bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biodiversity Funds and Conservation Needs in the EU Under Climate Change
Authors: Lung Tobias , Meller Laura , van Teeffelen Astrid J.A. , Thuiller Wilfried , Cabeza Mar
Published: March 2014

Despite ambitious biodiversity policy goals, less than a fifth of the European Union's (EU) legally protected species and habitats show a favorable conservation status. The recent EU biodiversity strategy recognizes that climate change adds to the challenge of halting biodiversity loss, and that an optimal distribution of financial resources is needed. Here, we analyze recent EU biodiversity funding from a climate change perspective. We compare the allocation of funds to the distribution of both current conservation priorities (within and beyond Natura 2000) and future conservation needs at the level of NUTS‐2 regions, using modeled bird distributions as indicators of conservation value. We find that funding is reasonably well aligned with current conservation efforts but poorly fit with future needs under climate change, indicating obstacles for implementing adaptation measures. We suggest revising EU biodiversity funding instruments for the 2014–2020 budget period to better account for potential climate change impacts on biodiversity.
The Value of Larval Connectivity Information in the Static Optimization of Marine Reserve Design
Authors: White J. Wilson , Schroeger Julianna , Drake Patrick T. , Edwards Christopher A.
Published: March 2014

Marine reserve design often involves a tradeoff between meeting conservation goals (persistence of fished populations) and minimizing economic costs (lost fishing grounds). Optimization tools such as Marxan navigate that tradeoff by finding reserve configurations that minimize economic costs while protecting some minimum fraction of fish habitat. However, typical Marxan implementations do not account for patterns of larval connectivity among reserves, a factor known to be the key to population dynamics. We show how connectivity information (self‐recruitment and network centrality) can be incorporated into the optimization. We then used a spatially explicit population model to compare the performance of reserves designed using habitat information alone or including connectivity. Incorporating connectivity information improved reserve performance for some species but not others. We conclude that including connectivity information can improve reserve design algorithms, but it is essential to evaluate species’ population dynamics to determine which species will benefit from a given reserve network.
Osteogenic differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells promoted by quercetin
Authors: Zhou C. , Lin Y.
Published: March 2014

Objectives

The present study aimed to investigate overall effect of quercetin on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mouse adipose stem cells (mASCs) in vitro.

Materials and methods

Mouse adipose stem cells were isolated from subcutaneous fat pads and induced into the osteogenic lineage. Effects of quercetin on cell proliferation were assessed using MTT assay. Then they were treated by quercetin for 3, 7 and 11 days in a range of concentrations. Finally, effects of quercetin on osteogenic differentiation of mASCs were analysed by real‐time PCR.

Results

Data of MTT assay showed that quercetin did not enhance mASC proliferation in a dose‐dependent or time‐dependent manner. Results of qPCR indicated that quercetin promoted expressions of Osx, Runx2, BMP‐2, Col‐1, OPN and OCN at the mRNA level in the presence of osteo‐induction medium.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrated that quercetin was not active in terms of enhancing mASCs proliferation; however, it increased osteogenesis of mASCs by up‐regulation of genes including Osx, Runx2, BMP‐2, Col‐1, OPN and OCN.
The effectiveness of annotated (vs. non‐annotated) digital pathology slides as a teaching tool during dermatology and pathology residencies
Authors: Marsch Amanda F. , Espiritu Baltazar , Groth John , Hutchens Kelli A.
Published: March 2014

Background

With today's technology, paraffin‐embedded, hematoxylin & eosin‐stained pathology slides can be scanned to generate high quality virtual slides. Using proprietary software, digital images can also be annotated with arrows, circles and boxes to highlight certain diagnostic features. Previous studies assessing digital microscopy as a teaching tool did not involve the annotation of digital images. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of annotated digital pathology slides versus non‐annotated digital pathology slides as a teaching tool during dermatology and pathology residencies.

Methods

A study group composed of 31 dermatology and pathology residents was asked to complete an online pre‐quiz consisting of 20 multiple choice style questions, each associated with a static digital pathology image. After completion, participants were given access to an online tutorial composed of digitally annotated pathology slides and subsequently asked to complete a post‐quiz. A control group of 12 residents completed a non‐annotated version of the tutorial.

Results

Nearly all participants in the study group improved their quiz score, with an average improvement of 17%, versus only 3% (P = 0.005) in the control group.

Conclusions

These results support the notion that annotated digital pathology slides are superior to non‐annotated slides for the purpose of resident education.
Epidermotropic metastatic epithelioid sarcoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall
Authors: Coates Sarah J. , Ogunrinade Olakunle , Lee Henry J. , Desman Garrett
Published: March 2014

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) represents an aggressive soft tissue tumor with varied morphologic and histopathologic presentations that typically elicits a broad differential diagnosis, including granuloma annulare, necrobiotic granuloma, fibrous histiocytoma, synovial sarcoma, amelanotic melanoma and poorly differentiated primary cutaneous and metastatic adenocarcinoma. ES is characterized microscopically by a nodular arrangement of abundant, deeply eosinophilic, polygonal tumor cells with frequent central necrosis and hemorrhage, rare mitotic figures and minimal pleomorphism. At the periphery, tumor cells are spindle shaped and may exhibit frequent local infiltration along tendons, fascial planes and neurovascular bundles. Immunohistochemistry typically reveals expression of both epithelial and mesenchymal antigens, such as cytokeratin and vimentin, respectively. The absence of a connection between tumor cells and the overlying epidermis, with or without an in situ carcinoma component, typically rules out a primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of stage IV proximal‐type ES that mimicked molluscum contagiosum clinically and was histopathologically reminiscent of invasive squamous cell carcinoma because of attachment and colonization of the overlying epidermis. The case represents an unusual pathologic presentation of ES and highlights potential pitfalls in establishing the diagnosis.
Diagnostic approach to microcephaly in childhood: a two‐center study and review of the literature
Authors: von der Hagen Maja , Pivarcsi Mark , Liebe Juliane , von Bernuth Horst , Didonato Nataliya , Hennermann Julia B , Bührer Christoph , Wieczorek Dagmar , Kaindl Angela M
Published: March 2014

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic approach to microcephaly in childhood and to identify the prevalence of the various underlying causes/disease entities.

Method

We conducted a retrospective study on a cohort of 680 children with microcephaly (399 males, 281 females; mean age at presentation 7–8mo, range 1mo–5y) from patients presenting to Charité – University Medicine Berlin (n=474) and University Hospital Dresden (n=206). Patient discharge letters were searched electronically to identify cases of microcephaly, and then the medical records of these patients were used to analyze parameters for distribution.

Results

The putative aetiology for microcephaly was ascertained in 59% of all patients, leaving 41% without a definite diagnosis. In the cohort of pathogenetically defined microcephaly, genetic causes were identified in about half of the patients, perinatal brain damage accounted for 45%, and postnatal brain damage for 3% of the cases. Microcephaly was associated with intellectual impairment in 65% of participants, epilepsy was diagnosed in 43%, and ophthalmological disorders were found in 30%. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormalities in 76% of participants.

Interpretation

Microcephaly remains a poorly defined condition, and a uniform diagnostic approach is urgently needed. A definite aetiological diagnosis is important in order to predict the prognosis and offer genetic counselling. Identifying gene mutations as causes of microcephaly increases our knowledge of brain development and the clinical spectrum of microcephaly. We therefore propose a standardized initial diagnostic approach to microcephaly.
Clinical and research considerations in using the Melbourne Assessment 2
Authors: Wallen Margaret
Published: March 2014

This commentary is on the original article by Randall et al. on pages
665–672 of this issue.
When Samuelson Met Veblen Abroad: National and Global Public Good Provision when Social Comparisons Matter
Authors: Aronsson Thomas , Johansson‐Stenman Olof
Published: March 2014

This paper derives Pareto‐efficient provision rules for national and global public goods in a two‐country world, where each individual cares about his or her relative consumption of private goods compared to other domestic and foreign residents. We contrast these rules with those following from a non‐cooperative Nash equilibrium. Both national and global public goods are underprovided in Nash equilibrium under such relative consumption concerns. Finally, when individuals also care about the relative consumption of national public goods, based on between‐country comparisons, the optimal provision rule depends on whether or not the national public goods are less positional than private consumption.
Depressive symptoms and cardiovascular burden‐related mortality among the aged
Authors: Hiltunen Matti , Nieminen Tuomo , Kettunen Raimo , Hartikainen Sirpa , Sulkava Raimo , Vuolteenaho Olli , Kerola Tuomas
Published: March 2014

Background

Depressive symptoms have been linked to increased cardiovascular mortality among the elderly. This study was aimed to test the independent and additive predictive value of depressive symptoms andB‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a marker of direct cardiovascular stress and a strong predictor of mortality, together with traditional cardiovascular risk markers on total and cardiovascular mortalities in a general elderly population.

Methods

A total of 508 subjects aged 75 or older participated in the study. The prognostic capacity of depressive symptoms andBNPin regard to total and cardiovascular mortalities was assessed with Cox regression analyses. Depressive symptoms were handled as a dichotomous variable based on the Zung self‐rated depression scale score with a cut‐off point of 40.

Results

The median follow‐up time was 84 months with an interquartile range of 36–99 months. Depressive symptoms reflected susceptibility to all‐cause (HR1·60; 95%CI1·26–2·04) and cardiovascular mortalities (HR1·81; 95%CI1·30–2·52) only in univariable analyses. When cardiovascular illnesses and risk markers were taken into account, depressive symptoms lost their significance as an independent predictor of mortality.BNPas a continuous variable was a significant predictor of both all‐cause (HR1·44; 95%CI1·22–1·69) and cardiovascular mortalities (HR1·79; 95%CI1·44–2·22) in fully adjusted models including depressive symptoms as a covariate.

Conclusions

The prognostic capacity of depressive symptoms is closely linked to cardiovascular morbidity and has no independent power in an elderly general population.BNPremains a strong harbinger of death regardless of depressive symptoms status.
The evolution of the vertebrate cerebellum: absence of a proliferative external granule layer in a non‐teleost ray‐finned fish
Authors: Butts Thomas , Modrell Melinda S. , Baker Clare V.H. , Wingate Richard J.T.
Published: March 2014

The cerebellum represents one of the most morphologically variable structures in the vertebrate brain. To shed light on its evolutionary history, we have examined the molecular anatomy and proliferation of the developing cerebellum of the North American paddlefish, Polyodon spathula. Absence of an external proliferative cerebellar layer and the restriction of Atonal1 expression to the rhombic lip and valvular primordium demonstrate that transit amplification in a cerebellar external germinal layer, a prominent feature of amniote cerebellum development, is absent in paddlefish. Furthermore, expression of Sonic hedgehog, which drives secondary proliferation in the mouse cerebellum, is absent from the paddlefish cerebellum. These data are consistent with what has been observed in zebrafish and suggest that the transit amplification seen in the amniote cerebellum was either lost very early in the ray‐finned fish lineage or evolved in the lobe‐finned fish lineage. We also suggest that the Atoh1‐positive proliferative valvular primordium may represent a synapomorphy (shared derived character) of ray‐finned fishes. The topology of valvular primordium development in paddlefish differs significantly from that of zebrafish and correlates with the adult cerebellar form. The distribution of proliferative granule cell precursors in different vertebrate taxa is thus the likely determining factor in cerebellar morphological diversity.
Combination of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and pheromone in an attract‐and‐kill strategy against the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus
Authors: Lopes Rogério B. , Laumann Raul A. , Moore Dave , Oliveira Márcio W. M. , Faria Marcos
Published: March 2014

An attract‐and‐kill approach based on pellets from soybean or palm stearin fats blended with the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. sensu lato and the aggregation pheromone sordidin (Cosmolure®) was tested against the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The viability of B. bassiana conidia, blended with hydrogenated oil and exposed for up to 150 min to heating at 50 °C, was not affected and the aggregation pheromone did not undergo any decomposition. Conidial viability in pellets decreased by 50% after an average of 15.1 and 9.1 days at 25 and 40 °C, respectively, when packaged in polypropylene bags. Active packaging (hermetic bag + O2/moisture‐absorbing sachet) increased the shelf lives almost 10 and 6 times at 25 and 40 °C, respectively. In olfactometer bioassays, fat pellets amended with pheromone (sordidin, 1% wt/vol) were highly attractive to C. sordidus adults for up to 15 days, after which the pheromone release rate had decreased by about 90% and pellets were no longer attractive. Pellets with pheromone and conidia were as attractive to C. sordidus as banana rhizomes, and considerably more attractive than pieces of pseudostem. In no‐choice experiments conducted in boxes, survival of insects exposed to fungus‐impregnated pellets was affected by fat type (soybean fat vs. palm stearin) and bioassay temperature (25 vs. 30 °C), with results favoring soybean fat pellets at the higher temperature (96.9% of mortality after 18 days and ST50 of 7.7 days). However, mortality levels were low (21.7% for soybean fat pellets) or very low (1–5% for palm stearin pellets) in choice experiments carried out at 25 °C when fungus‐impregnated pellets were applied before or after exposure of pseudostem residues to insects, respectively. The potential of this delivery system to manage C. sordidus populations and other insect pests (including those with cryptic habits) is discussed.
Stimulus duration and diversity do not reverse the advantage for superordinate‐level representations: the animal is seen before the bird
Authors: Poncet Marlène , Fabre‐Thorpe Michèle
Published: March 2014

Basic‐level categorization has long been thought to be the entry level for object representations. However, this view is now challenged. In particular, Macé et al. [M.J.‐M. Macé et al. (2009) PLoS One, 4, e5927] showed that basic‐level categorization (such as ‘bird’) requires a longer processing time than superordinate‐level categorization (such as ‘animal’). It has been argued that this result depends on the brief stimulus presentation times used in their study, which would degrade the visual information available. Here, we used a go/no‐go paradigm to test whether the superordinate‐level advantage could be observed with longer stimulus durations, and also investigated the impact of manipulating the target and distractor set heterogeneity. Our results clearly show that presentation time had no effect on categorization performance. Both target and distractor diversity influenced performance, but basic‐level categories were never accessed faster or with higher accuracy than superordinate‐level categories. These results argue in favor of coarse to fine visual processing to access perceptual representations.
Localizing evoked and induced responses to faces using magnetoencephalography
Authors: Perry Gavin , Singh Krish D.
Published: March 2014

A rich pattern of responses in frequency, time and space are known to be generated in the visual cortex in response to faces. Recently, a number of studies have used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to try to record these responses non‐invasively – in many cases using source analysis techniques based on the beamforming method. Here we sought both to characterize best practice for measuring face‐specific responses using MEG beamforming, and to determine whether the results produced by the beamformer match evidence from other modalities. We measured activity to visual presentation of face stimuli and phase‐scrambled control stimuli, and performed source analyses of both induced and evoked responses using Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry. We localized the gamma‐band response to bilateral lateral occipital cortex, and both the gamma‐band response and the M170‐evoked response to the right fusiform gyrus. Differences in the gamma‐band response between faces and scrambled stimuli were confined to the frequency range 50–90 Hz; gamma‐band activity at higher frequencies did not differ between the two stimulus categories. We additionally identified a component of the M220‐evoked response – localized to the parieto‐occipital sulcus – which was enhanced for scrambled vs. unscrambled faces. These findings help to establish that MEG beamforming can localize face‐specific responses in time, frequency and space with good accuracy (when validated against established findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging and intracranial recordings), as well as contributing to the establishment of best methodological practice for the use of the beamformer method to measure face‐specific responses.
The effect of air puff stress on c‐Fos expression in rat hypothalamus and brainstem: central circuitry mediating sympathoexcitation and baroreflex resetting
Authors: Furlong Teri M. , McDowall Lachlan M. , Horiuchi Jouji , Polson Jaimie W. , Dampney Roger A. L.
Published: March 2014

Psychological stress evokes increases in sympathetic activity and blood pressure, which are due at least in part to an upward resetting of the baroreceptor‐sympathetic reflex. In this study we determined whether sympathetic premotor neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), which have a critical role in the reflex control of sympathetic activity, are activated during air puff stress, a moderate psychological stressor. Secondly, we identified neurons that are activated by air puff stress and that also project to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), a key site for modulation of the baroreceptor reflex. Air puff stress resulted in increased c‐Fos expression in several hypothalamic and brainstem nuclei, including the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), dorsomedial hypothalamus, perifornical area (PeF), periaqueductal gray (PAG), NTS and rostral ventromedial medulla, but not in the RVLM region that contains sympathetic premotor neurons. In contrast, neurons in this RVLM region, including catecholamine‐synthesizing neurons, did express c‐Fos following induced hypotension, which reflexly activates RVLM sympathetic premotor neurons. The highest proportion of NTS‐projecting neurons that were double‐labelled with c‐Fos after air puff stress was in the ventrolateral PAG (29.3 ± 5.5%), with smaller but still significant proportions of double‐labelled NTS‐projecting neurons in the PVN and PeF (6.5 ± 1.8 and 6.4 ± 1.7%, respectively). The results suggest that the increased sympathetic activity during psychological stress is not driven primarily by RVLM sympathetic premotor neurons, and that neurons in the PVN, PeF and ventrolateral PAG may contribute to the resetting of the baroreceptor‐sympathetic reflex that is associated with psychological stress.
The role of pedunculopontine nucleus in choice behavior under risk
Authors: Leblond Mona , Sukharnikova Tatyana , Yu Chunxiu , Rossi Mark A. , Yin Henry H.
Published: March 2014

The dopaminergic projections to the basal ganglia have long been implicated in reward‐guided behavior and decision‐making, yet little is known about the role of the posterior pedunculopontine nucleus (pPPN), a major source of excitatory input to the mesolimbic dopamine system. Here we studied the contributions of the pPPN to decision‐making under risk, using excitoxic lesions and reversible inactivation in rats. Rats could choose between two options – a small but certain reward on one lever; or a large but uncertain reward on the other lever. The overall payoff associated with each choice is the same, but the reward variance (risk) associated with the risky choice is much higher. In Experiment 1, we showed that excitotoxic lesions of the pPPN before training did not affect acquisition of lever pressing. But whereas the controls strongly preferred the safe choice, the lesioned rats did not. In Experiment 2, we found that muscimol inactivation of the pPPN also produced similar effects, but reversibly. These results show that permanent lesions or reversible inactivation of the pPPN both abolish risk aversion in decision‐making.
Intensity and duration of in‐vitro antibacterial activity of different adhesives used in orthodontics
Authors: Passariello Claudio , Sannino Gianpaolo , Petti Stefano , Gigola Pierangelo
Published: March 2014

This work investigated the antibacterial activity of 14 bonding agents to predict their ability to inhibit white‐spot development during orthodontic treatment. Standardized, sterilized disks of each material were continuously rinsed (for up to 180 d) in a flow of sterile saline. At predetermined time points, the residual ability of each material to inhibit bacterial growth (determined by measuring the size of inhibition halos around disks placed onto appropriate culture media seeded with Streptococcus gordonii DSM6777, Streptococcus sanguinis DSM20567, Streptococcus mutans DSM20523, or Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM20079) and biofilm formation (determined by measuring the numbers of bacteria adherent to disks following incubation in appropriate broths) was tested in triplicate and compared with the baseline activities of freshly prepared materials. Overall antibacterial and anti‐biofilm activities, adjusted for exposure time and strain of bacteria, were assessed. The decrease of antibacterial activity was faster (30–60 d) and complete for fluoride‐enriched materials, but slower (90 d) and partial for antimicrobial‐containing materials (benzalkonium chloride, zinc oxide, chlorexidine, or MDPB). Materials enriched with benzalkonium chloride, chlorexidine, or MDPB showed the highest antibacterial activities. Anti‐biofilm assays yielded similar results. These data could be helpful for clinicians in the choice of the best performing bonding agent also in light of duration of the clinical application.
Between Persons: How Concepts of the Person Make Moral Experience Possible
Authors: Parish Steven M.
Published: March 2014

Moral theories often conflate morality with society or mind, while detaching mind from society, and society from subjectivity. This eliminates the existential “space between” persons where morality is a process of making mutually recognized lives possible. Moral experience is a cultural experience of intersubjectivity, which has social and cultural, subjective and reflective, imaginative and practical, and existential and bodily dimensions. Concepts of the person organize the moral possibilities of intersubjectivity; they can help situate culturally formulated ethics in “the space between persons” in ways that help generate the moral presence afforded others and self.
The Promise: On the Morality of the Marginal and the Illicit
Authors: Garcia Angela
Published: March 2014

Moral engagement in the setting of drug addiction is often at odds with prevailing moral discourse and is treated in punitive terms. In this article, I explore how one moral gesture—a promise between a heroin‐using mother and daughter—embodies the difficulty and ambiguity of moral experience in the context of addiction and offers insight into how it is profoundly shaped by social processes. By offering a close description of the promise over time, I show how morality is lived through sentiments and practices of care and commitment, which are vulnerable to isolation, punishment, and wounding. The story of the promise thus offers a way to reflect upon morality as the blurring of these different intensities.
Moral Moods
Authors: Throop C. Jason
Published: March 2014

In this article, I seek to examine how local moral concerns are revealed, contested, and negotiated in instances wherein individuals take up ethically imbued and viscerally laden moods. Halfway between moments of explicit ethical reflection and habitual embodied forms of morality, I argue that moral moods are temporally complex existential modalities that transform through time and yet often entail a durativity that extends beyond the confines of particular morally salient events and interactions.
Plotting a Moral Trajectory, Sans Papiers: Outlaw Motherhood as Inhabitable Space of Welcome
Authors: Willen Sarah S.
Published: March 2014

This essay peers into the swirling, tumultuous lifeworld of Marlene, an unauthorized Filipina migrant living in Israel, and her extraordinary capacity for self‐preservation and creative sociality to consider several key questions. First, in empirical terms, how might the particular form of abjection Marlene confronts—migrant “illegality”—influence the texture and contour of her existential and moral reality? Second, how do migrants like Marlene, for whom illegality penetrates virtually every sphere of life, craft “inhabitable spaces of welcome” in which their own existential imperatives and moral commitments are sustained despite the abjection they daily confront? In working through these questions, I turn to the work of Michael Jackson and Ghassan Hage, both of whom approach experience and subjectivity with a sensitivity to what Jackson describes as “existential imperatives,” and explore two imperatives that help anchor the tempestuous lifeworld that Marlene—a single mother, an abandoned lover, an unauthorized migrant, a victim of harassment, and an outlaw denied the possibility of police protection—now inhabits.
The Moral Perils of a Superstrong Black Mother
Authors: Mattingly Cheryl
Published: March 2014

Investigations into clinical communication and interaction have provided an avenue for a Foucauldian‐style analysis of how subject positions are produced in clinical settings through various practices of moral subjugation, often drawing upon such concepts as biopower and biosociality. I take an alternative approach. In exploring the moral vulnerabilities of coming to inhabit a particular subject position, I build upon a first person neo‐Aristotelian virtue ethics rather than a Foucauldian‐inspired one. My central claim is that although a focus on biopower is enormously fruitful, moral vulnerability is about more than being morally subjugated. This does not sum up the moral perils that people may face, especially the possibility of moral tragedy. In the context of an ethnographic case centering upon one mother, Dotty, and her very ill daughter, Betsy, I argue for why a conception of tragedy is so important to moral life and why a first person virtue ethics is invaluable for its exploration. This case centers upon Dotty's interactions and relationships with the doctors caring for her daughter. It is drawn from a 15‐year ethnographic study of African American families in Los Angeles who have children with significant illnesses and disabilities.
A ‘toxin mantle’ as defensive barrier in a tropical bird: evolutionary exploitation of the basic permeability barrier forming organelles
Authors: Menon Gopinathan K. , Dumbacher John P.
Published: March 2014

Birds in the genus Pitohui and Ifrita carry potent neurotoxins that are most abundant in skin and feathers. It was unknown precisely how or where in the skin these chemicals are stored. Here, we report high‐resolution electron microscopy using OsO4 staining to visualize the location of alkaloids. Our images suggest that toxic alkaloids accumulate in multigranular bodies of epidermal cells and are likely secreted as part of the avian epidermal barrier, where they are made available for chemical defense.
OLGA and OLGIM Stage Distribution According to Age and Helicobacter pylori Status in the Korean Population
Authors: Nam Ji Hyung , Choi Il Ju , Kook Myeong‐Cherl , Lee Jong Yeul , Cho Soo‐Jeong , Nam Su Youn , Kim Chan Gyoo
Published: March 2014

Background

The Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) and the Operative Link on Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Assessment (OLGIM) staging systems have been suggested to provide risk assessment for gastric cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of OLGA and OLGIM staging by age and Helicobacter pylori status.

Materials and Methods

We studied 632 subjects who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy for gastric cancer screening. Helicobacter pylori status and histologic changes were assessed using the updated Sydney system. Stage III and IV OLGA or OLGIM stages were considered as high‐risk stages.

Results

The rate of H. pylori infection was 59.0% (373/632). Overall, the proportion of high OLGA and OLGIM stages was significantly increased with older age (p < .001 for both). Old age (OR = 5.17, 6.97, and 12.23 for ages in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, respectively), smoking (OR = 2.54), and H. pylori infection (OR = 8.46) were independent risk factors for high‐risk OLGA stages. These risk factors were the same for high‐risk OLGIM stages. In the H. pylori‐positive subgroup, the proportion of high‐risk OLGA stages was low (6.9%) before the age of 40, but increased to 23.0%, 29.1%, and 41.1% for those in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, respectively (p < .001). High‐risk OLGIM stages showed a similar trend of 2.8% before the age of 40 and up to 30.1% for those in their 60s. High‐risk OLGA and OLGIM stages were uncommon in the H. pylori‐negative group, with a respective prevalence of 10.3% and 3.4% even among those in their 60s.

Conclusions

Because high‐risk OLGA and OLGIM stages are uncommon under the age of 40, H. pylori treatment before that age may reduce the need for endoscopic surveillance for gastric cancer.
Petrogenesis of the late Cretaceous K‐rich volcanic rocks from the Central Pontide orogenic belt, North Turkey
Authors: Asan Kürşad , Kurt Hüseyin , Francis Don , Morgan Ganerød
Published: March 2014

Subduction‐related volcanic rocks are widespread in the Central Pontides of Turkey, and represented by the Hamsaros volcanic succession in the Sinop area to the north. The volcanic rocks display high‐K calc‐alkaline, shoshonitic and ultra‐K affinities. 40Ar/39Ar age data indicate that the rocks occurred during the Late Cretaceous (ca 82 Ma), and the volcanic suites were coeval. Primitive mantle‐normalized trace element patterns of all the lavas are characterized by strong enrichments in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) (Rb, Ba, K, and Sr), Th, U, Pb, and light rare earth elements (LREE; La, Ce) and prominent negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies, all typical of subduction‐related lavas. There is a systematic increase in the enrichment of incompatible trace elements from the high‐K calc‐alkaline lavas through the shoshonitic to the ultra‐K lavas. In addition, the shoshonitic and ultra‐K lavas have significantly higher 87Sr/86Sr (0.70666–0.70834) and lower 143Nd/144Nd (0.51227–0.51236) initial ratios than coexisting high‐K calc‐alkaline lavas (87Sr/86Sr 0.70576–0.70613, 143Nd/144Nd 0.51245–0.51253). Geochemical and isotopic data show that the shoshonitic and ultra‐K rocks cannot be derived from the high‐K calc‐alkaline suite by any shallow level differentiation process, and point to a derivation from distinct mantle sources. The shoshonitic and ultra‐K rocks were derived from metasomatic veins related to melting of recycled subducted sediments, but the high‐K calc‐alkaline rocks from a lithospheric source metasomatized by fluids from subduction zone.
Employment and Working Hour Effects of Minimum Wage Increase: Evidence from China
Authors: Jia Peng
Published: March 2014

Using a difference‐in‐differences model, the present paper provides empirical evidence of minimum wage effects on employment and working hours in China. The results show that male employment is not affected by a minimum wage increase, although men's working hours do increase. In contrast, female employment is more likely to be negatively affected by a minimum wage increase, while their working hours remain unchanged. This may lead to women being in a more disadvantaged position in the workforce, and adopting a monthly minimum wage may induce firms to extend men's working hours. Therefore, to better protect disadvantaged workers, we suggest that minimum wage regulation should focus on the target group of less‐educated women, and that a unified minimum hourly wage needs to be set for both full‐time and part‐time workers. Meanwhile, the importance of human capital accumulation should be addressed in alleviating the negative effects of minimum wage increases.
Effects of text modality in multimedia presentations on written and oral performance
Authors: van den Broek G.S.E. , Segers E. , Verhoeven L.
Published: March 2014

A common assumption in multimedia design is that audio‐visual materials with pictures and spoken narrations lead to better learning outcomes than visual‐only materials with pictures and on‐screen text. The present study questions the generalizability of this modality effect. We explored how modality effects change over time, taking into account study strategies during learning and the modality of the final performance measure. Eighty‐four university students (Mage = 21.4) studied learner‐paced visual‐only or audio‐visual multimedia presentations and answered written and oral retention and transfer questions immediately after learning and after 1 day. There was no performance difference between the audio‐visual and the visual‐only groups immediately after learning, but after 1 day, the visual‐only group had significantly higher scores on three of four outcome measures. This reversed modality effect was independent of test modality, but both groups scored higher on written than on oral questions. While both groups spent on average 33 min studying, the visual‐only group went through the materials at a faster pace and repeated more slides. In sum, results contradict common multimedia design recommendations and instead suggest that learner‐paced presentations should include on‐screen text. Benefits of on‐screen text could be due in part to the successful use of reading strategies.
Protective effect of hydrogen‐rich saline against radiation‐induced immune dysfunction
Authors: Zhao Sanhu , Yang Yanyong , Liu Wen , Xuan Zhiqiang , Wu Shouming , Yu Shunfei , Mei Ke , Huang Yijuan , Zhang Pei , Cai Jianming , Ni Jin , Zhao Yaoxian
Published: March 2014

Recent studies showed that hydrogen can be used as an effective radioprotective agent through scavenging free radicals. This study was undertaken to evaluate the radioprotective effects of hydrogen on immune system in mice. H2 was dissolved in physiological saline using an apparatus produced by our department. Spleen index and histological analysis were used to evaluate the splenic structural damage. Spleen superoxide dismutase, GSH, MDA were measured to appraise the antioxidant capacity and a DCF assay for the measurement of radical oxygen species. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by an Annexin V‐FITC and propidium iodide staining method as well as the apoptotic proteins such as Bcl‐2, Bax, caspase‐3 and c‐caspase‐3. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells subtypes were detected by flow cytometry with FITC‐labelled antimouse CD4 and PE antimouse CD8 staining. Real‐time PCR was utilized to determine the CD4+ T cell subtypes and related cytokines. Our study demonstrated that pre‐treatment with H2 could increase the spleen index and attenuate the radiation damage on splenic structure. Radical oxygen species level was also reduced by H2 treatment. H2 also inhibited radiation‐induced apoptosis in splenocytes and down‐regulated pro‐apoptotic proteins in living mice. Radiation‐induced imbalance of T cells was attenuated by H2. Finally, we found that H2 could regulate the polarization of CD4+ T cells and the level of related cytokines. This study suggests H2 as an effective radioprotective agent on immune system by scavenging reactive oxygen species.
Evolution of body shape in differently coloured sympatric congeners and allopatric populations ofLakeMalawi's rock‐dwelling cichlids
Authors: Husemann M. , Tobler M. , McCauley C. , Ding B. , Danley P. D.
Published: March 2014

The cichlid fishes ofLakeMalawi represent one of the most diverse adaptive radiations of vertebrates known. Among the rock‐dwelling cichlids (mbuna), closely related sympatric congeners possess similar trophic morphologies (i.e. cranial and jaw structures), defend overlapping or adjacent territories, but can be easily distinguished based on male nuptial coloration. The apparent morphological similarity of congeners, however, leads to an ecological conundrum: theory predicts that ecological competition should lead to competitive exclusion. Hence, we hypothesized that slight, yet significant, ecological differences accompanied the divergence in sexual signals and that the divergence of ecological and sexual traits is correlated. To evaluate this hypothesis, we quantified body shape, a trait of known ecological importance, in populations ofMaylandia zebra, a barred, widespread mbuna, and several sympatric nonbarred congeners. We found that the barred populations differ in body shape from their nonbarred sympatric congeners and that the direction of shape differences was consistent across all barred vs. nonbarred comparisons. Barred populations are generally deeper bodied which may be an adaptation to the structurally complex habitat they prefer, whereas the nonbarred species have a more fusiform body shape, which may be adaptive in their more open microhabitat. Furthermore,M. zebrapopulations sympatric with nonbarred congeners differ from populations where the nonbarred phenotype is absent and occupy less morphospace, indicating potential ecological character displacement. MitochondrialDNAas well as publishedAFLPdata indicated that the nonbarred populations are not monophyletic and therefore may have evolved multiple times independently. Overall our data suggest that the evolution of coloration and body shape may be coupled as a result of correlational selection. We hypothesize that correlated evolution of sexually selected and ecological traits may have contributed to rapid speciation as well as the maintenance of diversity in one of the most diverse adaptive radiations known.
Chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and gas exchange changes assessed by spectroradiometry in Fragaria chiloensis under salt stress
Authors: Garriga Miguel , Retamales Jorge B. , Romero‐Bravo Sebastián , Caligari Peter D.S. , Lobos Gustavo A.
Published: March 2014

Chlorophyll and anthocyanin contents provide a valuable indicator of the status of a plant's physiology, but to be more widely utilized it needs to be assessed easily and non‐destructively. This is particularly evident in terms of assessing and exploiting germplasm for plant‐breeding programs. We report, for the first time, experiments with Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Duch. and the estimation of the effects of response to salinity stress (0, 30, and 60 mmol NaCl/L) in terms of these pigments content and gas exchange. It is shown that both pigments (which interestingly, themselves show a high correlation) give a good indication of stress response. Both pigments can be accurately predicted using spectral reflectance indices (SRI); however, the accuracy of the predictions was slightly improved using multilinear regression analysis models and genetic algorithm analysis. Specifically for chlorophyll content, unlike other species, the use of published SRI gave better indications of stress response than Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. The effect of salt on gas exchange is only evident at the highest concentration and some SRI gave better prediction performance than the known Photochemical Reflectance Index. This information will therefore be useful for identifying tolerant genotypes to salt stress for incorporation in breeding programs.
MEASUREMENT, EVOLUTION, DETERMINANTS, AND CONSEQUENCES OF STATE CAPACITY: A REVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH
Authors: Savoia Antonio , Sen Kunal
Published: March 2014

There is increasing realization that state capacity is a fundamental ingredient for effective governance, and is a crucial element of long‐run economic development. This paper offers an overview of the strengths and limitations in current empirical research on the measurement of state capacity. The paper also surveys the fast emerging literature on the determinants and effects of state capacity. We argue that existing measures on governance quality used in cross‐national research can be usefully exploited to capture different aspects of state capacity, and show that post the end of the Cold War, developing economies have experienced improvements in legal, administrative and bureaucratic capacity, but the gap with advanced economies is still wide. Future research should address the short temporal coverage of available measures of state capacity, as well as providing a systematic quantitative assessment of the determinants of capacity and of its effects on development outcomes, such as health and education, which have not received sufficient scrutiny.
Association Between the Summer Season and Body Fatness and Aerobic Fitness Among Hispanic Children
Authors: Rodriguez Augusto X. , Olvera Norma , Leung Patrick , O'Connor Daniel P. , Smith Dennis W.
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated changes in adiposity and fitness during the academic year (AY) and summer season (SS) in minority children. This study aimed to assess if adiposity indicators and fitness change during the school AY and SS in Hispanic children.

METHODS

One hundred nineteen low‐income Hispanic children (9.2 ± 0.8) participated in the study. Demographic, body weight and height, percent body fat (% BF), and aerobic endurance were assessed at 3 time points: measurement 1 (M1), beginning of AY; M2, end of AY; and M3, end of SS. Using weight and height, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and normalized (BMI z‐scores). Mixed effects between‐within‐subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) design was used to examine changes in selected variables.

RESULTS

A significant decrease of BMI z‐scores in overweight children (p = .024) was observed during the AY only, but not during the SS. Percent BF increased significantly over the AY and SS (p < .001), particularly in girls. Aerobic endurance showed a significant increase over the AY (p < .001), but it did not change over the SS (p = .552).

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicated that the SS might place Hispanic children at increased risk for additional adiposity and lower fitness.
Preliminary Assessment of a School‐Based Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Among Rural Elementary School Children
Authors: Ling Jiying , King Kristi M. , Speck Barbara J. , Kim Seongho , Wu Dongfeng
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity has become a national public health crisis in America. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating behaviors may contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic. School‐based healthy lifestyle interventions play a promising role in preventing and controlling childhood obesity. A comprehensive school‐based healthy lifestyle intervention was implemented in 4 rural elementary schools in Kentucky.

METHODS

The intervention included 4 goals: improving physical education, health education, family/community involvement, and school wellness policies. Children's physical activity was assessed by pedometer, and nutrition was assessed by a previous day recall survey in January (baseline), February (t1), March (t2), April (t3), and May (t4) of 2011.

RESULTS

The intervention had significant effects on increasing the percentages of children meeting physical activity (1% vs 5%, p < .01) and nutrition (15% vs 26%, p < .01) recommendations. The effects of the intervention on physical activity and nutrition depended on school, grade, and age of the children. There was an increasing linear trend of physical activity and an increasing quadratic trend of nutrition over time among children.

CONCLUSIONS

The intervention had beneficial effects in improving healthy behaviors among children. Further studies are needed to assess its long‐term effects and cost‐effectiveness.
Assessment of School Wellness Policies Implementation by Benchmarking Against Diffusion of Innovation Framework
Authors: Harriger Dinah , Lu Wenhua , McKyer E. Lisako J. , Pruitt Buzz E. , Goodson Patricia
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

The School Wellness Policy (SWP) mandate marks one of the first innovative and extensive efforts of the US government to address the child obesity epidemic and the influence of the school environment on child health. However, no systematic review has been conducted to examine the implementation of the mandate. The study examines the literature on SWP implementation by using the Diffusion of Innovations Theory as a framework.

METHODS

Empirically based literature on SWP was systematically searched and analyzed. A theory‐driven approach was used to categorize the articles by 4 diffusion stages: restructuring/redefining, clarifying, routinizing, and multiple stages.

RESULTS

Twenty‐one studies were identified, and 3 key characteristics of the reviewed literature were captured: (1) uniformity in methodology, (2) role of context in analyzing policy implementation, and (3) lack of information related to policy clarification. Over half of the studies were published by duplicate set of authors, and only 1 study employed a pure qualitative methodology. Only 2 articles include an explicit theoretical framework to study theory‐driven constructs related to SWP implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Policy implementation research can inform the policy process. Therefore, it is essential that policy implementation is measured accurately. Failing to clearly define implementation constructs may result in misguided conclusion.