bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Cognitive Change in a Multiethnic Elderly Cohort
Authors: Bangen Katherine J. , Gu Yian , Gross Alden L. , Schneider Brooke C. , Skinner Jeannine C. , Benitez Andreana , Sachs Bonnie C. , Shih Regina , Sisco Shannon , Schupf Nicole , Mayeux Richard , Manly Jennifer J. , Luchsinger José A.
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To examine the association between diabetes mellitus and cognitive functioning at baseline and cognitive change over time in a large, ethnically diverse sample of older adults.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Washington Heights–Inwood Columbia Aging Project, a community‐based, prospective study of risk factors for dementia in northern Manhattan, New York City.

Participants

Hispanic, non‐Hispanic black, and non‐Hispanic white men and women aged 65 and older without dementia at baseline (N = 1,493).

Measurements

Participants underwent baseline and follow‐up cognitive and health assessments approximately every 18 months. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the longitudinal association between diabetes mellitus and cognition.

Results

Diabetes mellitus was associated with poorer baseline cognitive performance in memory, language, processing speed and executive functioning, and visuospatial abilities. After adjusting for age, education, sex, race and ethnicity, and apolipoprotein‐ε4, participants with diabetes mellitus performed significantly worse at baseline than those without in language and visuospatial abilities. There were no differences between those with and without diabetes mellitus in terms of rate of cognitive change over a mean follow‐up time of 6 years.

Conclusion

The rate of cognitive change in elderly persons with and without diabetes mellitus is similar, although cognitive performance is poorer in persons with diabetes mellitus. These findings suggest that cognitive changes may occur early during the diabetes mellitus process and highlight the need for studies to follow participants beginning at least in midlife, before the typical later‐life onset of dementia.
Decline in Fast Gait Speed as a Predictor of Disability in Older Adults
Authors: Artaud Fanny , Singh‐Manoux Archana , Dugravot Aline , Tzourio Christophe , Elbaz Alexis
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To determine whether fast gait speed at study baseline and change in gait speed had independent associations with disability onset.

Design

Cohort study with 11‐year follow‐up (1999–2010).

Setting

Three‐City Study center, Dijon, France.

Participants

Community‐dwelling individuals aged 65 to 85 (N = 3,814, 61% female).

Measurements

Fast gait speed (over 6 m) was assessed up to five times and disability (mobility (Rosow‐Breslau scale), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs; Lawton‐Brody scale), basic activities of daily living (ADLs; Katz scale)) six times. A hierarchical disability indicator was constructed; participants were considered disabled if they reported difficulties with mobility and IADLs or with mobility, IADLs, and ADLs. The association between baseline fast gait speed and its slope of change and disability incidence was examined using joint models for longitudinal and time‐to‐event data.

Results

Over follow‐up, 628 participants (68% women) developed disability. Mean fast gait speed at baseline was 1.54 m/s, and annual decline was 0.017 m/s. The hazard ratio of disability per standard deviation (SD) (−0.22 m/s) slower baseline fast gait speed was 1.77 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.60–1.94) and for one‐SD (−0.013 m/s) faster annual decline was 1.38 (95% CI = 1.10–1.73) when both parameters were included in a sex‐ and age‐adjusted model. All associations remained statistically significant in multivariable models, except for slope of change when chronic conditions were added to the model; of chronic conditions, dyspnea was the main contributor.

Conclusion

Accelerated decline in fast gait speed was associated with disability independent of baseline fast gait speed. These results confirm the importance of measuring gait speed repeatedly in elderly adults to identify those at higher risk of disability and the need to identify determinants of decline, because they are likely to be targets for prevention and treatment to reduce disability risk.
Assessing Older Adults’ Masticatory Efficiency
Authors: Cusson Valérie , Caron Christian , Gaudreau Pierrette , Morais José A. , Shatenstein Bryna , Payette Hélène
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To determine internal consistency and criterion validity of a questionnaire assessing perception of masticatory efficiency in community‐dwelling older adults.

Design

Secondary cross‐sectional analysis of baseline data from the Québec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge).

Setting

NuAge is a 5‐year (2003–08) observational study of 1,793 men and women aged 67 to 84 in good general health at recruitment.

Participants

A sample of 1,789 was used to determine internal consistency of the questionnaire. A subsample (n = 94) of the cohort who underwent a clinical test directly measuring masticatory efficiency was used to determine criterion validity of the questionnaire.

Measurements

The questionnaire was a subset of the Oral Health Impact Profile containing 7 Likert‐scale questions (score 0–28 points). Masticatory efficiency was assessed using a validated clinical test measuring ability to chew a raw carrot (Swallowing Threshold Test Index, score 0–100%). For perceived and measured data, a higher score indicated better masticatory efficiency.

Results

Internal consistency of the questionnaire was deemed good (Cronbach alpha = 0.803). Mean scores were generally high (men, 25.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 24.7–25.9; women, 24.3, 95% CI = 23.7–25.0), indicating good perceived masticatory efficiency for men and women. Mean performance test scores were low (men, 60.8%, 95% CI = 57.3–64.2; women, 61.2%, 95% CI = 57.7–64.7). No significant relationship between perceived and measured masticatory efficiency was observed (Pearson correlation coefficient = −0.14, P = .22).

Conclusion

Despite good internal consistency of the questionnaire and the recognized validity of the test, people's perception of their masticatory efficiency does not reflect objective efficiency as measured using a clinical test.
Longitudinal Analysis of Physical Performance, Functional Status, Physical Activity, and Mood in Relation to Executive Function in Older Adults Who Fall
Authors: Best John R. , Davis Jennifer C. , Liu‐Ambrose Teresa
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To examine whether good executive function (EF; the cognitive processes important for goal‐oriented and controlled behavior) at baseline and maintenance of EF over time predict maintenance of physical performance, functional status, physical activity, and mood over a 1‐year period, and conversely, to examine whether baseline functioning in these noncognitive domains predicts maintenance of EF over the same period of time.

Design

12‐month prospective cohort study.

Setting

Vancouver Falls Prevention Clinic.

Participants

Community‐dwelling older adults (N = 199; mean age 81.6 ± 6.5; 63% female) referred to the clinic after a fall.

Measurments

At each time point, structural equation modeling created a latent EF variable from performance on five EF tasks. Physical performance (physiological falls risk and gait speed), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), physical activity, and depressive symptoms were also assessed at each time point.

Results

Higher baseline EF predicted decreases in depressive symptoms (P = .005) and maintenance of IADLs (P = .006) from baseline to follow‐up. Improvements in EF correlated with increases in gait speed (P = .005) and physical activity (P = .03) and with the maintenance of IADLs (P = .002) over follow‐up. All effects were independent of demographic characteristics and global cognitive function. Baseline performance in the noncognitive domains did not predict changes in EF.

Conclusion

In older fallers, EF is a marker of resiliency in several noncognitive domains and should therefore be assessed. Furthermore, interventions to improve EF should be tested in older fallers with EF deficits.
Assessing Upper Extremity Motion: An Innovative Method to Identify Frailty
Authors: Toosizadeh Nima , Mohler Jane , Najafi Bijan
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To objectively identify frailty using wireless sensors and an innovative upper extremity motion assessment routine that does not rely on gait.

Design

Validation study.

Setting

Southwestern tertiary academic medical center, Tucson, Arizona.

Participants

Convenience subsample of the Arizona Frailty Cohort, a community‐dwelling older adults (≥65; n = 117; 50 nonfrail, 51 prefrail, 16 frail).

Measurements

Wireless sensors were attached to the upper arm and forearm with bands, and subjects performed repetitive elbow flexion for 20 seconds on each side. Information was extracted on objective slowness, weakness, exhaustion, and flexibility measures, and associations between parameters and Fried frailty categories were determined.

Results

Speed of elbow flexion (slowness) was 29% less in prefrail and 59% less in frail than in nonfrail controls (P < .001), power of movement (weakness) was 61% less in prefrail and 89% less frail (P < .001), and speed variation (exhaustion) was 35% more in prefrail and 272% more in frail (P < .001). Using elbow flexion parameters in regression models, sensitivity and specificity of 100% were achieved in predicting frailty and sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 95% in predicting prefrailty compared to Fried frailty category.

Conclusion

The suggested innovative upper extremity frailty assessment method integrates low‐cost sensors, and the physical assessment is easily performed in less than 1 minute. The uniqueness of the proposed technology is its applicability in older nonambulatory individuals, such as those in emergency settings. Further improvement is warrant to make it suitable for routine clinical applications.
Elder Abuse: Systematic Review and Implications for Practice
Authors: Dong Xin Qi
Published: June 2015

This article is based on the lecture for the 2014 American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award. Elder abuse is a global public health and human rights problem. Evidence suggests that elder abuse is prevalent, predictable, costly, and sometimes fatal. This review will highlight the global epidemiology of elder abuse in terms of its prevalence, risk factors, and consequences in community populations. The global literature in PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BIOSIS, Science Direct, and Cochrane Central was searched. Search terms included elder abuse, elder mistreatment, elder maltreatment, prevalence, incidence, risk factors, protective factors, outcomes, and consequences. Studies that existed only as abstracts, case series, or case reports or recruited individuals younger than 60; qualitative studies; and non‐English publications were excluded. Tables and figures were created to highlight the findings: the most‐detailed analyses to date of the prevalence of elder abuse according to continent, risk and protective factors, graphic presentation of odds ratios and confidence intervals for major risk factors, consequences, and practical suggestions for health professionals in addressing elder abuse. Elder abuse is common in community‐dwelling older adults, especially minority older adults. This review identifies important knowledge gaps, such as a lack of consistency in definitions of elder abuse; insufficient research with regard to screening; and etiological, intervention, and prevention research. Concerted efforts from researchers, community organizations, healthcare and legal professionals, social service providers, and policy‐makers should be promoted to address the global problem of elder abuse.
Association Between Hearing Impairment and Risk of Hospitalization in Older Adults
Authors: Genther Dane J. , Betz Joshua , Pratt Sheila , Martin Kathryn R. , Harris Tamara B. , Satterfield Suzanne , Bauer Douglas C. , Newman Anne B. , Simonsick Eleanor M. , Lin Frank R. ,   the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To determine the association between hearing impairment (HI) and risk and duration of hospitalization in community‐dwelling older adults in the United States.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

Health, Aging and Body Composition Study.

Participants

Well‐functioning community‐dwelling white and black Medicare beneficiaries aged 70 to 79 at study enrollment in 1997–98 were followed for a median of 12 years.

Measurements

Incidence, annual rate, and duration of hospitalization were the primary outcomes. Hearing was defined as the pure‐tone average (PTA) of hearing thresholds in decibels re: hearing level (dB HL) at octave frequencies from 0.5 to 4.0 kHz. Mild HI was defined as a PTA from 25 to 40 dB HL, and moderate or greater HI was defined as a PTA greater than 40 dB HL.

Results

Of the 2,148 participants included in the analysis, 1,801 (83.5%) experienced one or more hospitalizations, with 7,007 adjudicated hospitalization events occurring during the study period. Eight hundred eighty‐two (41.1%) participants had normal hearing, 818 (38.1%) had mild HI, and 448 (20.9%) had moderate or greater HI. After adjusting for demographic characteristics and cardiovascular comorbidities, persons with mild HI experienced a 16% (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI)  = 1.04–1.29) greater risk of incident hospitalization and a 17% (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.04–1.32) greater annual rate of hospitalization, and those with moderate or greater HI experienced a 21% (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.06–1.38) greater risk of incident hospitalization and a 19% (IRR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.04–1.38) greater annual rate of hospitalization than persons with normal hearing. There was no significant association between HI and mean duration of hospitalization.

Conclusion

Hearing‐impaired older adults experience a greater incidence and annual rate of hospitalization than those with normal hearing. Investigating whether rehabilitative therapies could affect the risk of hospitalization in older adults requires further study.
Past as Prologue: How History Becomes Psychologically Present
Authors: Hunter Andrea G. , Stewart Abigail J.
Published: June 2015

Social issues, especially when they implicate histories of injustices, often stay with us not only because they pose moral questions but also because of their consequences for individual psychologies and the relations between groups within societies. This special issue of the Journal of Social Issues focuses on different ways that social history and psychology—always co‐constructing each other—matter. Focused on major events and social movements of the 20th century, we highlight work that psychologists have done that allows us, as a field, to take seriously the relationships between social‐level events and individuals’ identities and self‐representations, emotional lives and well‐being, approaches to social justice and collective action, motivations, and accomplishments. The individual and collective pursuit of social justice is one arena that makes links between history and psychology visible along with their implications for relations within and between social groups.
Historicizing Injustice: The Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Santiago, Chile
Authors: Opotow Susan
Published: June 2015

Focusing on the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Chile, this article examines the intersection of psychology and history as they bear on conflict, memory, and justice. The museum commemorates victims of mass detentions, disappearances, and human rights violations during the Pinochet dictatorship (1973–1990). This article discusses historical precursors to the coup, including United States involvement in Chilean politics. Utilizing the construct, scope of justice, it discusses representations of moral exclusion and moral inclusion in the museum's exhibition. Museum professionals who developed the exhibition describe the challenges of their work because opposing political perspectives about the dictatorship persist. The article suggests that historical museums on injustice can serve as sites that engage such clashing viewpoints. Surfacing narratives and counternarratives about the past and airing tensions and haunting questions can offer insight into social issues, policies, and conflicts that persist today.
Continuities and Discontinuities in Human Rights Violations: Historically Situating the Psychosocial Effects of Migration
Authors: Lykes M. Brinton , Hershberg Rachel M.
Published: June 2015

Despite recent interest in the psychosocial effects of deportation, psychologists have rarely investigated the multiple forms of violence that compelled many undocumented migrants now living in the United States to “leave home.” This thematic narrative analysis of interviews with four Maya from Guatemala, part of a larger participatory and action research project, particularizes the experiences of Maya in the United States who are frequently subsumed under homogenizing constructs (e.g., “illegal aliens”) and labeled with universal psychological diagnoses that fail to reflect their complex histories, through which they give meaning to their lived experiences. Analyses focus on three major themes: violence and violation, multiple migrations, and suffering and survival. We illustrate how participants situate contemporary effects of deportation within the collective story of their people, connecting contemporary violations of human rights to earlier migrations due to extreme poverty and experiences of violence during and after 36 years of armed conflict.
We Made History: Collective Memory and the Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen
Authors: Hunter Andrea G. , Rollins Alethea
Published: June 2015

This qualitative investigation examines the collective constructions of the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and men's perspectives of the impact of their military experiences on their postwar lives. African American men (n = 93) who participated in the “Tuskegee Experiment” as pilots, ground crew, and other military personnel were surveyed. The emergent legacy focused on record of excellence and accomplishment in their individual performance and military service, the contesting of American racism and its impact on racial ideology and social policy, and lessons for the next generation that can be drawn from this history. In civilian life, in the military and aviation, and as civic actors the Tuskegee Airmen distinguished themselves as Black men, and as Americans. The meanings of these social identities and the inherent contradictions of race, nation, and war are embedded within the Tuskegee Airmen history and legacy.
Sutured Identities in Jewish Holocaust Survivor Testimonies
Authors: Schwartzman Roy
Published: June 2015

The Holocaust disrupted the foundations of identity for Jewish survivors: religious and social communities evaporated, families dwindled. This study explores the process of identity reconstruction within oral testimonies gathered through personal interviews with Jewish Holocaust survivors who immigrated to the United States. Thematically, their narratives confront three major forces that place conflicting demands on survivors: disclosure or nondisclosure of Holocaust experiences, autonomy and connection with religion and family, and the clash between stability and change in the transition to America. Each site of conflict exposes gaps in how identity becomes manifest through personal beliefs, observable behaviors, relationships with others, and communal affiliations. Attention to how narratives configure identity suggests ways that personal narratives illustrate the process of actively recrafting fractured selves.
How Politics Become Personal: Sociohistorical Events and their Meanings in People's Lives
Authors: Stewart Abigail J. , Winter David G. , Henderson‐King Donna , Henderson‐King Eaaron
Published: June 2015

Major social and political events occurring in adolescence and young adulthood can create politicized identities in particular age cohorts, but within a generation, the experiences and results may differ as a function of different social identities based on (for example) race and gender. We explore the recollections in middle age of experiences in adolescence and young adulthood of four 1968 high school graduates, one from each intersection of race (African American and White) and gender. Most were strongly affected by the civil rights and women's movements, and the Vietnam War—but in ways that reflected both commonalities and distinctive features. The results support existing theories of generational identity and intersectionality, while at the same time suggesting more fine‐grained questions for future research.
History as a Resource: Effects of Narrative Constructions of Group History on Intellectual Performance
Authors: Bikmen Nida
Published: June 2015

Two studies examined the effects of exposure to historical narratives about group resilience on the intellectual performance of two groups negatively stereotyped for their abilities in academic domains: African Americans in verbal ability, and women in mathematics. In both studies, participants who were exposed to a narrative about their group's historical resilience in the domain of the stereotype performed better on an intellectual test as their group identification increased. In the control condition, performance was negatively related to group identification. These findings suggest that history of marginalized groups can act as a resource for current challenges depending on how it is narrated, and that history curriculum can be designed to enhance these effects in order to improve the educational performance of disadvantaged group members.
Assessing the Impact of “The Collapse” on the Organization and Content of Autobiographical Memory in the Former Soviet Union
Authors: Nourkova Veronika V. , Brown Norman R.
Published: June 2015

It can be argued that the Collapse of the Soviet Union was the most important historical event of the past 50 years. This study assessed the mnemonic impact of this event in Russia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. It involved three tasks. First, participants thought aloud as dated autobiographical events. Second, they drew a personal timeline. Finally, they answered questions concerning the psychological and material consequences of the Collapse. Across the samples, we found (1) the Collapse was almost never used as a temporal landmark, (2) it was rarely included in timeline drawings, and (c) participants did not experience the Collapse as a major life‐changing event. These findings argue against the Proportionality Assumption—the notion that the mnemonic impact of a public event is related to its historical importance. Instead, they suggest that historically significant events play an important role in autobiographical memory only when they dramatically affect people's material circumstances.
Remembrance, Responsibility, and Reparations: The Use of Emotions in Talk about the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot
Authors: Greenwood Ronni Michelle
Published: June 2015

This research aimed to examine the role of collective emotions in the process of political solidarity within the context of debate about reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. Analysis of interview data (n = 12) illustrates the creative and flexible ways that White allies delegitimize authority inaction and legitimize majority support for action through strategic use of social categories and collective emotions in their talk about the riot and reparations. Results are interpreted to suggest that allies’ efforts to change the hearts and minds of the majority focus on messages that appeal to, strengthen, and validate valued dimensions of majority social identity. These findings expand our understanding of the discursive aspects of political solidarity and the processes that affect social change on social issues related to minority group interests.
Processing Cultural Trauma: Intergenerational Effects of the Japanese American Incarceration
Authors: Nagata Donna K. , Kim Jackie H. J. , Nguyen Teresa U.
Published: June 2015

During World War II, the United States confined 120,000 Japanese Americans in incarceration camps based solely on their Japanese ancestry. Two thirds of those forced to live in the desolate camps were U.S. citizens. Decades later, the U.S. government concluded that Japanese Americans had suffered a grave injustice and issued a written apology and monetary award to each surviving incarceree. This article frames the incarceration as a race‐based personal and cultural trauma that had enduring consequences for Japanese Americans. Critical impacts of this historic event on identity and postwar trauma coping among U.S.‐born second generation Japanese American incarcerees and their offspring are described. We highlight how individual, intergenerational, and sociocultural processes interacted across decades to shape cultural trauma response and the movement to seek redress.
Power in History: Contrasting Theoretical Approaches to Intergroup Dialogue
Authors: Hammack Phillip L. , Pilecki Andrew
Published: June 2015

Groups in conflict routinely use historical narrative to compete for status in intergroup encounters. This study examines power dynamics in conversations about history facilitated according to distinct social psychological theories. Israeli and Palestinian youth participating in an existing intergroup contact program were randomly assigned to either a (1) coexistence condition consistent with a prejudice reduction model in which the goal was to foster the construction of a common in‐group identity, or (2) a confrontational condition consistent with a collective action model in which the goal was to raise awareness about identities and empower the low‐status group. Dialogue facilitated in the coexistence condition reproduced power asymmetries, with a pattern of Jewish Israeli dominance. Dialogue facilitated in the confrontational condition suggested a pattern of Palestinian dominance, consistent with a collective action model. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical approaches to intergroup contact and dialogue about history among groups in intractable conflict.
The Body in Revolt: The Impact and Legacy of Second Wave Corporeal Embodiment
Authors: Fahs Breanne
Published: June 2015

Tensions between second and third wave understandings of the body and embodiment have led to disagreements about whether to situate the body as corporeal and concrete or theoretical, diverse, and complex. Drawing from key tactics of the second wave women's health movement, including cervical viewing, menstrual extraction, genital diversity work, orgasm training, and self‐defense classes, I first trace the political framing of the body in second wave feminism, followed by a consideration of third wave pedagogies transmitted through teaching the psychology of women. After analyzing the five most popular textbooks and ten syllabi for the psychology of women, I trace the stories about embodiment that have continued across waves and the stories that have shifted over time. I ultimately argue for a renewed consideration of how to merge the priorities of each wave into a new policy‐driven and activist‐centered understanding of corporeal embodiment both within and outside of the university.
Psychology, History, and Social Justice: Concluding Reflections
Authors: Perlman Daniel , Hunter Andrea G. , Stewart Abigail J.
Published: June 2015

This article provides a concluding commentary for a thematic issue of the Journal of Social Issues (JSI) dealing with the intertwining of psychology, history, and social issues. First we show how the social issues addressed and the scholarly approach in this journal collection are consistent with the JSI tradition. Then we contend that the questions asked in more traditional areas of psychology and in examining the intersection of history and psychology bear a resemblance. Next we identify three themes that cut across the articles in the collection: the role of social injustice in shaping identities, the depiction of history varies by who describes it, and responses to social histories are shaped by multiple forces. Finally, we consider policy implications focusing on how identities and group boundaries are important in policy advocacy and the use of policy to seek redress of injustices.
Consequences of Diversity for Social Cohesion and Prejudice: The Missing Dimension of Intergroup Contact
Authors: Hewstone Miles
Published: June 2015

A controversial claim that diversity has negative consequences for trust and other outcomes spawned a contentious debate in sociology and political science, but was hardly noted in social psychology. I summarize the debate, and argue that the efficacy of direct, face‐to‐face intergroup contact as a means of reducing prejudice is a stark omission, as I illustrate with evidence of the association between diversity, on the one hand, and trust, prejudice, and social capital on the other. I also consider two other contributions of contact theory to this issue, namely that contact with members of one group has an impact on attitudes toward members of other groups; and that contact should be studied via social networks. Despite the importance I attach to contact, I note two “enemies of contact,” resegregation in ostensibly desegregated settings, and negatively valenced contact. Finally, I point to the kind of research we should do, in order to increase the impact of our work on the public policy debate on this issue.
Describing, explaining and predicting community assembly: a convincing trait‐based case study
Authors: Shipley Bill
Published: June 2015

Direct gradient analysis describes community change along abiotic gradients. Baastrup‐Spohr et al., in this issue of the Journal of Vegetation Science, go beyond description when exploring community assembly by trait selection. Using a system with a single overriding hydrological gradient, combined with functional traits related to these selective pressures, they also explain and predict community assembly through trait‐based filtering.
Mind the gap: scale‐dependent and dispersal‐mediated response to forest fragmentation
Authors: Honnay Olivier
Published: June 2015

Species richness of habitat fragments is affected by spatial isolation. However, the scale of this phenomenon, and its interactions with the species’ seed dispersal potential has remained underexplored. By integrating seed trap and species distribution data, Koh et al., in this issue of the Journal of Vegetation Science, make a compelling case for scale‐dependent species’ responses to forest fragmentation.
Getting specific: making taxonomic and ecological sense of large sequencing data sets
Authors: Massana Ramon
Published: June 2015

Eukaryotic microbes comprise a diverse collection of phototrophic and heterotrophic creatures known to play fundamental roles in ecological processes. Some can be identified by light microscopy, generally the largest and with conspicuous shapes, while the smallest can be counted by epifluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry but remain largely unidentified. Microbial diversity studies greatly advanced with the analysis of phylogenetic markers sequenced from natural assemblages. Molecular surveys began in 1990 targeting marine bacterioplankton (Giovannoni et al. ) and first approached microbial eukaryotes in three studies published in 2001 (Díez et al. ; López‐García et al. ; Moon‐van der Staay et al. ). These seminal studies, based on cloning and Sanger sequencing the complete 18S rDNA, were critical for obtaining broad pictures of microbial diversity in contrasted habitats and for describing novel lineages by robust phylogenies, but were limited by the number of sequences obtained. So, inventories of species richness in a given sample and community comparisons through environmental gradients were very incomplete. These limitations have been overcome with the advent of high‐throughput sequencing (HTS) methods, initially 454‐pyrosequencing, today Illumina and soon others to come. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Egge et al. () show a nice example of the use of HTS to study the biodiversity and seasonal succession of a particularly important group of marine microbial eukaryotes, the haptophytes. Temporal changes were analysed first at the community level, then at the clade level, and finally at the lowest rank comparable to species. Interesting and useful ecological insights were obtained at each taxonomic scale. Haptophyte diversity differed along seasons in a systematic manner, with some species showing seasonal preferences and others being always present. Many of these species had no correspondence with known species, pointing out the high level of novelty in microbial assemblages, only accessible by molecular tools. Moreover, the number of species detected was limited, agreeing with a putative scenario of constrained evolutionary diversification in free‐living small eukaryotes. This study illustrates the potential of HTS to address ecological relevant questions in an accessible way by processing large data sets that, nonetheless, need to be treated with a fair understanding of their limitations.
When taxonomy meets genomics: lessons from a common songbird
Authors: Lifjeld Jan T.
Published: June 2015

Taxonomy is being increasingly informed by genomics. Traditionally, taxonomy has relied extensively on phenotypic traits for the identification and delimitation of species, though with a growing influence from molecular phylogenetics in recent decades. Now, genomics opens up new and more powerful tools for analysing the evolutionary history and relatedness among species, as well as understanding the genetic basis for phenotypic traits and their role in reproductive isolation. New insights gained from genomics will therefore have major effects on taxonomic classifications and species delimitation. How a genomics approach can inform a flawed taxonomy is nicely exemplified by Mason & Taylor () in this issue of Molecular Ecology. They studied redpolls, which comprise a genus (Acanthis) of fringillid finches with a wide distribution in the Holarctic region, and whose species taxonomy has been a matter of much controversy for decades (Fig. ). Current authoritative checklists classify them into one, two or three species, and five or six subspecies, based largely on geographical differences in phenotypic traits. Previous studies, including a recent one of the subspecies on Iceland (Amouret et al. ), have found no evidence of differentiation between these taxa in conventional molecular markers. The lack of genetic structure has been interpreted as incomplete lineage sorting among rapidly evolving lineages. Now Mason & Taylor (), using a large data set of genomewide SNPs, verify that they all belong to a single gene pool with a common evolutionary history, and with little or no geographical structuring. They also show that phenotypic traits used in taxonomic classifications (plumage and bill morphology) are closely associated with polygenic patterns of gene expression, presumably driven by ecological selection on a few regulatory genes. Several lessons can be learned from this study. Perhaps the most important one for taxonomy is the risk of taxonomic inflation resulting from overemphasizing phenotypic traits under local adaptation and ignoring a lack of phylogenetic signal in molecular markers.
Explicit Time‐Dependent Multi‐Hazard Cost Analysis Based on Parameterized Demand Models for the Optimum Design of Bridge Structures
Authors: Bisadi Vahid , Padgett Jamie E.
Published: June 2015

This article presents an explicit cost analysis framework built upon the unified reliability method that introduces time‐dependent variables and multiple hazards as well as parameterized demand models into one cost‐based limit state function. In this approach, reliability‐based design of deteriorating structures subjected to natural hazards is performed using a cost limit state function, as opposed to traditional structural limit state in structural reliability methods. The flexibility of cost‐based limit state functions addresses the criticism of focusing on minimization of the total expected cost typically used in some available life‐cycle cost analysis methods. Furthermore, the framework has the capability to include deterioration models that are functions of time as well as recently developed parameterized structural capacity and demand models for various hazards. The application of the proposed framework is illustrated in a bridge design optimization problem where the column reinforcement bar diameter and concrete cover are considered as design parameters. Two locations in the New Madrid and San Francisco Bay Area seismic zones are assumed for the bridge and the optimum combination of concrete cover and bar diameter is obtained for each location.
Normal values of esophageal motility after antireflux surgery; a study using high‐resolution manometry
Authors: Weijenborg P. W. , Savarino E. , Kessing B. F. , Roman S. , Costantini M. , Oors J. M. , Smout A. J. P. M. , Bredenoord A. J.
Published: June 2015

Background

Fundoplication is an effective therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but can be complicated by postoperative dysphagia. High‐resolution manometry (HRM) can assess esophageal function, but normal values after fundoplication are lacking. Our aim was to obtain normal values for HRM after successful Toupet and Nissen fundoplication.

Methods

Esophageal HRM was performed 3 months after Toupet or Nissen fundoplication in 40 GERD patients without postoperative dysphagia and with a normal barium esophagogram. Normal values for all measures of the Chicago classification were calculated as 5th and 95th percentile ranges.

Key Results

The normal values (5th–95th percentiles) for integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) were higher after Nissen (5.1–24.4 mmHg) than after Toupet fundoplication (3.1–15.0 mmHg), and upper limit of normal was significantly higher after Nissen fundoplication than observed in the asymptomatic subjects that were described in the Chicago Classification. Distal contractile integral was significantly higher after Nissen (357–4947 mmHg*s*cm) than after Toupet (68–2177 mmHg*s*cm), and transition zone length was significantly shorter after Nissen (0–4.8 cm) than after Toupet fundoplication (0–12.8 cm).

Conclusions & Inferences

HRM metrics for subjects after a Toupet fundoplication are similar to the normal values derived from healthy subjects used for the Chicago classification. However, after Nissen fundoplication a higher esophagogastric junction resting pressure and higher IRP are observed in asymptomatic subjects and this can be considered normal in the postoperative state. In addition, more vigorous contractions and less and smaller peristaltic breaks are normal after Nissen fundoplication.
Serotonin and colonic motility
Authors: Kendig D. M. , Grider J. R.
Published: June 2015

The role of serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine [5‐HT]) in gastrointestinal motility has been studied for over 50 years. Most of the 5‐HT in the body resides in the gut wall, where it is located in subsets of mucosal cells (enterochromaffin cells) and neurons (descending interneurons). Many studies suggest that 5‐HT is important to normal and dysfunctional gut motility and drugs affecting 5‐HT receptors, especially 5‐HT3 and 5‐HT4 receptors, have been used clinically to treat motility disorders; however, cardiovascular side effects have limited the use of these drugs. Recently studies have questioned the importance and necessity of 5‐HT in general and mucosal 5‐HT in particular for colonic motility. Recent evidence suggests the importance of 5‐HT3 and 5‐HT4 receptors for initiation and generation of one of the key colonic motility patterns, the colonic migrating motor complex (CMMC), in rat. The findings suggest that 5‐HT3 and 5‐HT4 receptors are differentially involved in two different types of rat CMMCs: the long distance contraction (LDC) and the rhythmic propulsive motor complex (RPMC). The understanding of the role of serotonin in colonic motility has been influenced by the specific motility pattern(s) studied, the stimulus used to initiate the motility (spontaneous vs induced), and the route of administration of drugs. All of these considerations contribute to the understanding and the controversy that continues to surround the role of serotonin in the gut.
Iatrogenic Baclofen Neurotoxicity in ESRD: Recognition and Management
Authors: Roberts John K. , Westphal Scott , Sparks Matthew A.
Published: June 2015

Baclofen is an oral derivative of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) used to treat muscular spasticity from disorders of the central nervous system. However, it is also being used for a variety of other conditions such as musculoskeletal pain, myoclonus, and alcohol withdrawal. The elimination of baclofen is heavily dependent on intact renal function, and the contraindication for use in patients with insufficient renal function is not well recognized by healthcare providers. Here, the authors report a series of mild to severe cases of baclofen intoxication in patients with end‐stage renal disease. In all cases, baclofen was initiated by either inpatient or outpatient healthcare providers and the patients generally presented with altered mentation, somnolence, and/or respiratory depression. All patients were treated with aggressive hemodialysis and made a full recovery. This paper will briefly review the literature regarding baclofen intoxication, safety of baclofen use in renal disease, and efficacy of extracorporeal therapy in the treatment of baclofen intoxication.
“Out of Sight, Out of Mind”: The Failed Renal Allograft as a Cause of ESA Resistance
Authors: Mehrotra Anita , Tan Judy A. , Ames Scott A.
Published: June 2015

Approximately 10% of patients treated with erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) for the anemia of chronic kidney disease are unresponsive or relatively resistant to therapy. The etiology of this is usually linked to iron deficiency or an independent underlying illness. We describe a hemodialysis patient with a failed renal transplant 1.5 years earlier, who developed progressive erythropoietin resistance and anemia without an apparent cause. He simultaneously developed nonspecific malaise and fatigue. By exclusion, the only possible cause of these signs and symptoms was inflammation from acute and chronic rejection in the retained failed renal allograft. Following pulse steroids and transplant nephrectomy, the patient's symptoms resolved and both his hemoglobin improved and his erythropoietin requirements decreased significantly. The patient never required a blood transfusion and was successfully relisted for a deceased donor renal transplant. Hence, inflammation from a retained transplant allograft may be an under‐recognized cause of erythropoietin resistance in dialysis patients. Although transplant nephrectomy remains a controversial practice due to concerns of alloantibody production, it may be considered in patients with failed renal allografts and anemia refractory to treatment with ESAs.
Emotional intelligence in sport and exercise: A systematic review
Authors: Laborde S. , Dosseville F. , Allen M. S.
Published: June 2015

This review targets emotional intelligence (EI) in sport and physical activity. We systematically review the available literature and offer a sound theoretical integration of differing EI perspectives (the tripartite model of EI) before considering applied practice in the form of EI training. Our review identified 36 studies assessing EI in an athletic or physical activity context. EI has most often been conceptualized as a trait. In the context of sport performance, we found that EI relates to emotions, physiological stress responses, successful psychological skill usage, and more successful athletic performance. In the context of physical activity, we found that trait EI relates to physical activity levels and positive attitudes toward physical activity. There was a shortage of research into the EI of coaches, officials, and spectators, non‐adult samples, and longitudinal and experimental methods. The tripartite model proposes that EI operates on three levels – knowledge, ability, and trait – and predicts an interplay between the different levels of EI. We present this framework as a promising alternative to trait and ability EI conceptualizations that can guide applied research and professional practice. Further research into EI training, measurement validation and cultural diversity is recommended.
Dynamics of protein and polar lipid recruitment during lipid droplet assembly in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Tsai Chia‐Hong , Zienkiewicz Krzysztof , Amstutz Cynthia L. , Brink Benedikt G. , Warakanont Jaruswan , Roston Rebecca , Benning Christoph
Published: June 2015

In plants, neutral lipids are frequently synthesized and stored in seed tissues, where the assembly of lipid droplets (LDs) coincides with the accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAGs). In addition, photosynthetic, vegetative cells can form cytosolic LDs and much less information is known about the makeup and biogenesis of these LDs. Here we focus on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a reference model for LDs in a photosynthetic cell, because in this unicellular green alga LD dynamics can be readily manipulated by nitrogen availability. Nitrogen deprivation leads to cellular quiescence during which cell divisions cease and TAGs accumulate. The major lipid droplet protein (MLDP) forms a proteinaceous coat surrounding mature LDs. Reducing the amount of MLDP affects LD size and number, TAG breakdown and timely progression out of cellular quiescence following nitrogen resupply. Depending on nitrogen availability, MLDP recruits different proteins to LDs, tubulins in particular. Conversely, depolymerization of microtubules drastically alters the association of MLDP with LDs. LDs also contain select chloroplast envelope membrane proteins hinting at an origin of LDs, at least in part, from chloroplast membranes. Moreover, LD surface lipids are rich in de novo synthesized fatty acids, and are mainly composed of galactolipids which are typical components of chloroplast membranes. The composition of the LD membrane is altered in the absence of MLDP. Collectively, our results suggest a mechanism for LD formation in C. reinhardtii involving chloroplast envelope membranes by which specific proteins are recruited to LDs and a specialized polar lipid monolayer surrounding the LD is formed.