bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Vorapaxar Alone and in Combination with Aspirin on Bleeding Time and Platelet Aggregation in Healthy Adult Subjects
Authors: Kraft WK , Gilmartin JH , Chappell DL , Gheyas F , Walker BM , Nagalla S , Naik UP , Horrow JC , Wrishko RE , Zhang S , Anderson MS
Published: June 2016

The effect of the protease‐activated receptor‐1 (PAR‐1) antagonist vorapaxar on human bleeding time is not known. This was a randomized, two‐period, open‐label trial in healthy men (n = 31) and women (n = 5). In period 1, subjects received 81 mg aspirin q.d. or a vorapaxar regimen achieving steady‐state plasma concentrations equivalent to chronic 2.5 mg q.d. doses, for 7 days. In period 2, each group added 7 days of the therapy alternate to that of period 1 without washout. Bleeding time and platelet aggregation using arachidonic acid, ADP, and TRAP agonists were assessed. Bleeding time geometric mean ratio (90% CI) for vorapaxar/baseline was 1.01 (0.88–1.15), aspirin/baseline was 1.32 (1.15–1.51), vorapaxar + aspirin/vorapaxar was 1.47 (1.26–1.70), and vorapaxar + aspirin/aspirin was 1.12 (0.96–1.30). Unlike aspirin, vorapaxar did not prolong bleeding time compared with baseline. Bleeding time following administration of vorapaxar with aspirin was similar to that following aspirin alone.
Bleeding risk of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration in patients undergoing antithrombotic therapy
Authors: Inoue Tadahisa , Okumura Fumihiro , Sano Hitoshi , Kobayashi Yuji , Ishii Norimitsu , Suzuki Yuta , Fukusada Shigeki , Kachi Kenta , Ozeki Takanori , Anbe Kaiki , Iwasaki Hiroyasu , Mizushima Takashi , Ito Kiyoaki , Yoneda Masashi
Published: June 2016

Objectives

Bleeding events related to endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) are rare. However, for patients treated with antithrombotic agents, the bleeding risk of EUS‐FNA is uncertain. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the bleeding event rate associated with EUS‐FNA in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in 742 consecutive patients who underwent EUS‐FNA for solid lesions between 2008 and 2015. We compared the bleeding event rates among patients who were not administered antithrombotic agents, those whose agent use was discontinued, those who continued treatment with aspirin or cilostazol, and those who were administered heparin as a replacement.

Results

There were 131 patients (17.7 %) treated with antithrombotic agents. Seven experienced bleeding events, and the overall bleeding event rate was 0.9 % (7/742). All bleeding events were intraoperative; there were no postoperative bleeding episodes. Subgroup analysis by antithrombotic agent revealed bleeding event rates of 1.0 % (6/611), 0 % (0/62), 1.6 % (1/61), and 0 % (0/8) for the non‐administration, discontinuation of agents, continuation of aspirin or cilostazol, and heparin replacement groups, respectively. Only one severe bleeding event necessitated hemostatic treatment (1/742; 0.1 %); this occurred in a patient in the non‐administration group, and there were no severe bleeding events in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment.

Conclusions

The present study found a low incidence of EUS‐FNA‐related bleeding in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment. The bleeding event rate was low even in patients who underwent EUS‐FNA while continuing aspirin or cilostazol.
Behavioural Tests Reveal Severe Visual Deficits in the Strictly Subterranean African Mole‐Rats (Bathyergidae) but Efficient Vision in the Fossorial Rodent Coruro (Spalacopus cyanus, Octodontidae)
Authors: Kott Ondřej , Němec Pavel , Fremlová Aneta , Mazoch Vladimír , Šumbera Radim
Published: June 2016

Vision has long been considered purposeless in the dark underground ecotope. However, recent anatomical studies revealed an unexpected diversity of ocular and retinal features and various degrees of development of the visual system in mammals with predominantly subterranean activity, and have suggested retention of basic visual capabilities even in some strictly subterranean mammals such as the African mole‐rats. Behavioural tests assessing image‐forming vision have not yet been conducted in subterranean mammals. Here, we investigated the visual capacities in three species of the African mole‐rats, namely the giant mole‐ratFukomys mechowii, the Mashona mole‐ratFukomys darlingiand the silvery mole‐ratHeliophobius argenteocinereus, in the fossorial coruroSpalacopus cyanusand the inbred C57L/J mouse. The behavioural assays performed in this study revealed severe visual deficits in all three species of mole‐rats. The absence of the visual placing reflex suggested impairment of either image‐forming vision or visuomotor integration. The random choice between the shallow and the deep side of a visual cliff clearly demonstrated inability of mole‐rats to perceive depth. The nesting assay did not yield conclusive evidence regarding the capacity for visually guided spatial orientation in the only tested species, the giant mole‐rat. In contrast, both the coruro and the mouse exhibited a clear placing reaction and preferred the shallow side of the visual cliff, implying functional image‐forming vision. Thus, the behavioural data gathered in this study show that vision is seriously compromised in the strictly subterranean, congenitally microphthalmic African mole‐rats but efficient (i.e. comparable to that of surface‐dwelling rodents) in a species with regular surface activity, the coruro.
Fn14 deficiency protects lupus‐prone mice from histological lupus erythematosus‐like skin inflammation induced by ultraviolet light
Authors: Doerner Jessica , Chalmers Samantha A. , Friedman Adam , Putterman Chaim
Published: June 2016

The cytokine TNF‐like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) and its receptor Fn14 are involved in cell survival and cytokine production. The TWEAK/Fn14 pathway plays a role in the pathogenesis of spontaneous cutaneous lesions in the MRL/lpr lupus strain; however, the role of TWEAK/Fn14 in disease induced by ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation has not been explored. MRL/lpr Fn14 knockout (KO) was compared to MRL/lpr Fn14 wild‐type (WT) mice following exposure to UVB. We found that irradiated MRL/lpr KO mice had significantly attenuated cutaneous disease when compared to their WT counterparts. There were also fewer infiltrating immune cells (CD3+, IBA‐1+ and NGAL+) in the UVB‐exposed skin of MRL/lpr Fn14KO mice, as compared to Fn14WT. Furthermore, we identified several macrophage‐derived proinflammatory chemokines with elevated expression in MRL/lpr mice after UV exposure. Depletion of macrophages, using a CSF‐1R inhibitor, was found to be protective against the development of skin lesions after UVB exposure. In combination with the phenotype of the MRL/lpr Fn14KO mice, these findings indicate a critical role for Fn14 and recruited macrophages in UVB‐triggered cutaneous lupus. Our data strongly suggest that TWEAK/Fn14 signalling is important in the pathogenesis of UVB‐induced cutaneous disease manifestations in the MRL/lpr model of lupus and further support this pathway as a possible target for therapeutic intervention.
Efficacy and safety of ustekinumab treatment in adults with moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis
Authors: Khattri Saakshi , Brunner Patrick M. , Garcet Sandra , Finney Robert , Cohen Steven R. , Oliva Margeaux , Dutt Riana , Fuentes‐Duculan Judilyn , Zheng Xiuzhong , Li Xuan , Bonifacio Kathleen M. , Kunjravia Norma , Coats Israel , Cueto Inna , Gilleaudeau Patricia , Sullivan‐Whalen Mary , Suárez‐Fariñas Mayte , Krueger James G. , Guttman‐Yassky Emma
Published: June 2016

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory skin disease, but treatment options for moderate‐to‐severe disease are limited. Ustekinumab is an IL‐12/IL‐23p40 antagonist that suppresses Th1, Th17 and Th22 activation, commonly used for psoriasis patients. We sought to assess efficacy and safety of ustekinumab in patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD. In this phase II, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study, 33 patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD were randomly assigned to either ustekinumab (n=16) or placebo (n=17), with subsequent crossover at 16 weeks, and last dose at 32 weeks. Background therapy with mild topical steroids was allowed to promote retention. Study endpoints included clinical (SCORAD50) and biopsy‐based measures of tissue structure and inflammation, using protein and gene expression studies. The ustekinumab group achieved higher SCORAD50 responses at 12, 16 (the primary endpoint) and 20 weeks compared to placebo, but the difference between groups was not significant. The AD molecular profile/transcriptome showed early robust gene modulation, with sustained further improvements until 32 weeks in the initial ustekinumab group. Distinct and more robust modulation of Th1, Th17 and Th22 but also Th2‐related AD genes was seen after 4 weeks of ustekinumab treatment (i.e. MMP12, IL‐22, IL‐13, IFN‐γ, elafin/PI3, CXCL1 and CCL17; P<.05). Epidermal responses (K16, terminal differentiation) showed faster (4 weeks) and long‐term regulation (32 weeks) from baseline in the ustekinumab group. No severe adverse events were observed. Ustekinumab had clear clinical and molecular effects, but clinical outcomes might have been obscured by a profound “placebo” effect, most likely due to background topical glucocorticosteroids and possibly insufficient dosing for AD.
Followee recommendation in Twitter using fuzzy link prediction
Authors: Rodríguez Fernando M. , Torres Luis M. , Garza Sara E.
Published: June 2016

In social networking sites, it is useful to receive recommendations about whom to contact or follow. These recommendations not only allow to establish connections with people one might already know in real life but also with people or users that have similar interests or are potentially interesting. We propose an approach that tackles contact (followee) recommendation in Twitter by means of fuzzy logic. This fuzzy approach handles recommendation as a link prediction problem and uses three types of similarity between a pair of users: tweet similarity, followee id similarity, and followee tweet similarity. These similarities are calculated by extracting user profiles. These profiles are, in turn, obtained by considering Twitter as a heterogeneous information network. To test our approach, we crawled a repository of 6000 users and two million tweets, and we measured accuracy by comparing our results with the actual followee lists of the users. These results, which are also compared against the results given by state‐of‐the‐art methods, show a high accuracy. Other advantages of the fuzzy system include a self‐explanatory capability and the ability to produce a non‐binary friendship value.
Population and Economic Growth Under Different Growth Engines
Authors: Bucci Alberto , Raurich Xavier
Published: June 2016

Using a growth model with physical capital accumulation, human capital investment and horizontal R&D activity, this paper proposes an alternative channel through which an increase in the population growth rate may yield a non-uniform (i.e., a positive, negative, or neutral) impact on the long-run growth rate of per-capita GDP, as available empirical evidence seems mostly to suggest. The proposed mechanism relies on the nature of the process of economic growth (whether it is fully or semi-endogenous), and the peculiar engine(s) driving economic growth (human capital investment, R&D activity, or both). The model also explains why in the long term the association between population growth and productivity growth may ultimately be negative when R&D is an engine of economic growth.
Depressive symptoms in spouse caregivers of dementia patients: A longitudinal study in South Korea
Authors: Kim Woorim , Lee Tae‐Hoon , Shin Jaeyong , Park Eun‐Cheol
Published: June 2016

Aim

To investigate the association between spouse cognitive status and depressive symptoms in cohabiting spouses, and to further analyze how participation in social network‐enhancing activities interplays in the objected relationship.

Methods

Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, 2006–2012, were used. A total of 2782 male and 2515 female married participants currently cohabiting with their partners were included in the baseline. The association between spouse cognitive status and depressive symptoms, measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, was investigated through the generalized estimating equation model.

Results

When setting the participants living with spouses of normal cognitive function as reference, participants living with spouses having mild dementia (male β 0.7349, P ≤ 0.0001; female β 0.8042, P ≤ 0.0001), and moderate and severe dementia (male β 1.1504, P ≤ 0.0001; female β 1.2462, P ≤ 0.0006) showed higher depression scores in a dose–response relationship. Additionally, male and female subjects participating in social network facilitating activities had lower increases in depression scores than their non‐participating counterparts.

Conclusions

Spouse cognitive impairment is associated with increasing depression scores in cohabiting caregivers. Individuals not participating in social network‐facilitating activities are more vulnerable to the negative mental health effects of spouse cognitive impairment. Hence, considering the increasing importance of late life depression and cognitive decline in aging societies, it is important to note the protective effects of social network and support in addressing the mental health of spouse caregivers. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 973–983.
Correlations between geriatric nutritional risk index and peripheral artery disease in elderly coronary artery disease patients
Authors: Kawamiya Toshiki , Suzuki Susumu , Ishii Hideki , Hirayama Kenshi , Harada Kazuhiro , Shibata Yohei , Tatami Yosuke , Harata Shingo , Kawashima Kazuhiro , Kunimura Ayako , Takayama Yohei , Shimbo Yusaku , Osugi Naohiro , Yamamoto Dai , Ota Tomoyuki , Kono Chikao , Murohara Toyoaki
Published: June 2016

Aim

Malnutrition is associated with the development of atherosclerosis and an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in elderly patients. The present study aimed to investigate the association between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), a simple nutritional assessment tool, and the prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in elderly coronary artery disease patients.

Methods

We evaluated 228 elderly coronary artery disease patients (mean age 74.0 ± 5.7 years). Ankle‐brachial index (ABI) measurements were routinely carried out to investigate the prevalence of lower extremity PAD. Patients showing ABI <0.9 were defined as having PAD.

Results

Based on our findings, 20.6% of the study patients had PAD. The median GNRI values were significantly lower in patients with PAD than those in patients without PAD (93.8 vs 100.0, P < 0.001). Even after multivariate adjustment, GNRI values were independently associated with PAD (odds ratio 0.94; 95% confidence interval 0.89–0.99; P = 0.024). Furthermore, patients with low GNRI and high C‐reactive protein levels had a 5.5‐fold higher risk of having PAD than those with high GNRI and low C‐reactive protein levels.

Conclusions

GNRI values showed a strong relationship with PAD in elderly coronary artery disease patients. These data reinforce the utility of GNRI as a screening tool in clinical practice. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1057–1062.
Appropriate Domain Size for Groundwater Flow Modeling with a Discrete Fracture Network Model
Authors: Ji Sung‐Hoon , Koh Yong‐Kwon
Published: June 2016

When a discrete fracture network (DFN) is constructed from statistical conceptualization, uncertainty in simulating the hydraulic characteristics of a fracture network can arise due to the domain size. In this study, the appropriate domain size, where less significant uncertainty in the stochastic DFN model is expected, was suggested for the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) site. The stochastic DFN model for the site was established, and the appropriate domain size was determined with the density of the percolating cluster and the percolation probability using the stochastically generated DFNs for various domain sizes. The applicability of the appropriate domain size to our study site was evaluated by comparing the statistical properties of stochastically generated fractures of varying domain sizes and estimating the uncertainty in the equivalent permeability of the generated DFNs. Our results show that the uncertainty of the stochastic DFN model is acceptable when the modeling domain is larger than the determined appropriate domain size, and the appropriate domain size concept is applicable to our study site.
Differential modulation of Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide‐mediated TLR2 signaling by individual Pellino proteins
Authors: Smith Sinéad M. , Freeley Michael , Moynagh Paul N. , Kelleher Dermot P.
Published: June 2016

Background

Eradication rates for current H. pylori therapies have fallen in recent years, in line with the emergence of antibiotic resistant infections. The development of therapeutic alternatives to antibiotics, such as immunomodulatory therapy and vaccines, requires a more lucid understanding of host–pathogen interactions, including the relationships between the organism and the innate immune response. Pellino proteins are emerging as key regulators of immune signaling, including the Toll‐like receptor pathways known to be regulated by H. pylori. The aim of this study was to characterize the role of Pellino proteins in the innate immune response to H. pylori lipopolysaccharide.

Materials and Methods

Gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function approaches were utilized to elucidate the role of individual Pellino proteins in the Toll‐like receptor 2‐mediated response to H. pylori LPS by monitoring NF‐ĸB activation and the induction of proinflammatory chemokines. Expression of Pellino family members was investigated in gastric epithelial cells and gastric tissue biopsy material.

Results

Pellino1 and Pellino2 positively regulated Toll‐like receptor 2‐driven responses to H. pylori LPS, whereas Pellino3 exerted a negative modulatory role. Expression of Pellino1 was significantly higher than Pellino3 in gastric epithelial cells and gastric tissue. Furthermore, Pellino1 expression was further augmented in gastric epithelial cells in response to infection with H. pylori or stimulation with H. pylori LPS.

Conclusions

The combination of low Pellino3 levels together with high and inducible Pellino1 expression may be an important determinant of the degree of inflammation triggered upon Toll‐like receptor 2 engagement by H. pylori and/or its components, contributing to H. pylori‐associated pathogenesis by directing the incoming signal toward an NF‐kB‐mediated proinflammatory response.
Black urban consumers’ status consumption of clothing brands in the emerging South African market
Authors: Cronje Adèle , Jacobs Bertha , Retief Arda
Published: June 2016

Status concerns are noteworthy within a modern society as it is a key feature of individuals’ social reputation. Engaging in this form of thinking results in particular patterns of consumption within consumer groups. In South Africa, Black urban consumers have newfound spending power and social mobility. This study investigated motivators of Black urban consumers’ status consumption across different demographic variables (age, income and profession) in the South African (SA) emerging market. A survey research design was used to provide insights into the relationship of normative receptiveness (value expressive and utilitarian influences) and high self‐monitoring as status consumption motivators of clothing brand consumption. The sample consisted of 246 Black urban consumers between the ages of 24 and 36, residing in Gauteng, South Africa and currently working in professional positions. The results of the study indicated that when purchasing clothing Black urban consumers are motivated by factors related to status consumption.

This study found no significant differences between age and gender variables in terms of status consumption. In terms of profession, all three motivational factors were significant. They proved to be very aware of the image that they communicate and how they are seen by others indicating that they are motivated especially by value expressiveness, utilitarian influences and high self‐monitoring aspects across various professions.
Fitting room or selling room? Millennial female consumers’ dressing room experiences
Authors: Vermaak Maryke , de Klerk Helena M.
Published: June 2016

As retail experiences have become more important to the modern consumer, the store environment has taken on greater significance. The store environment is especially of great significance to the millennial consumer. These consumers tend to spend more time in the fashion retail store, while their expenditure on fashion items increases on a yearly basis. The dressing room must be seen as the clothing retailer's selling room – the place where the retail environment plays an immense role with regard to a consumer's cognitions, emotions and purchasing behaviour. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe young millennial clothing consumers' Functional, aesthetic, emotional and symbolic dressing room experiences. A qualitative research strategy was followed. Two unstructured interviews were held with 15 participants. Participants had to take photos of retailers' dressing rooms before the second interview. A photo‐elicitation technique was employed during the second interview. Findings revealed that participants had specific expectations with regard to the functionality and aesthetics of the dressing room, as well as with regard to the symbolic messages and the emotions that they expected to experience. If the dressing room did not meet their expectations they got disappointed, experienced negative emotions and thoughts and the need to leave the dressing room. The behavioural response of avoidance strongly came to the forth. Findings of this research point to the importance of the dressing room as part of the retail experience and have implications for consumer specialists and retailers.
Postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate: Risk factors and microbiological analysis
Authors: Kikuchi Mina , Kameyama Koji , Yasuda Mitsuru , Yokoi Shigeaki , Deguchi Takashi , Miwa Kosei
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To examine the incidence of postoperative bacteriuria and febrile complications, and to investigate bacterial strains in the urine of patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 190 evaluable patients treated with holmium laser enucleation of the prostate at the Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan, between September 2005 and May 2014. All patients presented with lower urinary tract symptoms as a result of benign prostatic hyperplasia. We also evaluated the causative bacteria and compared the findings with the results of preoperative urine cultures. We analyzed the relationship between the emergence of postoperative febrile complications, antibiotic prophylaxis, patient background and surgical procedure.

Results

The frequency of bacterial isolation in preoperative and postoperative urine cultures was 41% and 23%, respectively. Preoperatively, Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently cultured bacteria, second was methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis, and third was Escherichia coli. Postoperatively, Enterococcus faecalis was still the most frequently cultured bacteria, whereas the second was Escherichia coli. Risk factors for postoperative bacteriuria were evaluated. Multivariate analysis showed that the rate of postoperative bacteriuria in patients who had taken dutasteride preoperatively was significantly lower than that in the other patients. Risk factors for febrile complications could not be identified.

Conclusions

The use of perioperative prophylactic antibacterial agents for holmium laser enucleation of the prostate keeps the rate of postoperative infectious complications low. Dutasteride treatment administered before surgery might reduce the risk of postoperative bacteriuria.
Changing prognosis in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria disease subcategories: an analysis of the International PNH Registry
Authors: Socié G. , Schrezenmeier H. , Muus P. , Lisukov I. , Röth A. , Kulasekararaj A. , Lee J. W. , Araten D. , Hill A. , Brodsky R. , Urbano‐Ispizua A. , Szer J. , Wilson A. , Hillmen P. ,   on behalf of the PNH Registry
Published: June 2016

Background

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare disease. Although much progress has been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, far less is known with respect to the clinical outcomes of patients with PNH. Few retrospective studies provide survival estimates, and even fewer have explored the clinical heterogeneity of the disease. Haemolytic and aplastic anaemia (AA) forms of the disease have been recognised as main disease categories, with the haemolytic form being associated with the worst prognosis by the largest studied cohort some years ago.

Aims

To describe mortality and causes of death in PNH overall and by PNH classification and to evaluate risk factors associated with mortality.

Methods

We analysed data of 2356 patients enrolled in the International PNH Registry with multivariate analyses, using time‐dependent covariates. Patients were classified into haemolytic, AA/PNH syndrome or intermediate PNH.

Results

Overall, 122 (5.2%) patients died after enrolment, the incidence according to subcategories being 5.1, 11.7, 2.0 and 4.8% for patients with haemolytic PNH, AA‐PNH, intermediate and insufficient data respectively. Older age and decreased performance status also affected survival in multivariate analysis. Improved outcome of patients with haemolytic PNH suggests that eculizumab treatment in PNH may be associated with improved survival.

Conclusion

A detailed analysis of clinical presentations and causes of death in patients with PNH, overall and by disease subcategories, provide evidence that in the current era, patients with haemolytic PNH are no longer those who harbour the worst prognosis. This finding differs sharply from what has been previously reported.
Is offspring dispersal related to male mating status? An experiment with the facultatively polygynous spotless starling
Authors: Rubalcaba Juan G. , Veiga José P. , Polo Vicente
Published: June 2016

Patterns of natal dispersal are generally sex‐biased in vertebrates, i.e. female‐biased in birds and male‐biased in mammals. Interphyletic comparisons in mammals suggest that male‐biased dispersal occurs in polygynous and promiscuous species where local mate competition among males exceeds local resource competition among females. However, few studies have analysed sex‐biased patterns of dispersal at the individual level, and facultatively polygynous species might offer this opportunity. In the spotless starling, polygynous males exhibit their mating status during courtship carrying higher amounts of green plants to nests than monogamous males. We experimentally incorporated green plants to nests during four years to analyse long‐term consequences on breeding success and offspring recruitment rates. We unexpectedly found that experimental sons recruited farther than experimental daughters, while control daughters recruited farther than control sons. A similar pattern was found using observational information from eight years. We discuss this result in the context of local competition hypothesis and speculate that sons dispersed farther from nests controlled by polygynous males to avoid competition with relatives. The amount of green plants in nests affects female perception of male attractiveness and degree of polygyny, although little is known about proximate mechanisms linking this process with the offspring dispersal behaviour. Our results support the idea that male‐biased dispersal is related to polygyny in a facultatively polygynous bird.
Habitat selection by postbreeding female diving ducks: influence of habitat attributes and conspecifics
Authors: Austin Jane E. , O'Neil Shawn T. , Warren Jeffrey M.
Published: June 2016

Habitat selection studies of postbreeding waterfowl have rarely focused on within‐wetland attributes such as water depth, escape cover, and food availability. Flightless waterfowl must balance habitat selection between avoiding predation risks and feeding. Reproductively successful female ducks face the greatest challenges because they begin the definitive prebasic molt at or near the end of brood rearing, when their body condition is at a low point. We assessed the relative importance of habitat attributes and group effects in habitat selection by postbreeding female lesser scaupAythya affinison a 2332‐ha montane wetland complex during the peak flightless period (August) over seven years. Hypothesis‐based habitat attributes included percent open water, open water:emergent edge density, water depth, percent flooded bare substrate, fetch (distance wind can travel unobstructed), group size, and several interactions representing functional responses to interannual variation in water levels. Surveys of uniquely marked females were conducted within randomly ordered survey blocks. We fitted two‐part generalized linear mixed‐effects models to counts of marked females within survey blocks, which allowed us to relate habitat attributes to relative probability of occurrence and, given the presence of a marked female, abundance of marked individuals. Postbreeding female scaup selected areas with water depths > 40 cm, large open areas, and intermediate edge densities but showed no relation to flooded bare substrate, suggesting their habitat preferences were more influenced by avoiding predation risks and disturbances than in meeting foraging needs. Grouping behavior by postbreeding scaup suggests habitat selection is influenced in part by behavioral components and/or social information, conferring energetic and survival benefits (predation and disturbance risks) but potentially also contributing to competition for food resources. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating group effects and interannual variability in habitat conditions when investigating habitat selection, particularly for seasons when waterfowl are aggregated.
Long‐term population dynamics reveal that survival and recruitment of tropical boobies improve after a hurricane
Authors: Ancona Sergio , Drummond Hugh , Rodríguez Cristina , Zúñiga‐Vega J. Jaime
Published: June 2016

Variability in population numbers is a central issue in evolutionary ecology and also in biodiversity conservation. However, for most seabirds this information is lacking and tropical populations are virtually unstudied. Long‐term studies are warranted because world's seabird populations exhibit an overall declining trend since 1950. Using data spanning 23 yr, we investigated how adult survival, local recruitment, and their relative contributions to population growth (λ) vary over time in the blue‐footed booby Sula nebouxii, a long‐lived locally foraging seabird that breeds in tropical waters. In addition, we investigated whether booby demographic rates exhibit the same declining trend observed in other seabirds, whether these rates are impacted by hurricanes, and whether these potential impacts differ between sexes. Our analysis of 4608 capture–recapture histories revealed that survival and recruitment were nearly equal between males and females, exhibited a declining trend over the last 23 yr, and in both sexes, these vital rates improved after a hurricane. The declining trend in recruitment was slightly more attenuated in males. These results add to the current evidence for an overall declining trend in world's seabird populations and extend its confirmation to the warm eastern tropical Pacific. Moreover, they provide the first evidence that hurricanes may favor natural populations. As a result of the declining trend and variation in survival and recruitment, λ exhibited a slight decline and substantial variation over the 23 yr. However, most λ values were equal to or higher than 1, and the long‐term average indicates population increase. The ability of blue‐footed boobies to maintain a positive population balance despite of negative trends in their vital rates might result from canalization of adult survival (the vital rate that contributes most to λ and shows lower variation compared to recruitment) against environmental variability.
Multiple prehistoric introductions of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) on a remote island, as revealed by ancient DNA
Authors: Ahlgren Hans , Norén Karin , Angerbjörn Anders , Lidén Kerstin
Published: June 2016

Aim

The majority of the non‐volant mammals now present on the island of Gotland, Sweden, have been introduced in modern times. One exception is the mountain hare (Lepus timidus), which was present on the island more than 9000 years ago. This paper investigates the origins of the Gotland hares and temporal changes in their genetic structure, and considers how they may have reached the island.

Location

The island of Gotland, Sweden (57°30′ N, 18°20′ E).

Methods

Two fragments of the mitochondrial D‐loop 130 + 164 base pairs in length from skeletal remains from 40 ancient mountain hares from Gotland, 38 from the Swedish mainland and five from Lithuania were analysed and compared with 90 modern L. timidus haplotypes from different locations in Eurasia and five haplotypes of the Don‐hare (Lepus tanaiticus) morphotype.

Results

The Mesolithic hares from Gotland (7304 bc–5989 bc) cluster with modern hares from Russia, Scotland, the Alps and Fennoscandia whereas the Gotland hares from the Neolithic and onwards (2848 bc–1641 ad) cluster with Neolithic hares from the Swedish mainland and modern hares from Fennoscandia. The Neolithic haplotypes from Lithuania and the Don‐hare haplotypes were dispersed within the network. The level of differentiation (FST) between the Mesolithic and Neolithic hares on Gotland was twice as great as that observed on the mainland.

Main conclusions

The ancient hares on Gotland fall into two haplogroups separated in time, indicating that the mountain hare became extinct at one point, with subsequent re‐colonization events. In view of the isolated location of Gotland, it is probable that the hares were brought there by human means of transport.
Environmental correlates of floristic regions and plant turnover in the Atlantic Forest hotspot
Authors: Zamborlini Saiter Felipe , Brown Jason L. , Thomas William Wayt , de Oliveira‐Filho Ary T. , Carnaval Ana Carolina
Published: June 2016

Aim

Using a comprehensive floristic database (2616 species, 36,004 occurrence records from 128 unique localities), we model species turnover along the central region of the Atlantic Forest hotspot to (1) test whether local rivers, particularly the Rio Doce, are associated with marked biogeographical breaks, and (2) investigate how regional compositional changes correlate with geo‐climatic variables.

Location

The central region of the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil (12°–22° S latitude).

Methods

We combine occurrence and geo‐climatic data in a generalized dissimilarity model, obtaining a continuous prediction of species turnover across space and identifying 12 significant geo‐climatic predictors of community composition. We use a two‐step cluster analysis to classify the turnover map into major floristic regions based on the natural subgroups observed. We further divide each major floristic region into smaller sub‐regions based on natural subgroups statistically identified by the two‐step cluster analyses.

Results

High levels of turnover in species composition occurred around latitudes 18°–19° S,c. 50–100 km north of the Rio Doce, and concurred with shifts in availability of both humidity and energy. We identified three major floristic regions in the central region of the Atlantic Forest, which we called Bahia Interior Forests, Bahia Coastal Forests, and the Krenák‐Waitaká Forests – each of them divided into two to four subregions.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that local climatic conditions, not riverine barriers, drive biogeographical shifts in this region – a finding that supports studies of current and historical determinants of the composition of the Atlantic Forest biota. Floristic composition at higher elevations (> 600 m) is clearly distinct from those in lower elevations, likely as a result of physiological constraints imposed by cooler climates in the former. Floristic regions here identified from observed communities substantially improve the maps currently employed for conservation planning in a shrinking hotspot.
Biogeographical patterns in fungal communities from soils cultivated with sugarcane
Authors: Gumiere Thiago , Durrer Ademir , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Andreote Fernando Dini
Published: June 2016

Aim

Despite the important roles that microbial communities play world‐wide, relatively little attention has been given to the processes that shape their distributions. Of those studies that have addressed this question, the vast majority has focused on temperate regions and relatively undisturbed environments. In particular, tropical agricultural environments have been rarely studied, and it is commonly assumed that agriculture reduces spatial variation in microbial communities, especially in soil. Here, we evaluated the diversity and abundance of fungal communities in soils used for the cultivation of the world's largest crop, sugarcane, in the world's largest producer, Brazil.

Location

State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods

Our study sampled across 23,022 km2 of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, in an area that is a major producer of sugarcane. The composition of the fungal communities was estimated via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis, and the fungal abundance was estimated by quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Results

We observed that the variance in community composition explained by soil characteristics was 2.88%, and that explained by climate variables was 2.93%. In contrast, geographical distance explained 50.75% of the variance. Moreover, the distribution of fungal species abundance fits a neutral model that assumes only dispersal and drift better, rather than models that assume environmental filtering.

Main conclusions

Our work demonstrates that fungal communities in soil can exhibit biogeographical patterns, even in agricultural soils, and that these patterns are likely to be due at least in part to dispersal limitation.
Invading Africa: a novel transoceanic dispersal by a New World ant parasitoid
Authors: Murray Elizabeth A. , Heraty John M.
Published: June 2016

Aim

An ant parasitoid wasp genus (Eucharitidae: Kapala) common in the New World exhibits the intriguing pattern of having one species distributed widely across tropical Africa and Madagascar. The unusual distribution prompted an investigation of the age, origins and diversification of the Afrotropical Kapala species. We evaluate a previous hypothesis that the species was anthropogenically introduced.

Location

Africa and Madagascar and the Neotropics.

Methods

Numerous forms of evidence are incorporated to explain the origin of the Afrotropical species Kapala ivorensis, including phylogenetic relationships, molecular dating estimates, inter‐ and intraspecific genetic distances, morphology and geography. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using six gene regions (18S, 28S‐D2, 28S‐D3‐D5, ITS2, COI and COII), and network and haplotype analyses were executed with subsets of the data. Two mitochondrial gene fragments were used to calculate divergence times under a strict clock model. Additionally, we tested for a correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance in K. ivorensis populations.

Results

Phylogenetic analysis supports one evolutionary origin of K. ivorensis from within a clade of New World relatives. Network and haplotype analyses of the species show no biogeographical structure, and additionally, there is no statistical phylogeographical signal. These results, in conjunction with the low amount of phenotypic intraspecific variation and the genetic distance to the nearest New World relative, provide sufficient evidence to maintain the Old World Kapala as one species. Estimated mitochondrial mutation rates suggest that this species is over 1 Myr old, thus predating any potential for recent human introduction.

Main conclusions

Multiple analytical methods indicate the Afrotropical K. ivorensis is molecularly distinct from the Neotropical sister species and originated from a single pre‐human dispersal. This is the first dated example of an insect that has colonized Africa via trans‐Atlantic dispersal from South America.
Impact of biotic interactions on biodiversity varies across a landscape
Authors: Mod Heidi K. , Heikkinen Risto K. , le Roux Peter C. , Wisz Mary S. , Luoto Miska
Published: June 2016

Aim

Biotic interactions have a central role in defining species assemblages, realized both through negative and positive impacts. However, forecasts of how these interactions affect biodiversity across landscapes are challenging (and lacking) because the outcome of interactions depends not only on the identity of the interacting species but also on local environmental conditions. Thus, we study how biotic interactions manifest across a landscape.

Location

High‐latitude northern Finland and Norway (69° N, 21° E).

Methods

We modelled the influence of a dominant shrub, Empetrum hermaphroditum, on spatial patterns of species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens (using cover of the shrub as a proxy for the frequency and intensity of interaction with other species) across a topographically variable landscape.

Results

The relationship between the cover of the dominant shrub and species richness differed between guilds, being strongest for vascular plant richness, and varied considerably along environmental gradients. The dominant shrub showed stronger negative impact on vascular plant richness under less abiotically extreme conditions. For lichens, the relationship was the opposite: under mild conditions, species richness increased with the cover of the shrub. Incorporating specific leaf area (SLA) data into analyses revealed that the dominant shrub affected species with high SLA (typically competitive species of resource‐rich environments) most negatively.

Main conclusions

Our findings show how the impact of a dominant species varies across a landscape, with distinctly different effects on competitive and stress‐tolerant vascular plants, and on bryophytes and lichens. Spatial predictions of biodiversity trends under global environmental change could, therefore, critically benefit from accounting for context‐dependent impacts of biotic interactions.
The impact of experimental sleep restriction on affective functioning in social and nonsocial contexts among adolescents
Authors: McMakin Dana L. , Dahl Ronald E. , Buysse Daniel J. , Cousins Jennifer C. , Forbes Erika E. , Silk Jennifer S. , Siegle Greg J. , Franzen Peter L.
Published: June 2016

Background

Short sleep duration is highly prevalent in adolescence, and it prospectively predicts problems with emotional adjustment and psychiatric health. To move beyond epidemiological associations and inform models of developmental psychopathology, we experimentally restricted sleep to observe impacts on affective functioning. Based on the importance of social contexts to adolescent emotional experiences, we also examined the impact of restricted sleep on socioaffective functioning in an ecologically valid peer interaction task.

Methods

In Study 1, adolescents (ages 11.5–15.0, n = 48) were randomly assigned to two nights of polysomnography‐monitored sleep restriction (4 hr in bed) or extension (10 hr in bed). One week later, they completed the other sleep manipulation. Affective functioning was assessed by self‐report and pupil response to standardized affective sounds. Study 2 used a similar protocol and invited adolescents (ages 12–15.0, n = 16) to the sleep laboratory along with 2–4 friends to observe affective behavior in a social context primed for peer conflict. Mixed effects models were used to evaluate the effect of sleep condition on affective outcomes.

Results

Study 1 demonstrated increased negative affect following sleep restriction, relative to extension, on self‐report (p = .02) and pupil measures (p = .01). Study 2 replicated these effects (both p = .04) and demonstrated greater negative affective behavior in a peer social context (p = .01). Exploratory analyses for positive affect showed reductions as assessed by self‐report (p = .005), but not pupil (p = .81), in Study 1; and no significant effects in Study 2 (self‐report, p = .14; pupil, p = .29; positive affective behavior, p = .43).

Conclusions

Experimental sleep restriction in adolescence impacts negative affective functioning as evidenced by self‐report and pupil reactivity, as well as observed behavior in a social context primed for peer conflict. Implications for the impact of short sleep on developmental trajectories of emotional adjustment and psychiatric health, and opportunities for early intervention, are briefly discussed.
Health Vulnerability of Immigrants with Limited English Proficiency: A Study of Older Korean Americans
Authors: Jang Yuri , Yoon Hyunwoo , Park Nan Sook , Chiriboga David A.
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To examine the extent to which limited English proficiency (LEP) poses a risk to physical and mental health, using older Korean Americans as a target population.

Design

Cross‐sectional survey.

Participants

Older Korean Americans (N = 1,301).

Measurements

Health outcomes were indexed using binary variables covering activity limitation, self‐rated health, and probable depression. Participants who reported that they spoke English less than very well were categorized as manifesting LEP.

Results

Approximately 71% of the sample had LEP. Those with LEP scored lower on all measures of health than their English‐proficient counterparts. In multivariate models, the risk of having activity limitations was 2.72 times as great (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.72–4.29, P < .001), a fair or poor rating of health 2.59 times as great (95% CI = 1.91–3.49, P < .001), and probable depression 1.73 times as great (95% CI = 1.29–2.31, P < .001) in participants with LEP.

Conclusion

Limited English proficiency was identified as a critical source of health vulnerability. Systematic efforts should be made to reach out to older immigrants with LEP and include them in health‐related research and prevention and intervention programs.