bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Quality Function Measure: reliability and discriminant validity of a new measure of quality of gross motor movement in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Wright F Virginia , Rosenbaum Peter , Fehlings Darcy , Mesterman Ronit , Breuer Ute , Kim Marie
Published: April 2014

Aim

Optimizing movement quality is a common rehabilitation goal for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The new Quality Function Measure (QFM) – a revision of the Gross Motor Performance Measure (GMPM) – evaluates five attributes: Alignment, Co‐ordination, Dissociated movement, Stability, and Weight‐shift, for the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) Stand and Walk/Run/Jump items. This study evaluated the reliability and discriminant validity of the QFM.

Method

Thirty‐three children with CP (17 females, 16 males; mean age 8y 11mo, SD 3y 1mo; Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I [n=17], II [n=7], III [n=9]) participated in reliability testing. Each did a GMFM Stand/Walk assessment, repeated 2 weeks later. Both GMFM assessments were videotaped. A physiotherapist assessor pair independently scored the QFM from an assigned child's GMFM video. GMFM data from 112 children. That is, (GMFCS I [n=38], II [n=27], III [n=47]) were used for discriminant validity evaluation.

Results

QFM mean scores varied from 45.0% (SD 27.2; Stability) to 56.2% (SD 27.5; Alignment). Reliability was excellent across all attributes: intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ≥0.97 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.95–0.99), interrater ICCs ≥0.89 (95% CI 0.80–0.98), and test–retest ICCs ≥0.90 (95% CI 0.79–0.99). QFM discriminated qualitative attributes of motor function among GMFCS levels (maximum p<0.05).

Interpretation

The QFM is reliable and valid, making it possible to assess how well young people with CP move and what areas of function to target to enhance quality of motor control.
Rapid evolution and range expansion of an invasive plant are driven by provenance–environment interactions
Authors: Zenni Rafael D. , Bailey Joseph K. , Simberloff Daniel
Published: April 2014

To improve our ability to prevent and manage biological invasions, we must understand their ecological and evolutionary drivers. We are often able to explain invasions after they happen, but our predictive ability is limited. Here, we show that range expansions of introducedPinus taedaresult from an interaction between genetic provenance and climate and that temperature and precipitation clines predict the invasive performance of particular provenances. Furthermore, we show that genotypes can occupy climate niche spaces different from those observed in their native ranges and, at least in our case, that admixture is not a main driver of invasion. Genotypes respond to climate in distinct ways, and these interactions affect the ability of populations to expand their ranges. While rapid evolution in introduced ranges is a mechanism at later stages of the invasion process, the introduction of adapted genotypes is a key driver of naturalisation of populations of introduced species.
No association between biopsy‐verified celiac disease and subsequent amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Ludvigsson J. F. , Mariosa D. , Lebwohl B. , Fang F.
Published: April 2014

Background and purpose

Earlier data suggest an association between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and autoimmune disease, but data on its association with celiac disease (CD) are limited.

Methods

The risk of ALS in 29 093 individuals with CD, according to small intestine biopsy (villous atrophy, Marsh 3) carried out at Sweden's 28 pathology departments in 1969–2008, was compared with that in 144 515 age‐ and sex‐matched reference individuals from the general population. ALS was defined as a hospitalization or outpatient visit with ALS according to the Swedish Patient Register. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ALS.

Results

During follow‐up 12 (3.7/100 000 person‐years) individuals with CD and 56 (3.5/100 000 person‐years) reference individuals had a diagnosis of ALS. This corresponded to an HR of 1.0 (95% CI 0.5–1.8). HRs were significantly higher in the first year of follow‐up (4.1; 1.2–13.4) than 1–5 years after first CD diagnosis (0.8; 0.2–2.7) or after more than 5 years of follow‐up (0.5; 0.2–1.5). Relative risk estimates were similar in men and women but were higher at the end of the study period [HR for ALS in patients diagnosed with CD in year 2000 or later was 2.1 (95% CI 0.9–4.8)].

Conclusions

This study found no association between CD and ALS. Earlier reports of a positive association may be due to surveillance bias just after CD diagnosis or expedited diagnostic work‐up of ALS.
MAP Kinase cross talks in oxidative stress‐induced impairment of insulin secretion. Involvement in the protective activity of quercetin
Authors: Youl Estelle , Magous Richard , Cros Gérard , Oiry Catherine
Published: April 2014

Insulin secretion preservation is a major issue for the prevention or treatment of type 2 diabetes. We previously showed on β‐cells that quercetin (Q), but not resveratrol (R) or N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC), amplified glucose‐induced insulin secretion in a calcium‐ and ERK1/2‐dependent manner. Quercetin, but not resveratrol or NAC, also protected β‐cell function and hyperamplified ERK1/2 phosphorylation in oxidative stress conditions. As quercetin may interfere with other stress‐activated protein kinases (JNK and p38 MAPK), we further explored MAPK cross talks and their relationships with the mechanism of the protective effect of quercetin against oxidative stress. In INS‐1 insulin‐secreting β‐cells, using pharmacological inhibitors of MAPK pathways, we found that under oxidative stress (50 μm H2O2) and glucose‐stimulating insulin secretion conditions: (i) p38 MAPK phosphorylation was increased and regulated by ERK1/2 (positively) and JNK (negatively), although p38 MAPK activation did not seem to play any significant role in oxidative stress‐induced insulin secretion impairment; (ii) the JNK pathway appeared to inhibit both ERK1/2 activation and insulin secretion, although JNK phosphorylation was not significantly changed in our experimental conditions; (iii) the functionality of β‐cell in the presence of oxidative stress was closely linked to the level of ERK1/2 activation, (iv) quercetin, resveratrol, or NAC inhibited H2O2‐induced p38 MAPK phosphorylation. The preservation of β‐cell function against oxidative stress appears dependent on the balance between ERK1/2 and JNK activation. The protecting effect of quercetin appears due to ERK1/2 hyperactivation, possibly induced by L‐type calcium channel opening as we recently showed (Br. J. Pharmacol. 2013, 169, 1102–1113).
Expression from engineered Escherichia coli chromosome and crystallographic study of archaeal N,N′‐diacetylchitobiose deacetylase
Authors: Mine Shouhei , Niiyama Mayumi , Hashimoto Wakana , Ikegami Takahisa , Koma Daisuke , Ohmoto Takashi , Fukuda Yohta , Inoue Tsuyoshi , Abe Yoshito , Ueda Tadashi , Morita Junji , Uegaki Koichi , Nakamura Tsutomu
Published: April 2014

In order to develop a structure‐based understanding of the chitinolytic pathway in hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus species, we performed crystallographic studies on N,N′‐diacetylchitobiose deacetylases (Dacs) from Pyrococcus horikoshii (Ph‐Dac) and Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf‐Dac). Neither Ph‐Dac nor Pf‐Dac was expressed in the soluble fraction of Escherichia coli harboring the expression plasmid. However, insertion of the target genes into the chromosome of E. coli yielded the soluble recombinant protein. The purified Pyrococcus Dacs were active and thermostable up to 85 °C. The crystal structures of Ph‐Dac and Pf‐Dac were determined at resolutions of 2.0 Å and 1.54 Å, respectively. The Pyrococcus Dac forms a hexamer composed of two trimers. These Dacs are characterized by an intermolecular cleft, which is formed by two polypeptides in the trimeric assembly. In Ph‐Dac, catalytic Zn situated at the end of the cleft is coordinated by three side chain ligands from His44, Asp47, and His155, and by a phosphate ion derived from the crystallization reservoir solution. We considered that the bound phosphate mimicked the tetrahedral oxyanion, which is an intermediate of hydrolysis of the N‐acetyl group, and proposed an appropriate reaction mechanism. In the proposed mechanism, the Nε atom of His264 (from the adjacent polypeptide in the Ph‐Dac sequence) is directly involved in the stabilization of the oxyanion intermediate. Mutation analysis also indicated that His264 was essential to the catalysis. These factors give the archaeal Dacs an unprecedented active site architecture a Zn‐dependent deacetylases.

Database

Structural data are available in the Protein Data Bank database under accession numbers 3WL3, 3WL4, and 3WE7.

Structured digital abstract

Ph-Dac and Ph-Dac bind by x-ray crystallography (View interaction)

Pf-Dac and Pf-Dac bind by x-ray crystallography (View interaction)
Amyloidogenic mutations in human apolipoprotein A‐I are not necessarily destabilizing – a common mechanism of apolipoprotein A‐I misfolding in familial amyloidosis and atherosclerosis
Authors: Das Madhurima , Mei Xiaohu , Jayaraman Shobini , Atkinson David , Gursky Olga
Published: April 2014

High‐density lipoproteins and their major protein, apolipoprotein A‐I (apoA‐I), remove excess cellular cholesterol and protect against atherosclerosis. However, in acquired amyloidosis, nonvariant full‐length apoA‐I deposits as fibrils in atherosclerotic plaques; in familial amyloidosis, N‐terminal fragments of variant apoA‐I deposit in vital organs, damaging them. Recently, we used the crystal structure of Δ(185–243)apoA‐I to show that amyloidogenic mutations destabilize apoA‐I and increase solvent exposure of the extended strand 44–55 that initiates β‐aggregation. In the present study, we test this hypothesis by exploring naturally occurring human amyloidogenic mutations, W50R and G26R, within or close to this strand. The mutations caused small changes in the protein's α‐helical content, stability, proteolytic pattern and protein–lipid interactions. These changes alone were unlikely to account for amyloidosis, suggesting the importance of other factors. Sequence analysis predicted several amyloid‐prone segments that can initiate apoA‐I misfolding. Aggregation studies using N‐terminal fragments verified this prediction experimentally. Three predicted N‐terminal amyloid‐prone segments, mapped on the crystal structure, formed an α‐helical cluster. Structural analysis indicates that amyloidogenic mutations or Met86 oxidation perturb native packing in this cluster. Taken together, the results suggest that structural perturbations in the amyloid‐prone segments trigger α‐helix to β‐sheet conversion in the N‐terminal ~ 75 residues forming the amyloid core. Polypeptide outside this core can be proteolysed to form 9–11 kDa N‐terminal fragments found in familial amyloidosis. Our results imply that apoA‐I misfolding in familial and acquired amyloidosis follows a similar mechanism that does not require significant structural destabilization or proteolysis. This novel mechanism suggests potential therapeutic interventions for apoA‐I amyloidosis.

Structured digital abstract

apoA-I and apoA-I bind by fluorescence technology (View interaction)

apoA-I and apoA-I bind by electron microscopy (View interaction)
Computerized and High‐Frequency Trading
Authors: Goldstein Michael A. , Kumar Pavitra , Graves Frank C.
Published: April 2014

The use of computers to execute trades, often with very low latency, has increased over time, resulting in a variety of computer algorithms executing electronically targeted trading strategies at high speed. We describe the evolution of increasingly fast automated trading over the past decade and some key features of its associated practices, strategies, and apparent profitability. We also survey and contrast several studies on the impacts of such high‐speed trading on the performance of securities markets. Finally, we examine some of the regulatory questions surrounding the need, if any, for safeguards over the fairness and risks of high‐speed, computerized trading.
Information Transmission between Financial Markets in Chicago and New York
Authors: Laughlin Gregory , Aguirre Anthony , Grundfest Joseph
Published: April 2014

High‐frequency trading has led to widespread efforts to reduce information propagation delays between physically distant exchanges. Using relativistically correct millisecond‐resolution tick data, we document a three millisecond decrease in one‐way communication time between the Chicago and New York areas that occurred from April 27, 2010 to August 17, 2012. We attribute the first segment of this decline to the introduction of a latency‐optimized fiber optic connection in late 2010. A second phase of latency decrease can be attributed to line‐of‐sight microwave networks, operating primarily in the 6–11 GHz region of the spectrum, licensed during 2011 and 2012. Using publicly available information, we estimate these networks' latencies, costs, and bandwidths.
High‐Frequency Trading and the Execution Costs of Institutional Investors
Authors: Brogaard Jonathan , Hendershott Terrence , Hunt Stefan , Ysusi Carla
Published: April 2014

This paper studies whether high‐frequency trading (HFT) increases the execution costs of institutional investors. We use technology upgrades that lower the latency of the London Stock Exchange to obtain variation in the level of HFT over time. Following upgrades, the level of HFT increases. Around these shocks to HFT institutional traders’ costs remain unchanged. We find no clear evidence that HFT impacts institutional execution costs.
Fund Management and Systemic Risk – Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Bengtsson Elias
Published: April 2014

Fund managers play an important role in increasing efficiency and stability in financial markets. But research also indicates that fund management in certain circumstances may contribute to the buildup of systemic risk and severity of financial crises. The global financial crisis provided a number of new experiences on the contribution of fund managers to systemic risk. In this article, we focus on these lessons from the crisis. We distinguish between three sources of systemic risk in the financial system that may arise from fund management: insufficient credit risk transfer to fund managers; runs on funds that cause sudden reductions in funding to banks and other financial entities; and contagion through business ties between fund managers and their sponsors. Our discussion relates to the current intense debate on the role the so‐called shadow banking system played in the global financial crisis. Several regulatory initiatives have been launched or suggested to reduce the systemic risk arising from non‐bank financial entities, and we briefly discuss the likely impact of these on the sources of systemic risk outlined in the article.
Amino acid residues required for Gtr1p‐Gtr2p complex formation and its interactions with the Ego1p‐Ego3p complex and TORC1 components in yeast
Authors: Sekiguchi Takeshi , Kamada Yoshiaki , Furuno Nobuaki , Funakoshi Minoru , Kobayashi Hideki
Published: April 2014

The yeast Ras‐like GTPases Gtr1p and Gtr2p form a heterodimer, are implicated in the regulation of TOR complex 1 (TORC1) and play pivotal roles in cell growth. Gtr1p and Gtr2p bind Ego1p and Ego3p, which are tethered to the endosomal and vacuolar membranes where TORC1 functions are regulated through a relay of amino acid signaling interactions. The mechanisms by which Gtr1p and Gtr2p activate TORC1 remain obscure. We probed the interactions of the Gtr1p‐Gtr2p complex with the Ego1p‐Ego3p complex and TORC1 subunits. Mutations in the region (179–220 a.a.) following the nucleotide‐binding region of Gtr1p and Gtr2p abrogated their mutual interaction and resulted in a loss in function, suggesting that complex formation between Gtr1p and Gtr2p was indispensable for TORC1 function. A modified yeast two‐hybrid assay showed that Gtr1p‐Gtr2p complex formation is important for its interaction with the Ego1p‐Ego3p complex. GTP‐bound Gtr1p interacted with the region containing the HEAT repeats of Kog1p and the C‐terminal region of Tco89p. The GTP‐bound Gtr2p suppressed a Kog1p mutation. Our findings indicate that the interactions of the Gtr1p‐Gtr2p complex with the Ego1p‐Ego3p complex and TORC1 components Kog1p and Tco89p play a role in TORC1 function.
Age‐dependent deterioration of locomotion in Drosophila melanogaster deficient in the homologue of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2
Authors: Takayama Yuta , Itoh Reina E. , Tsuyama Taiichi , Uemura Tadashi
Published: April 2014

Recessive mutations in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2 (ALS2) gene have been linked to juvenile‐onset ALS2. Although one of the molecular functions of the ALS2 protein is clearly the activation of Rab5, the mechanisms underlying the selective dysfunction and degeneration of motor neurons in vivo remain to be fully understood. Here, we focused on the ALS2 homologue of Drosophila melanogaster, isolated two independent deletions, and systematically compared phenotypes of the mutants with those of animals in which Rab5 function in identified neurons was abrogated. In the dALS2 mutant flies, we found that the stereotypic axonal and dendritic morphologies of neurons shared some features with those in Rab5‐deficient flies, but the dALS2 mutant phenotypes were much milder. We also found that the abrogation of Rab5 function in motor neurons strongly depressed the locomotion activity of adults, resembling the behavior of aged dALS2 mutants. Importantly, this age‐dependent locomotion deficit of dALS2 mutants was restored to normal by expressing the dALS2 transgene in a wide range of tissues. This finding provided a platform where we could potentially identify particular cell types responsible for the phenotype by tissue‐specific rescue experiments. We discuss our results and the future usage of the dALS2 mutant as a new ALS model.
The Political Thought of Scottish Nationalism
Authors: JACKSON BEN
Published: April 2014

This article examines the key arguments and intellectual influences that have come together over recent decades to produce the case for Scottish independence. In particular, the article draws attention to three crucial, but discordant, ideological themes that have become recurrent features of Scottish nationalist discourse: an analysis of the British state indebted to the New Left; a surprising enthusiasm for the politics of the British labour movement; and a belief that we are witnessing the end of the era of absolute state sovereignty.
Misrepresentation and Omission—An Analysis of the Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty
Authors: STEPHENSON MARY‐ANN
Published: April 2014

Many of the claims made in the Independent Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty are not supported by the evidence submitted to the review. In addition the report fails to reflect key barriers to the successful implementation of the PSED which are raised in the same submissions. This raises questions about the legitimacy of the review process, which has resulted in recommendations which may damage the working of the PSED.
Civil Service Reform—Trust on Trial
Authors: LEWIS LEIGH
Published: April 2014

In July 2013 the UK's coalition government published “The Civil Service Reform Plan – One Year on”, reporting on progress against minister Frances Maude's objectives to shake up the civil service. This followed various reported disagreements between ministers and civil servants over policy implementation, and a research report commissioned by the government from think tank IPPR into lessons from overseas for civil service reform. This trio of short articles reviews the government's proposals from three perspectives: that of the lead author of the IPPR report, a former senior civil servant, and the chair of the House of Commons Public Administration Committee (PASC) which oversees the civil service. The authors take differing views on the proposals, which include introduction of ‘extended ministerial offices’, and greater control by ministers over choosing their civil servants. Should these be seen as useful next steps, worrying developments, and/or large and important enough to merit a Commission on the civil service, as PASC has suggested?
Referendums on Independence, 1860–2011
Authors: QVORTRUP MATT
Published: April 2014

There have been more than 50 independence referendums since the middle of the 19th Century when Texas, Virginia and Tennessee—albeit unsuccessfully—voted to leave the USA. A handful of plebiscites were held in each decade after 1945, but most independence referendums were held after the break‐down of communism. Most have resulted in majorities for independence. However, such plebiscites have been rare in countries with established systems of democratic government and the results may not be a fair reflection of the views of the voters. When referendums have been held in democratic countries, they have often resulted in a no‐vote (though Montenegro is an exception to the rule). Referendums have on a few occasions resulted in the exacerbation of ethnic conflict, such as in Bosnia‐Herzegovina and in East Timor. But generally speaking referendums are not correlated with civil war; indeed, war resulted in only 13 percent of the cases.
Comparison of 2 Equine Transfixation Pin Casts and the Effects of Pin Removal
Authors: Williams Jarred M. , Elce Yvonne A. , Litsky Alan S.
Published: April 2014

Objective

To (1) compare strain on the dorsal aspect of the proximal phalanx (P1) between 2 types of transfixation pin casts (TPC) and (2) evaluate the change in strain as the pins are removed.

Study Design

Experimental.

Animals

Equine cadaver forelimbs (n = 10 pair).

Methods

Each limb of a pair was assigned to 1 of 2 TPC constructs. Construct 1 consisted of a TPC with 2 positive profile, centrally threaded pins placed in the distal aspect of the third metacarpus (MC3) and construct 2 had 4 smooth Steinmann pins placed similarly. A strain gauge was mounted on P1 and axial compression (444.8–5337.9 N) applied. One forelimb of each pair was tested as a control with no construct in place. The 2 TPC groups were retested after removal of 1 proximal (n = 5 limbs) or distal (n = 5) pin from construct 1, and 2 proximal (n = 5) or distal (n = 5) pins from construct 2. Limb specimens were retested after all pins had been removed.

Results

There was a significant decrease in strain between both TPC constructs and the non‐casted control at all loads except 444.8 N. There was no significant difference in strain reduction between the 2 TPC constructs. After proximal pin removal there was a 7% (construct 1) and 10% (construct 2) increase in strain. When distal pins were removed there was a 0.5% (construct 1) and 1% (construct 2) increase in strain. The difference between proximal and distal pin removal was only statistically different from each other at high loads.

Conclusion

Both constructs provided equivalent reduction in strain. Removal of the proximal pin(s) increased the strain.
Pre‐death grief in the context of dementia caregiving: a concept analysis
Authors: Lindauer Allison , Harvath Theresa A.
Published: April 2014

Aim

The aim of this study was to report on an analysis of the concept of pre‐death grief in the context of dementia family caregiving.

Background

Research indicates that witnessing changes and losses in a family member with dementia can lead to pre‐death grief. Pre‐death grief is associated with depression, burden and maladaptive caregiver coping. However, the concept lacks a refined definition and blurs with similar constructs.

Design

Concept analysis using a hybrid of Penrod and Hupcey's principle‐based concept analysis and Chin and Kramer's conceptualization of meaning.

Data Sources

49 peer‐reviewed papers (2000–2013) that addressed pre‐death grief in dementia family caregivers were used for the principle‐based analysis; two examples from the popular media were used for the analysis of conceptual meaning.

Methods

The scientific papers were examined for epistemological, linguistic, pragmatic and logical clarity. The two examples from the popular media were explored for conceptual meaning.

Results

Pre‐death grief in the context of dementia caregiving is a meaningful concept found in the popular media. From a scholarly point of view, it is an emerging concept. A definition is offered to advance conceptual clarity. Discussion focuses on advancing the concept into a situation‐specific middle‐range theory of pre‐death grief in family caregiving.

Conclusions

The concept of pre‐death grief has salience for researchers and caregivers. This analysis lays the foundation for use of the concept in nursing research and practice across cultural, environmental and illness domains.
Diverse avian malaria and other haemosporidian parasites in Andean house wrens: evidence for regional co‐diversification by host‐switching
Authors: Galen Spencer C. , Witt Christopher C.
Published: April 2014

Recent research has revealed well over 1000 mtDNA lineages of avian haemosporidian parasites, but the extent to which this diversity is caused by host–parasite coevolutionary history or environmental heterogeneity is unclear. We surveyed haemosporidian and host mtDNA in a geographically structured, ecological generalist species, the house wren Troglodytes aedon, across the complex landscape of the Peruvian Andes. We detected deep genetic structure within the house wren across its range, represented by seven clades that were between 3.4–5.7% divergent. From muscle and liver tissue of 140 sampled house wrens we found 23 divergent evolutionary lineages of haemosporidian mtDNA, of which ten were novel and apparently specific to the house wren based on searches of haemosporidian databases. Combined and genus‐specific haemosporidian abundance differed significantly across environments and elevation, with Leucocytozoon parasites strongly associated with montane habitats. We observed spatial stratification of haemosporidians along the west slope of the Andes where five lineages were restricted to non‐overlapping elevational bands. Individual haemosporidian lineages varied widely with respect to host specificity, prevalence, and geographic distribution, with the most host‐generalist lineages also being the most prevalent and widely distributed. Despite the deep divergences within the house wren, we found no evidence for host‐specific co‐diversification with haemosporidians. Instead, host‐specific haemosporidian lineages in the genus Haemoproteus were polyphyletic with respect to the New World parasite fauna and appeared to have diversified by periodic host‐switches involving distantly related avian species within the same region. These host‐specific lineages appeared to have diversified contemporaneously with Andean house wrens. Taken together, these findings suggest a model of diffuse co‐diversification in which host and parasite clades have diversified over the same time period and in the same geographic area, but with parasites having limited or ephemeral host specificity.
Filyos River Streamflow Reconstruction from Tree‐Ring Chronologies with Nonparametric Approaches
Authors: Şarlak Nermin
Published: April 2014

The article presents nonparametric methods based on K nearest neighbors (KNNs), modified KNNs, and local polynomial techniques to reconstruct streamflow ensembles from tree‐ring data in Filyos River region (Turkey). Three methods were tested using cross‐validation for the overlap period, 1963‐1997 for which the tree‐ring and streamflow data are available. It was found that for the study where the length of the overlap period was limited, a nonparametric method based on a local polynomial technique provides simulations that have a slightly better solution than the other methods. After verification using standard statistical techniques, these methods were utilized to develop streamflow reconstructions from tree‐ring data for the paleo‐hydrologic period (1657‐1963). These reconstructions of seasonal low and high flows were discussed with the obtained flood duration curve. They were also compared with the historical archives and other tree‐ring reconstructions data available in the same river. Overall, the utility and limitations of these methods and the resulting streamflow simulations were discussed to assess the long‐term discharge behavior of Filyos River and to evaluate water supply reliability.
Late Holocene range collapse in a former British seabird species
Authors: Brace Selina , Barnes Ian , Kitchener Andrew C. , Serjeantson Dale , Turvey Samuel T.
Published: April 2014

Aim

To determine the taxonomic identity of zooarchaeological gadfly petrel (Pterodroma) specimens from northern Europe, in order to investigate whether an unknown, now‐extinctPterodromaspecies formerly occurred in this region, or whether extant north‐east Atlantic gadfly petrel populations now restricted to the Macaronesian Islands formerly had a much wider Holocene distribution.

Location

ZooarchaeologicalPterodromamaterial from the Hebrides, Scotland, was compared with modern‐day material from the Madeira and Cape Verde archipelagos (Macaronesia) and a globalPterodromasample.

Methods

We employed techniques for ancientDNAanalysis to amplify mitochondrial cytochromebsequence data from an Iron Age ScottishPterodromaspecimen. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were applied to assess the phylogenetic relationship between these ancient sequence data and extantPterodromataxa.

Results

The ScottishPterodromasample is phylogenetically distinct from living Macaronesian populations and from all other extantPterodromataxa. Although it is phylogenetically placed outside any single Macaronesian taxon, it is most closely related to theP. feae–desertacomplex, and the level of sequence divergence between the ScottishPterodromaand Macaronesian populations is lower than that observed between any two extant globalPterodromataxa. The extinct north Atlantic gadfly petrels are therefore not distinct at the species level from these surviving populations, and instead form part of the young evolutionary radiation represented today by recently divergentPterodromapopulations on Bugio and Cape Verde, which can all be interpreted as conspecific.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that surviving MacaronesianP.feae–desertapopulations represent the final remnant of a wider Holocene distribution of this species complex, with the Madeira and Cape Verde archipelagos constituting the final sanctuary ofPterodromain the north Atlantic following late Holocene extirpation of more northerly colonies possibly associated with human‐mediated invasive mammal introduction across northern Europe. Macaronesia may therefore constitute a ‘museum’ of diversity rather than a ‘cradle’ of evolution for AtlanticPterodroma.
Tunnel technique with connective tissue graft versus coronally advanced flap with enamel matrix derivative for root coverage: a RCT using 3D digital measuring methods. Part II. Volumetric studies on healing dynamics and gingival dimensions
Authors: Rebele Stephan F. , Zuhr Otto , Schneider David , Jung Ronny E. , Hürzeler Markus B.
Published: April 2014

Aim

The aim of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) was to compare the clinical performance of the tunnel technique with subepithelial connective tissue graft (TUN) versus a coronally advanced flap with enamel matrix derivative (CAF) in the treatment of gingival recession defects. The use of innovative 3D digital measuring methods allowed to study healing dynamics at connective tissue (CT)‐grafted sites and to evaluate the influence of the thickness of the root covering soft tissues on the outcome of surgical root coverage.

Material & Methods

Twenty‐four patients contributed a total of 47 Miller class I or II recessions for scientific evaluation. Precise study models collected at baseline and follow‐up examinations were optically scanned and virtually superimposed for digital evaluation of clinical outcome measures including mean marginal soft tissue thickness (THK). Healing dynamics were measured in a defined region of interest at CT‐grafted sites where volume differences between time points were calculated.

Results

At 12 months, recession reduction as well as mean root coverage were significantly better at CT‐grafted sites treated in the TUN group (1.94 mm and 98.4% respectively) compared to the non‐augmented sites of the CAF group (1.17 mm and 71.8% respectively) and statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation of THK (1.63 mm TUN versus 0.91 mm CAF, p < 0.0001) to both these variables. Soft tissue healing following surgical root coverage with CT‐grafting was mainly accomplished after 6 months, with around two‐thirds of the augmented volume being maintained after 12 months.

Conclusions

The TUN resulted in thicker gingiva and better clinical outcomes compared to CAF. Increased gingival thickness was associated with better surgical outcomes in terms of recession reduction and root coverage.
Molecular Phylogeny and Ultrastructure of Caliculium glossobalani n. gen. et sp. (Apicomplexa) from a Pacific Glossobalanus minutus (Hemichordata) Confounds the Relationships Between Marine and Terrestrial Gregarines
Authors: Wakeman Kevin C. , Reimer James D. , Jenke‐Kodama Holger , Leander Brian S.
Published: April 2014

Gregarines are a diverse group of apicomplexan parasites with a conspicuous extracellular feeding stage, called a “trophozoite”, that infects the intestines and other body cavities of invertebrate hosts. Although the morphology of trophozoites is very diverse in gregarines as a whole, high degrees of intraspecific variation combined with relatively low degrees of interspecific variation make the delimitation of different species based on trophozoite morphology observed with light microscopy difficult. The coupling of molecular phylogenetic data with comparative morphology has shed considerable light onto the boundaries and interrelationships of different gregarine species. In this study, we isolated a novel marine gregarine from the hepatic region of a Pacific representative of the hemichordate Glossobalanus minutus, and report the first ultrastructural and molecular data from any gregarine infecting this distinctive group of hosts. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of an SSU rDNA sequence derived from two single‐cell isolates of this marine gregarine demonstrated a strong and unexpected affiliation with a clade of terrestrial gregarines (e.g. Gregarina). This molecular phylogenetic data combined with a comparison of the morphological features in previous reports of gregarines collected from Atlantic representatives of G. minutus justified the establishment of a new binomial for the new isolate, namely Caliculium glossobalani n. gen. et sp. The molecular phylogenetic analyses demonstrated a clade of terrestrial gregarines associated with a sequence acquired from a marine species, which suggest that different groups of terrestrial/freshwater gregarines evolved independently from marine ancestors.
Age and growth parameters of shark‐like batoids
Authors: White J. , Simpfendorfer C. A. , Tobin A. J. , Heupel M. R.
Published: April 2014

Estimates of life‐history parameters were made for shark‐like batoids of conservation concern Rhynchobatus spp. (Rhynchobatus australiae, Rhynchobatus laevis and Rhynchobatus palpebratus) and Glaucostegus typus using vertebral ageing. The sigmoid growth functions, Gompertz and logistic, best described the growth of Rhynchobatus spp. and G. typus, providing the best statistical fit and most biologically appropriate parameters. The two‐parameter logistic was the preferred model for Rhynchobatus spp. with growth parameter estimates (both sexes combined) L∞ = 2045 mm stretch total length, LST and k = 0·41 year−1. The same model was also preferred for G. typus with growth parameter estimates (both sexes combined) L∞ = 2770 mm LST and k = 0·30 year−1. Annual growth‐band deposition could not be excluded in Rhynchobatus spp. using mark‐recaptured individuals. Although morphologically similar G. typus and Rhynchobatus spp. have differing life histories, with G. typus longer lived, slower growing and attaining a larger maximum size.
Trans‐Free Nondairy Creamer Prepared from Enzymatic Interesterification of Soybean Oil and Fully Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Authors: Wang Biao , Liu Jie
Published: April 2014

Trans‐free fats were prepared from enzymatic interesterification of soybean oil (SO) and fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSBO) and the fats were used as core material to prepare nondairy creamer. The method of preparation and characteristics of nondairy creamer had been studied. The obtained products were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics that included moisture content, peroxide value, acid value and bulk density, and were proved to have no significant difference with commercial products. Nondairy creamer prepared in this study was trans‐free (<0.1%) in comparison with over 30% Trans Fatty Acids content of commercial products. The present study can be used as a method to prepare trans‐free nondairy creamer and make this kind of products healthier.

Practical Applications

Nondairy creamer is widely used in food industry for its economy, good antioxidant capacity, being easily dissolved in water, ease of handling and improved shelf life. But commercial products have high content of trans‐fatty acids that are harmful to people's health. In consideration of this, preparing trans‐free nondairy creamer is significant to consumers' health and food industry. SO and FHSBO were trans‐free. In the process of interesterification of these two kinds of oil, the fatty acids were recombined and its structure did not change, which made the final reaction products trans‐free and healthier. Consequently, the reaction products can be used as core material to prepare trans‐free nondairy creamer, and the final products can get acceptable sensory qualities.
IS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PRIVATE R&D ALWAYS JUSTIFIED? A DISCUSSION BASED ON THE LITERATURE ON GROWTH
Authors: Montmartin Benjamin , Massard Nadine
Published: April 2014

Many economists have long held that market failures create a gap between social and private returns to research and development (R&D), thereby limiting private incentives to invest in R&D. However, this common belief that firms significantly underinvest in R&D is increasingly being challenged, leading the rationale behind public support for private R&D to be questioned. In this paper, we attempt to clarify the perspectives of two sources: the theoretical literature on endogenous growth, and its recent developments in integrating a geographical dimension, and the empirical literature that measures the social returns to R&D in relation to the private returns. Ultimately, we are able to clearly distinguish among different types of market failures and compare their relative impact on the gap between the private and social returns to R&D. Two main conclusions are reached. First, systematic firm underinvestment in R&D is not demonstrated. Second, even though instances of underinvestment do occur, they are mainly explained by surplus appropriability problems rather than by knowledge externalities. This suggests the need for a new policy mix that employs more demand‐oriented instruments and is more concentrated on identifying efficient allocations among activities rather than merely increasing global private R&D investment.
The Location of Pretreatment Hyperdense Middle Cerebral Artery Sign Predicts the Outcome of Intraarterial Thrombectomy for Acute Stroke
Authors: Man Shumei , Hussain Muhammad Shazam , Wisco Dolora , Katzan Irene L. , Aoki Junya , Tateishi Yohei , Cheng‐Ching Esteban , Hui Ferdinand K. , Masaryk Thomas J. , Rasmussen Peter A. , Uchino Ken
Published: April 2014

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Intraarterial (IA) mechanical thrombectomy has an excellent recanalization rate but does not always correlate with good clinical outcomes. We aimed to investigate whether hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS) on preintervention nonenhanced CT (NECT) predicts IA therapy outcome for acute stroke.

METHODS

Data were abstracted from our Hyperacute Ischemic Stroke database. Patients with occlusion in ICA, MCA, or MCA M2 branches who underwent IA therapy were included.

RESULTS

Among 126 patients who underwent IA treatment, 64 (51%) had hyperdense M1 MCA sign (M1 HMCAS), 11 (9%) had hyperdense M2, and 51 (40%) had No HMCAS (NHMCAS).M1 HMCAS and NHMCAS group has comparable baseline stroke severity and infarct volume (P > .05); and the differences of favorable outcome (modified Rankin Score 0‐2) at 30 days were not significant (21% vs. 30%, P = .259). For those with HMCAS, favorable 30‐day outcome was most frequent in Distal HMCAS (39%), followed by hyperdense M2 (27%), HMCAS proximal (11%), and HMCAS full length (0%).

CONCLUSIONS

For acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion, the lack of HMCAS on NECT does not predict favorable outcome after IA therapy. Among those with HMCAS, proximal and longer HMCAS predicts unfavorable outcome.
School Order, Justice, and Education: Climate, Discipline Practices, and Dropping Out
Authors: Peguero Anthony A. , Bracy Nicole L.
Published: April 2014

There is a growing body of research that explores how school climate, order, and procedural justice are related to violence within American public schools. What remains in the background, however, is how school climate, order, and justice are related to aspects of education such as dropping out. This study uses multilevel analysis, drawing from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, to examine the effect of school climate, order, and justice on dropping out. Results indicate that, when considering the various dimensions of school climate, order, and justice, a student receiving a formal school sanction remains the strongest factor related to the likelihood of a student dropping out of school. These results underscore the importance of careful design and implementation of school discipline and safety policies.
Computed tomographic appearance of canine thyroid tumours
Authors: Deitz K. , Gilmour L. , Wilke V. , Riedesel E.
Published: April 2014

OBJECTIVES

To describe the computed tomography features of canine thyroid tumours.

METHODS Retrospective study of records of dogs with a thyroid tumour and neck computed tomography. Neck computed tomographies were evaluated for tumour characteristics. Thoracic radiographs and computed tomographies were evaluated for lung nodules.

RESULTS

Of 19 identified cases, 17 were carcinomas and 2 were adenomas; 12 had mineralisation, 16 had heterogeneous attenuation and 16 were unilateral. Tumours were located from the temporomandibular joint toC5. Sixteen had well‐defined margins postcontrast. Tumours were ovoid and mean volume was 57·4 cm3. By computed tomography, eight had definitive or possible invasion into surrounding structures; all eight were histopathologically invasive carcinomas. Five histopathologically non‐invasive tumours and two adenomas had no computed tomography invasion into surrounding structures. Four had complete palpable mobility (two adenomas and two histopathologically invasive carcinomas); one had computed tomography evidence of possible invasion. The sensitivity of palpable mass mobility to determine histopathological invasion was 71% with 0% specificity. The sensitivity of computed tomography invasion to determine histopathological invasion was 70% with 100% specificity.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Computed tomography scans revealed several common features. Palpable mass mobility was not definitive for lack of histopathological invasion. Computed tomography invasion was specific but not very sensitive for histopathological invasion.
Assessment of a Phytogenic Feed Additive (Digestarom P.E.P. MGE) on Growth Performance, Processing Yield, Fillet Composition, and Survival of Channel Catfish
Authors: Peterson Brian C. , Bosworth Brian G. , Li Menghe H. , Beltran Ruben , Santos Goncalo A.
Published: April 2014

We investigated the effects of a phytogenic feed additive (Digestarom® P.E.P. MGE) on growth performance, processing yield, fillet composition, and survival of pond‐raised channel catfish. Fifteen 0.4 ha ponds were stocked with 14,820 catfish (126 g/fish) per ha. Fish in control ponds were fed a 32% crude protein commercial floating diet whereas fish in test ponds were fed the same diet supplemented with Digestarom P.E.P. MGE at 200 g/ton. In a second study, ten 0.04 ha ponds were stocked at a similar density with fish that averaged 68 g/fish. At the end of the 6‐mo study, there was no significant difference in the amount of feed fed or the amount of weight gained between the control and Digestarom P.E.P. MGE fed fish. Food conversion ratio, net yield, and survival were also similar between the two groups. Carcass, fillet, and nugget yield were similar. Fillet proximate analysis revealed that fillet fat was lower (P < 0.01) whereas fillet protein tended to be a little higher (P < 0.10) in treated fish. In conclusion, there was a significant reduction in the amount of fillet fat in Digestarom P.E.P. MGE fed fish. Improved fillet composition (higher protein and lower lipid) is of commercial importance.
Immune Responses to Vibrio anguillarum in Yellowtail Kingfish, Seriola lalandi, Fed Selenium Supplementation
Authors: Le Ky T. , Fotedar Ravi
Published: April 2014

Effects of dietary selenium (Se) on immune competence of yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi, were investigated. The fish were fed one of the three experimental diets including a control diet without Se supplementation and two diets supplemented with Se from Se‐yeast (Selplex) at 2 and 4 mg/kg. After feeding for 6 wk, the fish were challenged by injecting Vibrio anguillarum and observed for 2 wk. Dietary Se had no effect on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and survival over the course of 6‐wk feeding; however, it significantly increased weight gain and Se content in muscle. Following the bacterial infection, the immune‐stimulating effects of Se were observed in antibody, lysozyme, and bactericidal responses, and there was a corresponding increase in survival and hematocrit by Se. Under infectious condition, antioxidant capacity of fish as measured in terms of resistance of red blood cells to peroxidation and glutathione peroxidase activity also increased by supplementation of Se. Liver necrosis and kidney melano‐macrophages were only seen in surviving fish fed the control diet after the challenge. Furthermore, there was evidence of myopathy in fish fed the diet without Se supplementation. This study suggests that Se, supplemented at 2 or 4 mg/kg, can improve growth and health of yellowtail kingfish.
Practical Considerations of Molecular Parentage Analysis in Fish
Authors: Yue Gen Hua , Xia Jun Hong
Published: April 2014

Pedigree information is important in selective breeding programs and hatchery management of aquaculture. However, in aquaculture species, tagging of young fish with physical tags is very difficult. Molecular parentage analyses have been used in reconstructing pedigrees in aquaculture species since the 1990s. Some studies have been carried out to optimize every step to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of molecular parentage analysis. However, molecular parentage analysis of a large number of individuals is still too expensive because some steps of molecular parentage analysis are very cost‐intensive. In this review, we have summarized the techniques of major steps in parentage analysis, and provided a guide for aquaculture scientists on how to cost‐effectively and rapidly extractDNAfrom a large number of samples, select the right types ofDNAmarkers, optimize multiplex polymerase chain reaction, and select appropriate methods and software to analyze the genotyping data for reconstructing pedigrees. In addition, we discuss the challenges and future directions of molecular parentage analysis in aquaculture species.