devices. The cohort included those with pacemaker dependency, defibrillator, and cardiac resynchronization devices. Small, nonsignificant changes were observed in lead characteristics following scanning, and there was no significant difference when comparing non‐MRI and MRI conditional devices. Lead parameter changes did not require lead revision or programming changes. No device reset, failures, or premature scan termination was observed.

Conclusions

1.5 T MRI scanning in patients with MRI conditional and non‐MRI conditional cardiac devices was performed with similar, low clinical risk.
Which Regional Pain Rating Best Predicts Patient‐Reported Improvement in Lumbar Radiculopathy?
Authors: Bicket Mark C. , Pasquina Paul F. , Cohen Steven P.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To determine the best regional pain score cutoff value that corresponds with patient‐reported improvement in lumbosacral radiculopathy (LSR).

Design

Retrospective pooled data analysis from 3 randomized, controlled, multicenter trials using similar outcome assessments. All participants were exposed to interventions (epidural injections).

Setting

Military medical centers (6 U.S.A., 1 Germany) and large tertiary care hospitals (4 urban, 1 Veterans Affairs) between 2008 and 2014.

Subjects

A total of 352 active duty military personnel and civilians ≥ 18 years of age with LSR.

Methods

Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) with area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for 1‐month outcomes for pain (numeric rating scale) using absolute and relative change in regional pain scores (back, leg) to predict clinical improvement (global perceived effect).

Results

Leg pain demonstrated greater predictive ability to identify clinical improvement compared to back pain for both absolute (ROC AUC [95% confidence interval (CI)] 0.855 [0.813, 0.896] vs. 0.753 [0.702, 0.805]; P < 0.001) and relative (AUC [95% CI]; 0.867 [0.826, 0.909] vs. 0.780 [0.729, 0.831]; P = 0.002) reduction in reported pain. Clinical improvement was best identified using a leg pain reduction threshold of ≥ 1.75 points (absolute) and ≥ 23.5% (relative).

Conclusions

Region‐specific pain cutoff ratings predicted clinical improvement for patients with LSR. Cutoff points using newly identified, smaller reductions of 1.75 points and 23.5% more accurately predicted clinical improvement for LSR than conventionally used cutoffs (2 points and 30%). LSR patients report meaningful clinical improvement with smaller reductions in pain compared to other chronic pain diagnoses, suggesting LSR patients may have different expectations.
Endophytic Phomopsis sp. colonization in Oryza sativa was found to result in plant growth promotion and piperine production
Authors: S Chithra , B Jasim , Mathew Jyothis , Radhakrishnan E K
Published: February 2017

Endophytic fungi have been reported to have the acquired ability to synthesize host plant specific medicinal natural products. Many fungi with such properties have been characterized and optimized for the conditions which favor maximal production of desired products. However, the inherent plant colonization property of promising endophytic fungi is least studied. Exploiting the transgenome functioning of these fungi have immense applications to add beneficial features to nonhost plants. In the present study, the endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp. isolated from Piper nigrum was confirmed for piperine production by HPLC and LCMS/MS. Further, the fungal isolate was studied for its colonization ability in Oryza sativa. Interestingly, the fungi treated plants were found to have significant plant growth enhancement when compared to the control. Further screening of extract from treated plants by HPLC and LCMS/MS resulted in the confirmation of presence of piperine. The observed result is extremely significant as it opens up novel applications of endophytic fungal colonization in taxonomically diverse plants.
Drivers of Health‐Care Expenditure: What Role Does Baumol's Cost Disease Play?
Authors: Colombier Carsten
Published: February 2017

Objectives

We devise an instrument to test for Baumol's cost disease in healthcare. Baumol's cost disease is a price effect that is assumed to be a major determinant of the secular rise in health‐care expenditure (HCE).

Methods

This price effect is notoriously difficult to estimate as the construction of medical price indices is flawed. However, our instrument—the adjusted Baumol variable—avoids this problem as we do not rely on medical price indices. We apply this instrument to a panel data set of 20 OECD countries ranging from 1970 to 2010.

Results

Baumol's cost disease partly affects healthcare. We estimate that the cost disease exerts from 15 to 40 percent of its potential full effect on HCE.

Conclusions

Policymakers have more leeway to curb ever‐increasing HCE than is suggested by the literature. Our instrument is also well suited to investigate other possibly affected sectors such as the government or education.
μ2‐Dependent endocytosis of N‐cadherin is regulated by β‐catenin to facilitate neurite outgrowth
Authors: Chen Yi‐ting , Tai Chin‐Yin
Published: February 2017

Circuit formation in the brain requires neurite outgrowth throughout development to establish synaptic contacts with target cells. Active endocytosis of several adhesion molecules facilitates the dynamic exchange of these molecules at the surface and promotes neurite outgrowth in developing neurons. The endocytosis of N‐cadherin, a calcium‐dependent adhesion molecule, has been implicated in the regulation of neurite outgrowth, but the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we identified that a fraction of N‐cadherin internalizes through clathrin‐mediated endocytosis (CME). Two tyrosine‐based motifs in the cytoplasmic domain of N‐cadherin recognized by the μ2 subunit of the AP‐2 adaptor complex are responsible for CME of N‐cadherin. Moreover, β‐catenin, a core component of the N‐cadherin adhesion complex, inhibits N‐cadherin endocytosis by masking the 2 tyrosine‐based motifs. Removal of β‐catenin facilitates μ2 binding to N‐cadherin, thereby increasing clathrin‐mediated N‐cadherin endocytosis and neurite outgrowth without affecting the steady‐state level of surface N‐cadherin. These results identify and characterize the mechanism controlling N‐cadherin endocytosis through β‐catenin‐regulated μ2 binding to modulate neurite outgrowth.
Examining the Relationship between Instructional Leadership and Organizational Health
Authors: Parlar Hanifi , Cansoy Ramazan
Published: February 2017

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between school administrators' instructional leadership behaviours, and organizational health of schools. The participants were 538 teachers working in elementary, middle and high schools located in the Umraniye district of Istanbul. The data was gathered through the "School Principals' Instructional Leadership Behaviours Questionnaire" and the "Organizational Health Inventory". In data analysis, the arithmetic mean, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Multilinear Regression Analysis were used. The results showed that the school principals performed the instructional leadership behaviours of determining and sharing the objectives of the school at the highest level. Among the organizational health dimensions of the schools, initiating structure was perceived at the highest level, while resource support and academic emphasis were perceived at lower levels compared to other dimensions. In the study, positive and significant correlations were found between the sub-dimensions of instructional leadership behaviours and those of organizational health of schools. The sub-dimensions of instructional leadership together explained 49% of the variance in organizational health. On the other hand, only determining and sharing the objectives of the school and forming a regular instructional-learning environment and positive school climate among the instructional leadership behaviours were positive and significant predictors of organizational health of schools.
Transport properties of Bi2(Se1−xTex)3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Wang Yong , Ginley Theresa P. , Zhang Chiyu , Law Stephanie
Published: February 2017

In this article, the authors report on the growth of the topological insulator alloy Bi2(Se1−xTex)3 by molecular beam epitaxy. A variety of flux ratios and substrate temperatures are used to control the alloy composition. A significant reduction in selenium flux is required to obtain high tellurium-content films. Room-temperature Hall measurements are used to determine the optimal growth window and film composition to obtain low carrier density and high mobility films. Results of the transport properties indicate that all films containing tellurium exhibit worse transport properties than pure Bi2Se3. This is attributed to a defective interface between the film and the substrate acting as the dominant source of carriers, rather than bulk defects.
On the study of antimony incorporation in InAs/InAsSb superlattices for infrared sensing
Authors: Haugan Heather J. , Brown Gail J. , Peoples Joseph A.
Published: February 2017

Advanced infrared detector materials utilizing InAs/InAsSb superlattices (SLs) are emerging due to the long minority carrier lifetimes observed in this material system. However, compositional and dimensional changes through Sb segregation alter the detector properties from the original design, and precise compositional control of the Sb in the SL is crucial to advance the state-of-the-art of this novel material system. In this study, epitaxial conditions that can mitigate Sb segregation during growth are explored in order to achieve high-quality SL materials. A nominal SL structure of 77 Å InAs/35 Å InAs0.7Sb0.3 tailored for a midinfrared gap was used to optimize our epitaxial parameters. Since the growth of mixed anion alloys is complicated by the potential reaction of Asx with Sb surfaces, the substrate temperature (Ts), and arsenic cracker temperature (TAs) was varied in order to control the Asx surface kinetics on a Sb surface. Experimental results indicate that the SL sample grown at the lowest investigated Ts of 400 °C produces the highest Sb mole fraction x of ∼0.3 in InAs1-xSbx layers, which is then decreased by 14% as the Ts increases from 400 to 440 °C. This reduction originates from Sb surface segregation during InAsSb growth through the As-Sb exchange process. Although this incorporation was increased with a lower TAs, the crystalline quality of SL layers quickly degraded with the TAs below 850 °C due to the poor adsorption coefficient of As4 at the growth front. Since a change in the designed compositions and effective layer widths related to Sb segregation disrupts strain balance and also significantly impacts the detector performance, further studies to prevent Sb segregation are needed.