bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rational expectations? An explorative study of subjective survival probabilities and lifestyle across Europe
Authors: Rappange David R. , Brouwer Werner B.F. , van Exel Job
Published: January 2015

Background

Subjective survival probabilities (SSPs) are considered relevant in relation to lifestyle as lifestyle improvements may improve health and lower mortality risk.

Objective

To study individuals' SSP in a population of elderly (i.e. 60 years and older) from 15 European countries.

Methods

Data from the second wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used. Individuals were asked about their chances to live up to age [T] or more. These SSPs were related to general characteristics, health and lifestyle. In addition, cross‐country comparisons were made. The validity of the probabilistic elicitation format used for collecting SSPs was also addressed.

Results

The average subjective probability of surviving the next 9–15 years was around 57%. Mean SSPs varied significantly across age, with lower means at higher ages. Cross‐country comparisons showed lowest mean in the Czech Republic (42%) and the highest in Denmark (64%). SSPs correlated with socio‐demographic, socio‐economic and also strongly with (objective) health characteristics except for obesity. Smokers reported significantly lower SSPs compared to non‐smokers, but no difference was found between non‐smokers and quitters. Excessive alcohol consumers reported significantly higher SSPs than moderate consumers and abstainers, but this only held for female excessive drinkers. Physical inactivity was negatively associated with SSPs, but this relation was attenuated at higher ages. In this context, important cross‐country differences were found.

Conclusions

Subjective survival probabilities are informative and relevant in relation to lifestyle decisions and can be validly obtained in elder people. The results from this study provide interesting implications for health policy, health communication strategies and future research.
Status of urological Kampo medicine: A narrative review and future vision
Authors: Minagawa Tomonori , Ishizuka Osamu
Published: January 2015

Clinical evidence for traditional Japanese Kampo medicine has been provided by modern scientific methodologies. Indeed, more than 150 Kampo formulations have been approved for use as prescription drugs by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, and are widely used in daily medical practice. More than 10 of these formulations can be used for urological problems, especially in cases of lower urinary tract dysfunction. However, there are few opportunities to introduce urological Kampo medicines for worldwide use, and the status of urological Kampo medicine has not been reviewed yet. Here, we present a narrative review to introduce the current status of urological Kampo medicine in Japan. First, we introduce the essence of general Kampo medicine, including its history and current status in Japan. We focused of Sou‐Sei‐Sou‐Koku, “promotion and inhibition network among the Five Elements,” which is the central dogma of Kampo medicine. To present Kampo medicine as scientific medicine, neural cross‐talk among pelvic organs is presented in comparison with Sou‐Sei‐Sou‐Koku. Second, we list representative urological Kampo formulations used for lower urinary tract symptoms. Furthermore, we also discuss their roles in the urological field, including their position in Japanese clinical guidelines. Third, we propose the multi‐organ targeting strategy using Kampo formulations as a future vision. Dai‐Ken‐Chu‐Tou (a common Kampo formulation for gastrointestinal problems and hypersensitivity to cold) is one candidate, and we present the results of a preliminary study using this Kampo medicine formulation.
Professional ethics in nursing: an integrative review
Authors: Kangasniemi Mari , Pakkanen Piiku , Korhonen Anne
Published: January 2015

Aim

To conduct an integrative review and synthesize current primary studies of professional ethics in nursing.

Background

Professional ethics is a familiar concept in nursing and provides an ethical code for nursing practice. However, little is known about how professional ethics has been defined and studied in nursing science.

Design and data sources

Systematic literature searches from 1948–February 2013, using the CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus electronic databases to look at previously published peer‐reviewed studies.

Review method

A modified version of Cooper's five‐stage integrative review was used to review and synthesize current knowledge.

Results

Fourteen papers were included in this research. According to our synthesis, professional ethics is described as an intra‐professional approach to care ethics and professionals commit to it voluntarily. Professional ethics consist of values, duties, rights and responsibilities, regulated by national legislation and international agreements and detailed in professional codes. Professional ethics is well established in nursing, but is constantly changing due to internal and external factors affecting the profession.

Conclusion

Despite the obvious importance of professional ethics, it has not been studied much in nursing science. Greater knowledge of professional ethics is needed to understand and support nurses’ moral decision‐making and to respond to the challenges of current changes in health care and society.
A Balance Sheet Perspective on Financial Success: Why Starting Early Matters
Authors: BOSHARA RAY , EMMONS WILLIAM R.
Published: January 2015

This paper offers four ideas. First, a balance sheet perspective on financial success is constructive, and that a meaningful measure of the success of financial capability efforts is the health of one's balance sheet. Second, given relatively weak balance sheets among younger Americans before and after the Great Recession, and given that economically vulnerable families assumed greater balance sheet risk heading into the recession, efforts to build healthy, diversified balance sheets early in life should be strongly considered. Third, policies that establish savings accounts at birth or when entering kindergarten, which have been enacted or proposed at the local, state and national levels, hold particular promise and thus merit further consideration by policymakers, researchers, and others. Fourth, efforts to build savings and assets early in life are likely to yield benefits to children, families, and the economy. Further research and demonstration efforts are critical to moving this agenda forward.
Painless, safe, and efficacious noninvasive skin tightening, body contouring, and cellulite reduction using multisource 3DEEP radiofrequency
Authors: Harth Yoram
Published: January 2015

In the last decade, Radiofrequency (RF) energy has proven to be safe and highly efficacious for face and neck skin tightening, body contouring, and cellulite reduction. In contrast to first‐generation Monopolar/Bipolar and “X ‐Polar” RF systems which use one RF generator connected to one or more skin electrodes, multisource radiofrequency devices use six independent RF generators allowing efficient dermal heating to 52–55 °C, with no pain or risk of other side effects. In this review, the basic science and clinical results of body contouring and cellulite treatment using multisource radiofrequency system (Endymed PRO, Endymed, Cesarea, Israel) will be discussed and analyzed.
Association between oral conditions and functional limitations in childhood
Authors: Clementino M. A. , Pinto‐Sarmento T. C. A. , Costa E. M. , Martins C. C. , Granville‐Garcia A. F. , Paiva S. M.
Published: January 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of oral conditions on functional limitations among preschoolers. A preschool‐based, cross‐sectional study was carried out with 843 preschoolers in Campina Grande, Brazil. Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire addressing socio‐demographic characteristics and perceptions regarding the general/oral health of their children as well as the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale. The nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Mann–Whitney test (α = 5%) was used to compare mean children's quality‐of‐life scores for each independent variable. Poisson regression analysis was used to test associations between the independent and dependent variables (difficulties eating, drinking and speaking) (α = 5%). The multivariate regression model involved a hierarchical approach with four levels (distal to proximal determinants): (i) socio‐demographic aspects; (ii) health perceptions; (iii) oral conditions; and (iv) pain conditions. The prevalence of negative impact on function was 24·7% for eating/drinking and 8·0% for speaking. Significant associations were found between toothache and negative impact on eating/drinking (PR = 5·38; 95%CI: 3·20–9·02) as well as between high severity dental caries and negative impact on speaking (PR = 14·91; 95%CI: 1·98–112·32). Dental caries, traumatic dental injury and malocclusion were not significantly associated with a negative impact on eating or drinking. However, toothache was an indicator of negative impact on eating/drinking and dental caries severity was an indicator of negative impact on speaking.
Phylogenetic analysis of cultivation‐resistant terrestrial cyanobacteria with massive sheaths (Stigonema spp. and Petalonema alatum, Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) using single‐cell and filament sequencing of environmental samples
Authors: Mareš Jan , Lara Yannick , Dadáková Iva , Hauer Tomáš , Uher Bohuslav , Wilmotte Annick , Kaštovský Jan
Published: January 2015

Molecular assessment of a large portion of traditional cyanobacterial taxa has been hindered by the failure to isolate and grow them in culture. In this study, we developed an optimized protocol for single cell/filament isolation and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of terrestrial cyanobacteria with large mucilaginous sheaths, and applied it to determine the phylogenetic position of typical members of the genera Petalonema and Stigonema. A methodology based on a glass‐capillary isolation technique and a semi‐nested PCR protocol enabled reliable sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene from all samples analyzed. Ten samples covering seven species of Stigonema from Europe, North and Central America, and Hawaii, and the type species of Petalonema from Slovakia were sequenced. Contrary to some previous studies, which proposed a relationship with heteropolar nostocalean cyanobacteria, Petalonema appeared to belong to the family Scytonemataceae. Analysis of Stigonema specimens recovered a unique coherent phylogenetic cluster, substantially broadening our knowledge of the molecular diversity within this genus. Neither the uni‐ to biseriate species nor the multiseriate species formed monophyletic subclusters within the genus. Typical multiseriate species of Stigonema clustered in a phylogenetic branch derived from uni‐ to biseriate S. ocellatum Thuret ex Bornet & Flahault in our analysis, suggesting that species with more complex thalli may have evolved from the more simple ones. We propose the technique tested in this study as a promising tool for a future revision of the molecular taxonomy in cyanobacteria.
Sexual resting cyst production by the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea: a potential mechanism contributing to the ubiquitous distribution of a harmful alga
Authors: Tang Ying Zhong , Gobler Christopher J.
Published: January 2015

The dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea is a well known, cosmopolitan harmful microalga that frequently forms harmful algal blooms (HABs) in marine estuaries from temperate to tropical waters, and has posed a severe threat to fish, shellfish, and sea birds. Therefore, it is important to understand the ecology of this species, particularly the mechanisms regulating its ubiquitous geographic distribution and frequent recurrence of. To date, the mechanisms regulating distribution and recurrence of HABs by this species have been poorly understood. While resting cyst production can play a central role in the geographic expansion and initiation of HABs, studies of the life cycle of this alga, including cyst production, have been lacking. Here, we demonstrate that A. sanguinea produces sexual resting cysts homothallically. We present evidence for cell pairs in sexual mating, biflagellated planozygote formation, and cysts of different morphologies, and we describe time series for germination of cysts to germlings with two longitudinal flagella, along with studies of possible factors affecting cyst production. Phylogenetic analysis of large sub‐unit rDNA sequences revealed a monophyly of this species and thus possibly a recent common ancestor for all global populations. The discovery of resting cyst production by A. sanguinea suggests its frequent recurrence of blooms and global distribution may have been facilitated by the natural and anthropogenic transport of resting cysts.
Improving children's performance on photographic line‐ups: Do the physical properties of a ‘wildcard’ make a difference?
Authors: Zajac Rachel , Jack Fiona
Published: January 2015

Purpose

Children's performance on target‐absent photographic line‐ups may improve when they have the option of pointing to a wildcard – a photo of a silhouetted figure with a question mark superimposed. We investigated whether the wildcard's physical properties influence its success.

Methods

Children (7–11 years, N = 237) briefly saw one of two confederates during a staged event; 1–2 days later, they completed either a target‐present or target‐absent line‐up task. Within each condition, children either saw a wildcard with a plausible silhouette (i.e., consistent with the silhouette of the target), a wildcard with an implausible silhouette (i.e., inconsistent with the silhouette of the target), a wildcard with no silhouette (i.e., a question mark only), or no wildcard.

Results

Wildcard condition did not influence children's target‐present performance. On target‐absent line‐ups only the plausible wildcard increased children's accuracy above that of children in the no wildcard control condition.

Conclusions

The wildcard may only be successful to the extent that its silhouette is a plausible representation of the target. Possible explanations for this outcome and implications for using wildcards in investigative practice are discussed.
Do Effects on Bowel Patterns Imposed by Solifenacin Always Have Negative Impacts on Treating Patients with Overactive Bladder (OAB)?
Authors: CHO Sung Yong , PARK Sohyun , LEE Seung Bae , PAICK Jae‐Seung , SON Hwancheol
Published: January 2015

Objectives

To investigate whether solifenacin intervention leads to any changes in bowel symptoms, and the types of impacts imposed on bowel symptoms in patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

Methods

This prospective, single‐arm observational study included 40 adult patients who underwent anticholinergic treatment for OAB. Outcome measures were determined by examining differences in voiding and bowel symptoms, before and after patients commenced anticholinergic therapy. Patients were evaluated at baseline, 4, and 12 weeks via questionnaires on OAB and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), side‐effects, and overall satisfaction with the treatment.

Results

A total of 22 patients completed follow‐up visits. Mean age was 62.1 ± 10.3 years. The most common side‐effects were constipation and dry mouth. OAB symptom scores improved, with significant changes in urgency, incontinence, and total symptom scores and borderline significant changes in frequency. All bowel symptoms except diarrhea became aggravated. Average constipation and overall quality of life worsened with significance. Aside from the specific bowel habit changes, solifenacin treatment resulted in changes in patient status of IBS, as well. Patients were mostly satisfied with the treatment, despite some aggravations in discomfort due to defecation problems.

Conclusions

This study shows that solifenacin treatment is effective for treating urinary incontinence but may lead to changes in bowel patterns and affects overall quality of life (QoL). Effects on bowel patterns imposed by solifenacin can be positive or negative, therefore, physicians should consider more holistic therapy by addressing overall bowel symptoms when treating OAB patients.
Impact of lipid‐based nutrient supplementation (LNS) on children's diet adequacy in Western Uganda
Authors: Ickes Scott B. , Adair Linda S. , Brahe Catherine A. , Thirumurthy Harsha , Charles Baguma , Myhre Jennifer A. , Bentley Margaret E. , Ammerman Alice S.
Published: January 2015

Lipid‐based nutrient supplements (LNS) can help treat undernutrition; however, the dietary adequacy of children supplemented with LNS, and household utilisation patterns are not well understood. We assessed diet adequacy and the quality of complementary foods by conducting a diet assessment of 128 Ugandan children, ages 6–59 months, who participated in a 10‐week programme for children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM, defined as weight‐for‐age z‐score < −2). Caregivers were given a weekly ration of 650 kcal day−1 (126 g day−1) of a peanut/soy LNS. Two 24‐h dietary recalls were administered per child. LNS was offered to 86% of targeted children at least once. Among non‐breastfed children, over 90% met their estimated average requirement (EAR) cut‐points for all examined nutrients. Over 90% of breastfed children met EAR cut‐points for nutrient density for most nutrients, except for zinc where 11.7% met cut‐points. A lower proportion of both breastfed and non‐breastfed children met adjusted EARs for the specific nutritional needs of MAM. Fewer than 20% of breastfed children met EAR nutrient‐density guidelines for MAM for zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A and folate. Underweight status, the presence of a father in the child's home, and higher programme attendance were all associated with greater odds of feeding LNS to targeted children. Children in this community‐based supplemental feeding programme who received a locally produced LNS exhibited substantial micronutrient deficiencies given the special dietary needs of this population. These results can help inform programme strategies to improve LNS targeting, and highlight potential nutrient inadequacies for consumers of LNS in community‐based settings.
High osmolarity glycerol response PtcB phosphatase is important for Aspergillus fumigatus virulence
Authors: Winkelströter Lizziane K. , Bom Vinícius Leite Pedro , de Castro Patrícia Alves , Ramalho Leandra Naira Zambelli , Goldman Maria Helena S. , Brown Neil Andrew , Rajendran Ranjith , Ramage Gordon , Bovier Elodie , dos Reis Thaila Fernanda , Savoldi Marcela , Hagiwara Daisuke , Goldman Gustavo H.
Published: January 2015

Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungal pathogen that is capable of adapting to different host niches and to avoid host defenses. An enhanced understanding of how, and which, A. fumigatus signal transduction pathways are engaged in the regulation of these processes is essential for the development of improved disease control strategies. Protein phosphatases are central to numerous signal transduction pathways. To comprehend the functions of protein phosphatases in A. fumigatus, 32 phosphatase catalytic subunit encoding genes were identified. We have recognized PtcB as one of the phosphatases involved in the high osmolarity glycerol response (HOG) pathway. The ΔptcB mutant has both increased phosphorylation of the p38 MAPK (SakA) and expression of osmo‐dependent genes. The ΔptcB strain was more sensitive to cell wall damaging agents, had increased chitin and β‐1,3‐glucan, and impaired biofilm formation. The ΔptcB strain was avirulent in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. These results stress the importance of the HOG pathway in the regulation of pathogenicity determinants and virulence in A. fumigatus.
Antibodies against the majority subunit of type IV pili disperse nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae biofilms in a LuxS‐dependent manner and confer therapeutic resolution of experimental otitis media
Authors: Novotny Laura A. , Jurcisek Joseph A. , Ward Michael O. , Jordan Zachary B. , Goodman Steven D. , Bakaletz Lauren O.
Published: January 2015

Despite resulting in a similar overall outcome, unlike antibodies directed against the DNABII protein, integration host factor (IHF), which induce catastrophic structural collapse of biofilms formed by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), those directed against a recombinant soluble form of PilA [the majority subunit of Type IV pili (Tfp) produced by NTHI], mediated gradual ‘top‐down’ dispersal of NTHI from biofilms. This dispersal occurred via a mechanism that was dependent upon expression of both PilA (and by inference, Tfp) and production of AI‐2 quorum signaling molecules by LuxS. The addition of rsPilA to a biofilm‐targeted therapeutic vaccine formulation comprised of IHF plus the powerful adjuvant dmLT and delivered via a noninvasive transcutaneous immunization route induced an immune response that targeted two important determinants essential for biofilm formation by NTHI. This resulted in significantly earlier eradication of NTHI from both planktonic and adherent populations in the middle ear, disruption of mucosal biofilms already resident within middle ears prior to immunization and rapid resolution of signs of disease in an animal model of experimental otitis media. These data support continued development of this novel combinatorial immunization approach for resolution and/or prevention of multiple diseases of the respiratory tract caused by NTHI.
Histidine phosphocarrier protein regulates pyruvate kinase A activity in response to glucose in Vibrio vulnificus
Authors: Kim Hey‐Min , Park Young‐Ha , Yoon Chang‐Kyu , Seok Yeong‐Jae
Published: January 2015

The bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) consists of two general energy‐coupling proteins [enzyme I and histidine phosphocarrier protein (HPr)] and several sugar‐specific enzyme IIs. Although, in addition to the phosphorylation‐coupled transport of sugars, various regulatory roles of PTS components have been identified in Escherichia coli, much less is known about the PTS in the opportunistic human pathogen Vibrio vulnificus. In this study, we have identified pyruvate kinase A (PykA) as a binding partner of HPr in V. vulnificus. The interaction between HPr and PykA was strictly dependent on the presence of inorganic phosphate, and only dephosphorylated HPr interacted with PykA. Experiments involving domain swapping between the PykAs of V. vulnificus and E. coli revealed the requirement for the C‐terminal domain of V. vulnificus PykA for a specific interaction with V. vulnificus HPr. Dephosphorylated HPr decreased the Km of PykA for phosphoenolpyruvate by approximately fourfold without affecting Vmax. Taken together, these findings indicate that the V. vulnificus PTS catalyzing the first step of glycolysis stimulates the final step of glycolysis in the presence of glucose through the direct interaction of dephospho‐HPr with the C‐terminal domain of PykA.
Identification of Dck1 and Lmo1 as upstream regulators of the small GTPase Rho5 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Schmitz Hans‐Peter , Jendretzki Arne , Wittland Janina , Wiechert Johanna , Heinisch Jürgen J.
Published: January 2015

The exact function and regulation of the small GTPase Rho5, a putative homolog of mammalian Rac1, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have not yet been elucidated. In a genetic screen initially designed to identify novel regulators of cell wall integrity signaling, we identified the homologs of mammalian DOCK1 (Dck1) and ELMO (Lmo1) as upstream components which regulate Rho5. Deletion mutants in any of the encoding genes (DCK1, LMO1, RHO5) showed hyper‐resistance to cell wall stress agents, demonstrating a function in cell wall integrity signaling. Live‐cell fluorescence microscopy showed that Dck1, Lmo1 and Rho5 quickly relocate to mitochondria under oxidative stress and cell viability assays indicate a role of Dck1/Lmo1/Rho5 signaling in triggering cell death as a response to hydrogen peroxide treatment. A regulatory role in autophagy/mitophagy is suggested by the colocalization of Rho5 with autophagic markers and the decreased mitochondrial turnover observed in dck1, lmo1 and rho5 deletion mutants. Rho5 activation may thus serve as a central hub for the integration of different signaling pathways.
Cyanide enhances hydrogen peroxide toxicity by recruiting endogenous iron to trigger catastrophic chromosomal fragmentation
Authors: Mahaseth Tulip , Kuzminov Andrei
Published: January 2015

Hydrogen peroxide (HP) or cyanide (CN) are bacteriostatic at low‐millimolar concentrations for growing Escherichia coli, whereas CN + HP mixture is strongly bactericidal. We show that this synergistic toxicity is associated with catastrophic chromosomal fragmentation. Since CN alone does not kill at any concentration, while HP alone kills at 20 mM, CN must potentiate HP poisoning. The CN + HP killing is blocked by iron chelators, suggesting Fenton's reaction. Indeed, we show that CN enhances plasmid DNA relaxation due to Fenton's reaction in vitro. However, mutants with elevated iron or HP pools are not acutely sensitive to HP‐alone treatment, suggesting that, in addition, in vivo CN recruits iron from intracellular depots. We found that part of the CN‐recruited iron pool is managed by ferritin and Dps: ferritin releases iron on cue from CN, while Dps sequesters it, quelling Fenton's reaction. We propose that disrupting intracellular iron trafficking is a common strategy employed by the immune system to kill microbes.
Fungal oxalate decarboxylase activity contributes to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum early infection by affecting both compound appressoria development and function
Authors: Liang Xiaofei , Moomaw Ellen W. , Rollins Jeffrey A.
Published: January 2015

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenesis requires the accumulation of high levels of oxalic acid (OA). To better understand the factors affecting OA accumulation, two putative oxalate decarboxylase (OxDC) genes (Ss‐odc1 and Ss‐odc2) were characterized. Ss‐odc1 transcripts exhibited significant accumulation in vegetative hyphae, apothecia, early stages of compound appressorium development and during plant colonization. Ss‐odc2 transcripts, in contrast, accumulated significantly only during mid to late stages of compound appressorium development. Neither gene was induced by low pH or exogenous OA in vegetative hyphae. A loss‐of‐function mutant for Ss‐odc1 (Δss‐odc1) showed wild‐type growth, morphogenesis and virulence, and was not characterized further. Δss‐odc2 mutants hyperaccumulated OA in vitro, were less efficient at compound appressorium differentiation and exhibited a virulence defect which could be fully bypassed by wounding the host plant prior to inoculation. All Δss‐odc2 phenotypes were restored to the wild‐type by ectopic complementation. An S. sclerotiorum strain overexpressing Ss‐odc2 exhibited strong OxDC, but no oxalate oxidase activity. Increasing inoculum nutrient levels increased compound appressorium development, but not penetration efficiency, of Δss‐odc2 mutants. Together, these results demonstrate differing roles for S. sclerotiorum OxDCs, with Odc2 playing a significant role in host infection related to compound appressorium formation and function.
The pep4 gene encoding proteinase A is involved in dimorphism and pathogenesis of Ustilago maydis
Authors: Soberanes‐Gutiérrez Cinthia V. , Juárez‐Montiel Margarita , Olguín‐Rodríguez Omar , Hernández‐Rodríguez César , Ruiz‐Herrera José , Villa‐Tanaca Lourdes
Published: January 2015

Vacuole proteases have important functions in different physiological processes in fungi. Taking this aspect into consideration, and as a continuation of our studies on the analysis of the proteolytic system of Ustilago maydis, a phytopathogenic member of the Basidiomycota, we have analysed the role of the pep4 gene encoding the vacuolar acid proteinase PrA in the pathogenesis and morphogenesis of the fungus. After confirmation of the location of the protease in the vacuole using fluorescent probes, we obtained deletion mutants of the gene in sexually compatible strains of U. maydis (FB1 and FB2), and analysed their phenotypes. It was observed that the yeast to mycelium dimorphic transition induced by a pH change in the medium, or the use of a fatty acid as sole carbon source, was severely reduced in Δpep4 mutants. In addition, the virulence of the mutants in maize seedlings was reduced, as revealed by the lower proportion of plants infected and the reduction in size of the tumours induced by the pathogen, when compared with wild‐type strains. All of these phenotypic alterations were reversed by complementation of the mutant strains with the wild‐type gene. These results provide evidence of the importance of the pep4 gene for the morphogenesis and virulence of U. maydis.
Purine metabolism gene deregulation in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Garcia‐Esparcia Paula , Hernández‐Ortega Karina , Ansoleaga Belén , Carmona Margarita , Ferrer Isidre
Published: January 2015

Aims

To explore alterations in the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in purine metabolism in Parkinson's disease (PD) brains as purines are the core of the DNA, RNA, nucleosides and nucleotides which participate in a wide variety of crucial metabolic pathways.

Methods

Analysis of mRNA using real‐time quantitative PCR of 22 genes involved in purine metabolism in the substantia nigra, putamen and cerebral cortex area 8 in PD at different stages of disease progression, and localization of selected purine metabolism‐related enzymes with immunohistochemistry.

Results

Reduced expression of adenylate kinase 2 (AKA2), AK3, AK4, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (ENTPD1), ENTPD3, nonmetastatic cells 3, nucleoside‐diphosphatese kinase 3 (NME1), NME7 and purine nucleoside phosphorylase 1 (PNP1) mRNA in the substantia nigra at stages 3–6; up‐regulation of ADA mRNA in the frontal cortex area 8 at stages 3–4 and of AK1, AK5, NME4, NME5, NME6, 5′‐nucleotidase (NT5E), PNP1 and prune homolog Drosophila at stages 5–6. There is no modification in the expression of these genes in the putamen at stages 3–5.

Conclusions

Gene down‐regulation in the substantia nigra may be interpreted as a consequence of dopaminergic cell death as ENTPD3, NME1, NME7, AK1 and PNP1 are mainly expressed in neurons. Yet ENTPD1 and NT5E, also down‐regulated in the substantia nigra, are expressed in astrocytes, probably pericytes and microglia, respectively. In contrast, gene up‐regulation in the frontal cortex area 8 at advanced stages of the disease suggests a primary manifestation or a compensation of altered purine metabolism in this region.
The Hope of Catholic Biblical Interpretation: Progress and Gaps in the Manifestation of Scripture Since Vatican II
Authors: Flynn Shawn W.
Published: January 2015

The results of Vatican II for the study of Scripture produced both expected and unexpected fruits. Those combined fruits provide the opportunity for some reflection on the current status of biblical scholarship in relation to the Church. This current status helps identify what we must appreciate and celebrate, but also helps identify remaining gaps to be filled. By assessing some of the gaps, the fruits of the second Vatican council are used to provide one way of approaching these remaining gaps, and charting a hopeful way ahead.
Christ's Acquired Knowledge According to Thomas Aquinas: How Aquinas's
Philosophy Helped and Hindered his Account
Authors: Gaine Simon Francis
Published: January 2015

Thomas Aquinas is celebrated for many things in the history of Christian
theology, but one is the revolutionary place he gives to the thesis that
Christ acquired knowledge by way of empirical experience. That his claim
should be so revolutionary strikes us today as odd. Any reflection on
Christ's knowledge ordinarily begins today by stressing how the Word of God
assumed our ordinary human limited ways of knowing. In medieval times,
however, theologians found it extremely difficult to accept that Christ
acquired knowledge by the normal empirical, experiential route. A crucial
role in Aquinas's theological advance beyond this position was played by his
philosophical commitments, within the wider context of the soteriological
character of his Christology. However, there are problems involved in
Aquinas's particular theological position on Christ's acquired knowledge and
his wider picture of Christ's knowledge. The same philosophical means that
enabled Aquinas to recognise the reality of Christ's acquiring knowledge
also led him into an overall picture of the perfection of Christ's knowledge
that was not so satisfactory. Part of the solution to the difficulties into
which Aquinas gets himself can be found in a philosophical position already
employed by him in his mature account of Christ's knowledge.
The evolutionary reality of species and higher taxa in plants: a survey of post‐modern opinion and evidence
Authors: Barraclough Timothy G. , Humphreys Aelys M.
Published: January 2015

Species are normally considered to be the fundamental unit for understanding the evolution of biodiversity. Yet, in a survey of botanists in 1940, twice as many felt that plant genera were more natural units than plant species. Revisiting the survey, we found more people now regarded species as a more evolutionarily real unit, but a sizeable number still felt that genera were more evolutionarily real than species. Definitions of ‘evolutionarily real’ split into those based on shared evolutionary history and those based on shared evolutionary fate via ongoing evolutionary processes. We discuss recent work testing for shared evolutionary fate at the species and higher levels and present preliminary evidence for evolutionarily significant higher taxa in plants.

Contents

Summary
291

I.
Introduction
291

II.
A survey of post‐modern opinion
292

III.
Empirical evidence for species and higher taxa with shared evolutionary fate
293

IV.
Conclusions
295

Acknowledgements
295

References
296
Slow recovery of High Arctic heath communities from nitrogen enrichment
Authors: Street Lorna E. , Burns Nancy R. , Woodin Sarah J.
Published: January 2015

Arctic ecosystems are strongly nutrient limited and exhibit dramatic responses to nitrogen (N) enrichment, the reversibility of which is unknown. This study uniquely assesses the potential for tundra heath to recover from N deposition and the influence of phosphorus (P) availability on recovery.

We revisited an experiment in Svalbard, established in 1991, in which N was applied at rates representing atmospheric N deposition in Europe (10 and 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1; ‘low’ and ‘high’, respectively) for 3–8 yr. We investigated whether significant effects on vegetation composition and ecosystem nutrient status persisted up to 18 yr post‐treatment.

Although the tundra heath is no longer N saturated, N treatment effects persist and are strongly P‐dependent. Vegetation was more resilient to N where no P was added, although shrub cover is still reduced in low‐N plots. Where P was also added (5 kg P ha−1 yr−1), there are still effects of low N on community composition and nutrient dynamics. High N, with and without P, has many lasting impacts. Importantly, N + P has caused dramatically increased moss abundance, which influences nutrient dynamics.

Our key finding is that Arctic ecosystems are slow to recover from even small N inputs, particularly where P is not limiting.
Can we safely recommend gestational weight gain below the 2009 guidelines in obese women? A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kapadia M. Z. , Park C. K. , Beyene J. , Giglia L. , Maxwell C. , McDonald S. D.
Published: January 2015

A systematic review was conducted to determine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with gestational weight gain (GWG) below the 2009 Institute of Medicine guidelines compared with within the guidelines in obese women. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Register, CINHAL and Web of Science were searched from 1 January 2009 to 31 July 2014. Quality was assessed using a modified Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Three primary outcomes were included: preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA). Eighteen cohort studies were included. GWG below the guidelines had higher odds of preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–2.00) and SGA (AOR 1.24; 95% CI 1.13–1.36) and lower odds of LGA (AOR 0.77; 95% CI 0.73–0.81) than GWG within the guidelines. Across the three obesity classes, the odds of SGA and LGA did not show any notable gradient and remained unexplored for preterm birth. Decreased odds were noted for macrosomia (AOR 0.64; 95% CI 0.54–0.77), gestational hypertension (AOR, 0.70; 95% CI 0.53–0.93), pre‐eclampsia (AOR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82–0.99) and caesarean (AOR 0.87; 95% CI 0.82–0.92). GWG below the guidelines cannot be routinely recommended but might occasionally be individualized for certain women, with caution, taking into account other known risk factors.
Environmental conditions terminate reproductive diapause and influence pheromone perception in the long‐lived moth Caloptilia fraxinella
Authors: Lemmen Joelle , Evenden Maya
Published: January 2015

Reproductive diapause enables long‐lived insects to time mating with environmental conditions suitable for offspring development. Plasticity in the perception of pheromones used in sexual communication may enable mate‐finding at the appropriate time of year. The moth Caloptilia fraxinella (Ely) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) undergoes a 9‐month reproductive diapause, during which the male response to pheromone is plastic and is highest during the period of reproductive activity. The mechanisms controlling this pheromone response plasticity are not well‐understood, and the aim of the present study is to determine the main factors involved. In the present study, the impact of temperature, photoperiod, juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) and adult nutrition on diapause termination are tested using electroantennogram (EAG) and behavioural response to pheromone in male C. fraxinella. Eclosion in a state of reproductive diapause occurs in most males; diapause is maintained under short‐day or cool conditions indoors, or under natural conditions outdoors. Exposure to long‐day, warm conditions over a period of 4 weeks causes a small number of males to become behaviourally responsive to pheromone; a larger number of males become behaviourally responsive over a period of 3 months of post‐eclosion. Treatment with a JHA impacts male EAG and the behavioural response to pheromone during the period of reproductive diapause. A carbohydrate food source is not required by reproductively active adult male C. fraxinella to respond to pheromone and express mate location behaviours. The main factors involved in controlling male pheromone response plasticity and the implications of these factors for the C. fraxinella population in its expanded range are discussed.
Female access and diet affect insemination success, senescence and the cost of reproduction in the male Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens
Authors: Harwood James F. , Chen Kehui , Liedo Pablo , Müller Hans‐Georg , Wang Jane‐Ling , Morice Amy E. , Carey James R.
Published: January 2015

Hypotheses exploring the influence of dietary conditions on the life‐history trade‐off between survival and reproductive success are extensively tested in female insects but only rarely explored in males. The present study examines the impact of dietary quality and female access on age‐specific reproduction and survival of the male Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae). There is a clear cost of female access for males with access to dietary protein, measurable as a decrease in life expectancy, which is further influenced by the age when females are introduced. A protein deficient diet reduces the lifespan benefit of virginity and masks the detrimental effect of female access on male life expectancy. Dietary protein is not necessary for reproductive success, although access to protein at eclosion improves the lifetime reproductive success of males compared to when it is delayed. Overall, reproductive success diminishes as the male flies age, regardless of the dietary conditions, providing evidence for reproductive senescence in males. Delaying the males' access to a protein source fails to influence the negative effect of age on reproductive ability. Because age‐specific reproductive rates decline with age, regardless of diet, male fitness does not benefit from lifespan extension. Therefore, males can be expected to allocate available resources towards reproductive effort in favour of an extended lifespan, regardless of mate and protein availability.
Annual dormancy cycles in buried seeds of shrub species: germination ecology of Sideritis serrata (Labiatae)
Authors: Copete M. A. , Herranz J. M. , Ferrandis P. , Copete E.
Published: January 2015

The germination ecology of Sideritis serrata was investigated in order to improve ex‐situ propagation techniques and management of their habitat. Specifically, we analysed: (i) influence of temperature, light conditions and seed age on germination patterns; (ii) phenology of germination; (iii) germinative response of buried seeds to seasonal temperature changes; (iv) temperature requirements for induction and breaking of secondary dormancy; (v) ability to form persistent soil seed banks; and (vi) seed bank dynamics. Freshly matured seeds showed conditional physiological dormancy, germinating at low and cool temperatures but not at high ones (28/14 and 32/18 °C). Germination ability increased with time of dry storage, suggesting the existence of non‐deep physiological dormancy. Under unheated shade‐house conditions, germination was concentrated in the first autumn. S. serrata seeds buried and exposed to natural seasonal temperature variations in the shade‐house, exhibited an annual conditional dormancy/non‐dormancy cycle, coming out of conditional dormancy in summer and re‐entering it in winter. Non‐dormant seeds were clearly induced into dormancy when stratified at 5 or 15/4 °C for 8 weeks. Dormant seeds, stratified at 28/14 or 32/18 °C for 16 weeks, became non‐dormant if they were subsequently incubated over a temperature range from 15/4 to 32/18 °C. S. serrata is able to form small persistent soil seed banks. The maximum seed life span in the soil was 4 years, decreasing with burial depth. This is the second report of an annual conditional dormancy/non‐dormancy cycle in seeds of shrub species.
Knowledge Asymmetries Between Research and Practice: A Social Systems Approach to Implementation Barriers in Organic Arable Farming
Authors: Noe Egon , Alrøe Hugo F. , Thorsøe Martin H. , Olesen Jørgen Eivind , Sørensen Peter , Melander Bo , Fog Erik
Published: January 2015

This article discusses the problem of implementing scientific knowledge in practice. The discussion is based on a case study of barriers to implementing research‐based principles of sustainable organic arable farming. The current literature tends to see this problem either as a dissemination issue (the linear approach) or as a failure of science to address real‐world problems (the co‐constructive approach). We argue that Luhmann's theory of social systems offers a way to understand the shortcomings of existing approaches and enables us to identify knowledge gaps that have often been overlooked so far. This theoretical claim is substantiated by an empirical analysis based on 10 in‐depth interviews with owners of organic arable farms. The farmers were interviewed about barriers to the implementation of research‐based knowledge in practice. The analysis points to the operational closure and the observational blindness of both research systems and farming systems as the keys to understanding knowledge gaps and suggests new ways of dealing with the problems of implementing research knowledge in practice.
Die‐Hard Fans and the Ivory Tower's Ties that Bind
Authors: Clotfelter Charles T.
Published: January 2015

Objective

This study examines extremely loyal fans of prominent American college sports teams. It seeks to find out how common they are and what their characteristics are.

Methods

The study defines die‐hard fans as those whose published obituaries both note this loyalty and mention the team name for a specific university. A sample of such fans associated with 26 universities is compared to individuals picked at random from obituaries from the same states. Other comparisons employ data on political‐party registration.

Results

Such fans are uncommon, making up only about 2 percent of adults whose obituaries are published. They tend to have been predominantly male and, compared to otherwise similar adults, had higher rates of college attendance, were more likely to be white, more likely to affiliate with mainline Protestant denominations but also more likely to have no religious affiliation, volunteered more often as coaches, and had a registered affiliation to some political party.

Conclusion

As a group, they represent an important link between the “common man” and the bastions of intellectual activity that are America's research universities. As illustration, many more die‐hard fans were linked to their universities by way of state residence than by attendance. And many of them had blue‐collar occupations or never went to college.
Minority Representation and Political Efficacy in Public Meetings
Authors: Williamson Anne R. , Scicchitano Michael J.
Published: January 2015

Objective

The objective of this article is to address a chief criticism of public meetings in democratic society, a lack of minority representation. Further, it explores the issue of political efficacy and the extent to which it may differ between minority and nonminority citizens.

Methods

These issues are analyzed through logistic and multiple regression models applied to the results of a random‐sample telephone survey administered across the United States (N = 601).

Results

Results indicate that members of one minority group, African Americans, are more likely to attend public meetings than whites. Further, no statistically significant differences between whites and Hispanics or other‐race individuals were found. African Americans also reported higher levels of political efficacy than whites, while no statistically significant difference was found between whites and Hispanics or other‐race individuals for this measure.

Conclusion

Thus, public meetings are not necessarily fraught with a lack of minority representation, nor do minorities necessarily suffer from lower levels of political efficacy than whites. Findings indicate a potential for minority representation in public meetings. Thus, rather than dismissing public meetings as legally required rituals, there is reason to improve the methods used to mobilize attendance and facilitate two‐way communication between citizens and government.
Carbon stocks and carbon fluxes from a 10‐year prescribed burning chronosequence on a UK blanket peat
Authors: Clay G. D. , Worrall F. , Aebischer N. J.
Published: January 2015

Prescribed burning is a common land management technique in many areas of the UK uplands. However, concern has been expressed at the impact of this management practice on carbon stocks and fluxes found in the carbon‐rich peat soils that underlie many of these areas. This study measured both carbon stocks and carbon fluxes from a chronosequence of prescribed burn sites in northern England. A range of carbon parameters were measured including above ground biomass and carbon stocks; net ecosystem exchange (NEE), net ecosystem respiration (Reco) and photosynthesis (Pg) from closed chamber methods; and particulate organic carbon (POC). Analysis of the CO2 data showed that burning was a significant factor in measured CO2 readings but that other factors such as month of sampling explained a greater proportion of the variation in the data. Carbon budget results showed that whereas all the plots were net sources of carbon, the most recent burn scars were smaller sources of carbon compared with the older burn scars, suggesting that burning of Calluna‐dominated landscapes leads to an ‘avoided loss’ of carbon. However, this management intervention did not lead to a transition to a carbon sink and that for carbon purposes, active peat‐forming conditions are desirable.