bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Within‐season increase in parental investment in a long‐lived bird species: investment shifts to maximize successful reproduction?
Authors: Schneider N. A. , Griesser M.
Published: November 2014

In nest‐building species predation of nest contents is a main cause of reproductive failure and parents have to trade off reproductive investment against antipredatory behaviours. While this trade‐off is modified by lifespan (short‐lived species prioritize current reproduction; long‐lived species prioritize future reproduction), it may vary within a breeding season, but this idea has only been tested in short‐lived species. Yet, life history theory does not make any prediction how long‐lived species should trade off current against future reproductive investment within a season. Here, we investigated this trade‐off through predator‐exposure experiments in a long‐lived bird species, the brown thornbill. We exposed breeding pairs that had no prior within‐season reproductive success to the models of a nest predator and a predator of adults during their first or second breeding attempt. Overall, parents reduced their feeding rate in the presence of a predator, but parents feeding second broods were more risk sensitive and almost ceased feeding when exposed to both types of predators. However, during second breeding attempts, parents had larger clutches and a higher feeding rate in the absence of predators than during first breeding attempts and approached both types of predators closer when mobbing. Our results suggest that the trade‐off between reproductive investment and risk‐taking can change in a long‐lived species within a breeding season depending on both prior nest predation and renesting opportunities. These patterns correspond to those in short‐lived species, raising the question of whether a within‐season shift in reproductive investment trade‐offs is independent of lifespan.
Large‐scale simulation of temperature‐dependent phenology in wintering populations of Bactrocera oleae (Rossi)
Authors: Petacchi R. , Marchi S. , Federici S. , Ragaglini G.
Published: November 2014

To implement Area‐Wide Pest Management protocols at a regional scale (Liguria, northern Italy), egg deposition and adult flight of olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, were monitored during 2009, 2010 and 2011. The consequence of complete generation in late winter – early spring was also examined. The reliability of a degree‐day model was tested to simulate the insect cycle, starting from October oviposition and considering a 379.01°C cumulative degree‐day (CDD) needed to complete development. The model was validated and then used to simulate olive fruit fly phenology in the region of Liguria, using a GIS approach and the agrometeorological network in the region. The output of the CDD model was mapped with two different spatialization modelling techniques, geostatistical autocorrelation and regression correlation, and altitude, aspect and distance from the sea were assessed as elements of variability. The regression correlation model provided a more accurate indication of B. oleae diversity at the local scale than the geostatistical autocorrelation model and identified the high spatial climatic variability of Liguria. The potential application of the distribution of days after oviposition and prediction error maps in support of pest management planning is discussed.
Parasitoid dispersal and colonization lag in disturbed habitats: biological control of cereal leaf beetle metapopulations
Authors: Evans E. W. , Bolshakova V. L. J. , Carlile N. R.
Published: November 2014

Natural enemies of insect pests of annual crops have been hypothesized either to lag, or alternatively not to lag, behind their prey in dispersing to and colonizing new habitat. We examined parasitoid dispersal and parasitism of the cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus [L.]; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by the host‐specific wasp Tetrastichus julis [Walker] (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in wheat fields of northern Utah to assess whether a colonization lag occurred. Equally high rates of parasitism of beetle larvae (including second instars early in the year) occurred in 2010 and 2011 in fields that were newly planted to wheat vs. in fields where wheat had been grown also the previous year. A caging experiment demonstrated that parasitism in these newly planted wheat fields did not arise from parasitoid adults that had matured within the fields; instead, upon emerging in other fields, parasitoid females dispersed a minimum of 100–250 m to parasitize beetle larvae early in the spring in the newly planted fields. A transect study in 2012 revealed that T. julis females dispersed rapidly at least 600 m into a newly planted wheat field to parasitize most of the early maturing beetle larvae, which occurred at very low density. Thus, the parasitoid has very strong ability to match its host in dispersal over long distances across a highly disturbed agricultural landscape, and colonization lag appears of little importance in affecting biological control associated with this host–parasitoid interaction.
Framing of scientific knowledge as a new category of health care research
Authors: Salvador‐Carulla Luis , Fernandez Ana , Madden Rosamond , Lukersmith Sue , Colagiuri Ruth , Torkfar Ghazal , Sturmberg Joachim
Published: November 2014

Rationale

The new area of health system research requires a revision of the taxonomy of scientific knowledge that may facilitate a better understanding and representation of complex health phenomena in research discovery, corroboration and implementation.

Method

A position paper by an expert group following and iterative approach.

Results

‘Scientific evidence’ should be differentiated from ‘elicited knowledge’ of experts and users, and this latter typology should be described beyond the traditional qualitative framework. Within this context ‘framing of scientific knowledge’ (FSK) is defined as a group of studies of prior expert knowledge specifically aimed at generating formal scientific frames. To be distinguished from other unstructured frames, FSK must be explicit, standardized, based on the available evidence, agreed by a group of experts and subdued to the principles of commensurability, transparency for corroboration and transferability that characterize scientific research. A preliminary typology of scientific framing studies is presented. This typology includes, among others, health declarations, position papers, expert‐based clinical guides, conceptual maps, classifications, expert‐driven health atlases and expert‐driven studies of costs and burden of illness.

Conclusions

This grouping of expert‐based studies constitutes a different kind of scientific knowledge and should be clearly differentiated from ‘evidence’ gathered from experimental and observational studies in health system research.
Use of temporary nursing staff and nosocomial infections in intensive care units
Authors: Bae Sung‐Heui , Brewer Carol S. , Kelly Maureen , Spencer Alexandra
Published: November 2014

Aims and objectives

To examine the nature and prevalence of the use of temporary nursing staff in intensive care units and relationships between the use of temporary nursing staff and the occurrence of nosocomial infections (central line‐associated blood stream infections and ventilator‐associated pneumonia).

Background

Hiring temporary nurses raises controversial issues with respect to nurse staffing, care processes and patient outcomes, yet empirical findings regarding the use of temporary nurses are mixed. Whether adverse patient outcomes in intensive care units are related to the use of temporary nursing staff remains unexamined.

Design

A retrospective longitudinal design was used.

Methods

Data were collected monthly from 12 intensive care units at six hospitals; 144 ICU‐month data points were used for the analysis. Chi‐square, anova and logit regression models were used to examine the research questions.

Results

The intensive care units used higher levels of temporary nursing staff, but the use of temporary nursing staff was not significantly associated with nosocomial infections. Nurses' perceptions regarding staffing and resource adequacy were significantly associated with nosocomial infections.

Conclusions

No evidence was found to link the use of temporary nursing staff and nosocomial infections. Instead, nurses' perceptions of staffing adequacy were related to nosocomial infections.

Relevance to clinical practice

Given the greater use of temporary nursing staff in intensive care units, nurse managers in intensive care units need to monitor the levels of temporary nurse staffing and develop a systematic approach for hospitals to assist in these nurses' adjustment, which can reduce the burden of both temporary and permanent intensive care unit nurses. In addition to quantitative measures of nurse staffing, nurses' perceptions regarding staffing adequacy can be used to measure nurse staffing in relation to adverse patient outcomes.
Thirst in chronic heart failure: a review
Authors: Allida Sabine M , Inglis Sally C , Davidson Patricia M , Lal Sara , Hayward Christopher S , Newton Phillip J
Published: November 2014

Aims and objectives

This review will (1) explore factors related to thirst in chronic heart failure and (2) describe interventions to alleviate thirst in chronic heart failure patients.

Background

Thirst is a common and troublesome symptom of chronic heart failure. Despite the burden and prevalence of this symptom, there are limited strategies to assist in its management.

Design

This is a review of literature on the burden of thirst, contributors to thirst and potential management strategies of thirst in patients with chronic heart failure.

Methods

Medline, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health, PubMed and Scopus were searched using the key words thirst, chronic heart failure, angiotensin II, fluid restriction and intervention. Of the 165 citations yielded, nine studies (n = 9) were included. The eligibility criteria included participants with confirmed diagnosis of chronic heart failure, randomised controlled studies or any studies with thirst as primary or secondary outcome, in humans and in English. There was no limit to the years searched.

Results

Factors related to thirst in chronic heart failure were condition; prolonged neurohormonal activation, treatment; pharmacological interventions and fluid restriction and emotion. No intervention studies were found in chronic heart failure patients. Interventions such as artificial saliva and chewing gum have been investigated for their effectiveness as a thirst reliever in haemodialysis patients.

Conclusion

Thirst is a frequent and troublesome symptom for individuals with chronic heart failure. It is highly likely that this contributes to poor adherence with fluid restrictions. Chewing gum can help alleviate thirst, but investigation in people with heart failure is needed.

Relevance to clinical practice

Increasing awareness of thirst and interventions to relieve it in clinical practice is likely to improve the quality of care for people with chronic heart failure.
Optimization of Culture Medium for Sporulation and Biomass Production of a Nematophagous Fungus: Consideration of Nutritional and Environmental Conditions
Authors: Gao Li
Published: November 2014

This study reports the effects of various nutritional and environmental factors on sporulation and biomass of Paecilomyces lilacinus IPC‐P. These factors included carbon and nitrogen sources, carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratios, mineral elements and vitamins together with water potentials, temperatures, dark/light cycles and pH. On the basis of these results, together with a ‘two‐step’ cultivation and orthogonal method, the culture conditions for sporulation of this fungus were optimized. The spore suspension was inoculated on a basal medium (sucrose 19.00 g/l, soy peptone 4.06 g/l, K2HPO4 1.00 g/l, KCl 0.50 g/l, MgSO4 0.50 g/l, FeSO4 0.01 g/l, agar 13.00 g/l) for 4 days, before being transferred to a sporulation medium (dextrin 2.27 g/l, urea 2.13 g/l, CaCl2 3.00 g/l, ZnSO4·7H2O 0.01 g/l, agar 13.00 g/l) for a further 4 days under the following environmental conditions: −3.9 MPa/pH 7/light 24 h/temperature 29°C; these conditions were altered to −0.3 MPa/pH 6/light 24 h/temperature 23°C in order to obtain better biomass yields. The data presented provide information on the nutrient and environmental requirements of this fungus, which will be essential for its commercial production.
Melatonin and its metabolites as copper chelating agents and their role in inhibiting oxidative stress: a physicochemical analysis
Authors: Galano Annia , Medina Manuel E. , Tan Dun Xian , Reiter Russel J.
Published: November 2014

The copper sequestering ability of melatonin and its metabolites cyclic 3‐hydroxymelatonin (3OHM), N1‐acetyl‐N2‐formyl‐5‐methoxykynuramine (AFMK), and N1‐acetyl‐5‐methoxykynuramine (AMK) was investigated within the frame of the Density Functional Theory. It was demonstrated that these compounds are capable of chelating copper ions, yielding stable complexes. The most likely chelation sites were identified. Two different mechanisms were modeled, the direct‐chelation mechanism (DCM) and the coupled‐deprotonation‐chelation mechanism (CDCM). It is proposed that, under physiological conditions, CDCM would be the main chelation route for Cu(II). It was found that melatonin and its metabolites fully inhibited the oxidative stress induced by Cu(II)‐ascorbate mixtures, via Cu(II) chelation. In the same way, melatonin, AFMK, and 3OHM also prevented the first step of the Haber–Weiss reaction, consequently turning off the ˙OH production via the Fenton reaction. Therefore, it is proposed that, in addition to the previously reported free radical scavenging cascade, melatonin is also involved in a concurrent ‘chelating cascade’, thereby contributing to a reduction in oxidative stress. 3OHM was identified as the most efficient of the studied compounds for that purpose, supporting the important role of this metabolite in the beneficial effects of melatonin against oxidative stress.
Asymptotics for the Conditional‐Sum‐of‐Squares Estimator in Multivariate Fractional Time‐Series Models
Authors: Nielsen Morten Ørregaard
Published: November 2014

This article proves consistency and asymptotic normality for the conditional‐sum‐of‐squares estimator, which is equivalent to the conditional maximum likelihood estimator, in multivariate fractional time‐series models. The model is parametric and quite general and, in particular, encompasses the multivariate non‐cointegrated fractional autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. The novelty of the consistency result, in particular, is that it applies to a multivariate model and to an arbitrarily large set of admissible parameter values, for which the objective function does not converge uniformly in probability, thus making the proof much more challenging than usual. The neighbourhood around the critical point where uniform convergence fails is handled using a truncation argument.
The Dependent Random Weighting
Authors: Sengupta Srijan , Shao Xiaofeng , Wang Yingchuan
Published: November 2014

We propose a new resampling method, the dependent random weighting, for both time series and random fields. The method is a generalization of the traditional random weighting in that the weights are made to be temporally or spatially dependent and are adaptive to the configuration of the data. Unlike the block‐based bootstrap or subsampling methods, the dependent random weighting can be used for irregularly spaced time series and spatial data without any implementational difficulty. Consistency of the distribution approximation is shown for both equally and unequally spaced time series. Simulation studies illustrate the finite sample performance of the dependent random weighting in comparison with the existing counterparts for both one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional irregularly spaced data.
Long‐term entecavir or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate therapy in treatment‐naïve chronic hepatitis B patients in the real‐world setting
Authors: Idilman R. , Gunsar F. , Koruk M. , Keskin O. , Meral C. E. , Gulsen M. , Elhan A. H. , Akarca U. S. , Yurdaydin C.
Published: November 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the long‐term efficacy of entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) on the natural course of disease in chronic hepatitis B patients (CHB) with/without cirrhosis in clinical practice. A total of 355 treatment‐naïve CHB patients were enrolled into the study. The primary outcome measure was viral suppression as defined by serum HBV DNA level <20 IU/mL. A secondary outcome measure was to determine the development of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Virological and biochemical responses were similar between the two treatment groups over time. The presence of cirrhosis and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positivity did not appear to impact viral suppression. The cumulative probability of HBeAg loss was 41% at 4 years of therapy. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss occurred in four patients. Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease score was significantly improved from baseline to week 48 and 96 under antiviral therapy (P = 0.013, P = 0.01). HCC was diagnosed in 17 patients (4.8%). The cumulative probability of the development of HCC was 3.3% at 1 year and 7.3% at 4 years of therapy. The development of HCC was independently associated with older age (P = 0.031) and the presence of cirrhosis (P = 0.004). Serum creatinine levels and creatinine clearance remained stable over time. ETV and TDF effectively maintained virological and biochemical responses in long‐term follow‐up of CHB patients with/without cirrhosis. HCC may still develop, although at a lower rate, and is more likely to develop in patients with cirrhosis, especially in older patients.
Enhanced surveillance of hepatitis C in the EU, 2006 – 2012
Authors: Duffell E. F. , van de Laar M. J. W. , Amato‐Gauci A. J.
Published: November 2014

Hepatitis C is a major public health issue across Europe, and with rapidly evolving developments in the therapeutic field, it is essential that countries have access to epidemiological information. In 2011, The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) introduced enhanced surveillance of hepatitis C across EU/EEA countries collecting routine data from national notification systems using standardized case definitions. Data collected from 2006 to 2012 indicate a high burden of disease with great variation in reported cases between countries. Most cases occurred among young adult males, and although injecting drug use dominated across all cases, there were increasing numbers of acute cases reported among men who have sex with men. Geographically, the reported data were the inverse of what may be expected based on findings from recent prevalence surveys in a number of EU/EEA countries. Unexpectedly, low figures were reported through notification systems in some southern and eastern European countries where prevalence is known from surveys to be high. This discrepancy highlights the limitation of surveillance data for a disease such as hepatitis C which is largely asymptomatic until a late stage, so that notifications reflect testing practices rather than real occurrence of disease. Further improvements to the quality of the data are important to increase data utility. Improved understanding of national testing practices is necessary to allow a better interpretation of surveillance results. Additional epidemiological studies alongside routine case‐based reporting in notification systems should also be considered to better estimate the true disease burden across Europe.
Impact of fine‐scale edaphic heterogeneity on tree species assembly in a central African rainforest
Authors: Vleminckx Jason , Drouet Thomas , Amani Christian , Lisingo Janvier , Lejoly Jean , Hardy Olivier J.
Published: November 2014

Questions

Soil properties have been shown to partially explain tree species distribution in tropical forests. Locally, species turnover across space can result not only from edaphic heterogeneities but also from limited seed dispersal. To characterize the contribution of each process, contact areas between contrasted soil types offer ideal settings. In the present study, we aimed to test species and species assemblage responses to a sharp edaphic discontinuity in a tropical forest tree community.

Location

Yoko forest reserve (6975 ha), Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Methods

We set up four 500–600‐m long parallel transects crossing two contrasted edaphic habitats, one lying on clayey soil and the other on sandy soil. The canopy and subcanopy trees were identified and geo‐referenced along the transects over a width of 50 m and 5 m, respectively, and soil samples were collected every 50 m to characterize each habitat.

Results

Correspondence analyses indicated a clear differentiation of tree communities between sandy and clayey soils. Using a torus‐translation method combined with Chi‐squared non‐parametric tests, we observed that ca. 40% and 18% of the species represented by at least 12 individuals displayed significant density differences according to habitat in the canopy and subcanopy, respectively, although very few species displayed significant differences in their relative abundance. Nevertheless, whole community tests of differentiation (in species relative abundances) between soil types were significant in both strata, even after removing individual species or families displaying a significant habitat preference.

Conclusion

While only a minority of species displayed a clear habitat preference, we still observed a community‐wide impact of the edaphic discontinuity on species assemblages at a local scale. Our results provide further evidence for the major contribution of environmental heterogeneity in maintaining biodiversity in tropical forests.
Using imaging spectroscopy to predict above‐ground plant biomass in alpine grasslands grazed by large ungulates
Authors: Schweiger Anna K. , Risch Anita C. , Damm Alexander , Kneubühler Mathias , Haller Rudolf , Schaepman Michael E. , Schütz Martin
Published: November 2014

Aims

Imaging spectroscopy enables measurement of vegetation optical properties to predict vegetation characteristics that are important for a wide range of ecological applications. Our aim was to predict fresh above‐ground biomass of heterogeneous alpine grasslands in two areas and at two ecological scales. We assessed model plausibility for an intensively studied alpine grassland site (plant community scale) having distinct biomass and ungulate grazing patterns.

Location

Alpine grasslands in the Swiss National Park.

Methods

Biomass data were collected in 51 plots and combined with imaging spectroscopy data to establish simple ratio models. We analysed the predictive power and transferability of models developed in two areas (Val Trupchun, Il Fuorn) and at two ecological scales (regional, local). In a next step, we compared our results to the broadband normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Finally, we assessed the correlations between model predictions and plant biomass distribution at the plant community scale.

Results

The best local simple ratio models yielded a model fit of R2 = 0.60 and R2 = 0.30, respectively, the best regional model a fit of R2 = 0.44. NDVI model performance was weaker for the regional and one local area, but slightly better for the other local area. However, at the plant community scale only the local model showed a significant positive correlation (RS = 0.39) with the known biomass distribution. Further, predictive power decreased when models were transferred from one local area to another or from one ecological scale to another.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that imaging spectroscopy is generally useful to predict above‐ground plant biomass in alpine grasslands with distinct grazing patterns. Site‐specific local models based on simple ratio indices performed better than the NDVI or regional models, suggesting that standardized approaches might not be adequate, particularly in heterogeneous grasslands inhabited by large ungulates. We emphasize the importance of collecting ground reference data covering the expected range of productivity and plant species composition. Moreover, plant community‐scale data from a previous study proved to be extremely valuable to test model plausibility.
Linguistic Fieldwork and IRB Human Subjects Protocols
Authors: DiPersio Denise
Published: November 2014

Linguistic fieldwork generally requires an approved protocol from an Institutional Review Board (IRB). A carefully‐prepared protocol – in addition to being a useful planning tool – is likely to secure IRB approval since most fieldwork plans are well within the purview of federal human subjects regulations. This paper reviews the development of the current IRB system and its shortcomings with respect to social science research generally. The notion of a ‘fieldwork problem’ and IRB reviews is then explored with a discussion of the areas that should be addressed with particular care in fieldwork proposals. This is followed by a description of the Linguistic Data Consortium's IRB experience as an example of how linguists can approach the IRB process for a protocol that meets federal requirements and serves research goals. The final section contains a list of IRB resources for linguists available online.
Religion as a Sociolinguistic Variable
Authors: Yaeger‐Dror Malcah
Published: November 2014

When considering variables that are rarely coded for in sociolinguistic studies, we discovered that general demographic studies [e.g., the census, Pew Research studies] have only recently realized that the question sets provided for demographic information rarely permit coding of religion, or when they do, provide only coarse‐grained coding; yet recent studies in sociolinguistics and social anthropology have demonstrated that fine‐grained distinctions in religious identification are necessary to account for sociolinguistic variation. This paper reviews the information from both sociolinguistic studies and demographic studies which should be considered when developing a protocol for analysis of speech variation. The paper also points out that the variation is often due to network effects from the ‘community of practice’, but at least some of the variation can be traced to ideological positions or choice of referee, both of which appear to influence language use.
African American and Black as Demographic Codes
Authors: Blake Renée
Published: November 2014

This article addresses the semantics of ethnicity/race and ethnic/racial categorization in the United States and its role in sociolinguistic inquiry. The focus is on scholars' ethnic/racial coding of African American, which is used interchangeably with the label Black. While there has been a growing body of research that shows African American English (AAE) varies both regionally and across social lines (e.g., age, gender, class), slow to follow is work addressing variation within the ethnic/racial category African American/Black in and of itself. This paper argues the field of sociolinguistics and related fields are at a crossroads in terms of how we categorize people within ethnically diverse African American/Black communities in the United States and offers methodological solutions.
Antenatal iron–folic acid supplementation reduces risk of low birthweight in Pakistan: secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Survey 2006–2007
Authors: Nisar Yasir Bin , Dibley Michael J.
Published: November 2014

The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of antenatal iron–folic acid (IFA) supplementation on perceived birth size and birthweight in Pakistan over a 5‐year period from 2002 to 2006. The data source was the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2006–2007. Information from 5692 most recent live‐born infants within 5 years prior to the survey was examined. The primary outcomes were maternal perception of birth size and birthweight, and the main exposure was any use of antenatal IFA supplements. Birthweight was reported for only 10% of the live births in the PDHS 2006–2007. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was adjusted for the cluster sampling design and for 13 potential confounders. The risk of having smaller than average birth size newborn was significantly reduced by 18% (adjusted odds ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.71, 0.96) for mothers who used any IFA supplements compared with those who did not. A similar (18%), but non‐significant reduction in the risk of low birthweight, was found with the maternal use of IFA supplements. The risk of having smaller than average birth size babies was significantly reduced by 19% in those women who started IFA in the first trimester of pregnancy. About 11% of babies with smaller than average birth size were attributed to non‐use of antenatal IFA supplements. Antenatal IFA supplementation significantly reduces the risk of a newborn of smaller than average birth size in Pakistan. Universal coverage of supplementation would improve birth size.
Deciphering life history transcriptomes in different environments
Authors: Etges William J. , Trotter Meredith V. , de Oliveira Cássia C. , Rajpurohit Subhash , Gibbs Allen G. , Tuljapurkar Shripad
Published: November 2014

We compared whole transcriptome variation in six pre‐adult stages and seven adult female ages in two populations of cactophilic Drosophila mojavensis reared on two host plants to understand how differences in gene expression influence standing life history variation. We used singular value decomposition (SVD) to identify dominant trajectories of life cycle gene expression variation, performed pairwise comparisons of stage and age differences in gene expression across the life cycle, identified when genes exhibited maximum levels of life cycle gene expression, and assessed population and host cactus effects on gene expression. Life cycle SVD analysis returned four significant components of transcriptional variation, revealing functional enrichment of genes responsible for growth, metabolic function, sensory perception, neural function, translation and ageing. Host cactus effects on female gene expression revealed population‐ and stage‐specific differences, including significant host plant effects on larval metabolism and development, as well as adult neurotransmitter binding and courtship behaviour gene expression levels. In 3‐ to 6‐day‐old virgin females, significant upregulation of genes associated with meiosis and oogenesis was accompanied by downregulation of genes associated with somatic maintenance, evidence for a life history trade‐off. The transcriptome of D. mojavensis reared in natural environments throughout its life cycle revealed core developmental transitions and genome‐wide influences on life history variation in natural populations.
Relocation, high‐latitude warming and host genetic identity shape the foliar fungal microbiome of poplars
Authors: Bálint Miklós , Bartha László , O'Hara Robert B. , Olson Matthew S. , Otte Jürgen , Pfenninger Markus , Robertson Amanda L. , Tiffin Peter , Schmitt Imke
Published: November 2014

Micro‐organisms associated with plants and animals affect host fitness, shape community structure and influence ecosystem properties. Climate change is expected to influence microbial communities, but their reactions are not well understood. Host‐associated micro‐organisms are influenced by the climate reactions of their hosts, which may undergo range shifts due to climatic niche tracking, or may be actively relocated to mitigate the effects of climate change. We used a common‐garden experiment and rDNA metabarcoding to examine the effect of host relocation and high‐latitude warming on the complex fungal endophytic microbiome associated with leaves of an ecologically dominant boreal forest tree (Populus balsamifera L.). We also considered the potential effects of poplar genetic identity in defining the reactions of the microbiome to the treatments. The relocation of hosts to the north increased the diversity of the microbiome and influenced its structure, with results indicating enemy release from plausible pathogens. High‐latitude warming decreased microbiome diversity in comparison with natural northern conditions. The warming also caused structural changes, which made the fungal communities distinct in comparison with both low‐latitude and high‐latitude natural communities, and increased the abundance of plausible pathogens. The reactions of the microbiome to relocation and warming were strongly dependent on host genetic identity. This suggests that climate change effects on host–microbiome systems may be mediated by the interaction of environmental factors and the population genetic processes of the hosts.
Effects of the deletion and over‐expression of Fusarium graminearum gene FgHal2 on host response to mycovirus Fusarium graminearum virus 1
Authors: Yu Jisuk , Lee Kyung‐Mi , Son Moonil , Kim Kook‐Hyung
Published: November 2014

The mycovirus Fusarium graminearum virus 1 (FgV1) is associated with reduced virulence (hypovirulence) of Fusarium graminearum. Transcriptomic and proteomic expression profiling have shown that many F. graminearum genes are differentially expressed as a consequence of FgV1 infection. Several of these genes may be related to the maintenance of the virus life cycle. The host gene, FgHal2, which has a highly conserved 3′‐phosphoadenosine 5′‐phosphatase (PAP phosphatase‐like) domain or inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) superfamily domain, shows reduced expression in response to FgV1 infection. We generated targeted gene deletion and over‐expression mutants to clarify the possible function(s) of FgHal2 and its relationship to FgV1. The gene deletion mutant showed retarded growth, reduced aerial mycelia formation and reduced pigmentation, whereas over‐expression mutants were morphologically similar to the wild‐type (WT). Furthermore, compared with the WT, the gene deletion mutant produced fewer conidia and these showed abnormal morphology. The FgHal2 expression level was decreased by FgV1 infection at 120 h post‐inoculation (hpi), whereas the levels were nine‐fold greater for both the virus‐free and virus‐infected over‐expression mutant than for the WT. FgV1 RNA accumulation was decreased in the deletion mutant at 48, 72 and 120 hpi. FgV1 RNA accumulation in the over‐expression mutant was reduced relative to that of the WT at 48 and 120 hpi, but was similar to that of the WT at 72 hpi. The vertical transmission rate of FgV1 in the gene deletion mutant was low, suggesting that FgHal2 may be required for the maintenance of FgV1 in the host cell. Together, these results indicate that the putative 3′(2′),5′‐bisphosphate nucleotidase gene, FgHal2, has diverse biological functions in the host fungus and may affect the viral RNA accumulation and transmission of FgV1.
Intertidal community responses to field‐based experimental warming
Authors: Kordas Rebecca L. , Dudgeon Steve , Storey Stefan , Harley Christopher D. G.
Published: November 2014

As the climate warms, there is little doubt that ecosystems of the future will look different from those we see today. However, community responses to warming in the field are poorly understood. We examined the effects of field‐based warming on intertidal communities in the Salish Sea, which is a regional thermal ‘hot spot’ and therefore a model system for studying thermally stressed communities. We manipulated temperature at three tidal heights by deploying black‐ and white‐bordered settlement plates. Black plates increased in situ substratum temperature by an average of 2.6°C (maximum temperature, 40.9°C). Barnacles fared poorly on black plates in all zones. When overall thermal stress was highest (summer in the high intertidal zone) herbivores were absent. In lower tidal zones, herbivores were abundant on white plates but were scarce on black plates. The total percent cover of algae was unaffected by the temperature treatment, despite the fact that macroalgae were expected to be the least thermally tolerant functional group. However, we did find that ephemeral green algae exhibited a delay in phenology on black plates. We also found that species richness declined and invertebrate assemblage structure was altered due to warming. Results from this year long experiment suggest that communities in thermally stressful habitats respond to warming via the interplay between species‐specific thermal responses and secondary adaptive strategies such as behavioral microhabitat selection. Declines in diversity and changes in the invertebrate assemblage were due to the decline of local thermally‐stressed species and the lack of replacement by warm‐adapted species. Given the low variation in the species pool along the northeast Pacific coastline, the arrival of warm‐adapted species to the Salish Sea may not occur over relevant time scales, leaving local communities depauperate.
Bird‐mediated seed dispersal: reduced digestive efficiency in active birds modulates the dispersal capacity of plant seeds
Authors: Kleyheeg Erik , van Leeuwen Casper H. A. , Morison Mary A. , Nolet Bart A. , Soons Merel B.
Published: November 2014

Plant populations in fragmented ecosystems rely largely on internal dispersal by animals. To unravel the mechanisms underlying this mode of dispersal, an increasing number of experimental feeding studies is carried out. However, while physical activity is known to affect vertebrate digestive processes, almost all current knowledge on mechanisms of internal seed dispersal has been obtained from experiments with resting animals. We investigated how physical activity of the mallard Anas platyrhynchos, probably the quantitatively most important biotic dispersal agent in aquatic habitats in the entire Northern Hemisphere, affects gut passage survival and retention time of ingested plant seeds. We fed seeds of nine common wetland plants to mallards trained to subsequently swim for six hours in a flume tank at different swimming speeds (activity levels). We compared gut passage survival and retention times of seeds against a control treatment with mallards resting in a conventional dry cage. Intact gut passage of seeds increased significantly with mallard activity (up to 80% in the fastest swimming treatment compared to the control), identifying reduced digestive efficiency due to increased metabolic rates as a mechanism enhancing the dispersal potential of ingested seeds. Gut passage speed was modestly accelerated (13% on average) by increased mallard activity, an effect partly obscured by the interaction between seed retention time and probability of digestion. Gut passage acceleration will be more pronounced in digestion‐resilient seed species, thereby modulating their dispersal distances. Our findings imply that seed dispersal potential by mallards calculated from previous experiments with resting birds is highly underestimated, while dispersal distances may be overestimated for some plant species. Similar effects of physical activity on digestive efficiency of mammals suggests that endozoochorous dispersal of plant seeds by vertebrates is more effective and plays a quantitatively more important ecological role in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems than previously thought.
Discovering intergenerativity: an evaluation of learning partnerships between student nurses and older adults
Authors: Reitmaier Amy , Davies Susan , Reveling Smith Linda , Mangan‐Danckwart Deborah , Hongerholt Kayla , Klinkner Jacqueline
Published: November 2014

Background

The benefits of intergenerational contact between older and younger adults have been demonstrated, yet nursing programmes have generally failed to build upon this potential. Nursing students have been deterred from identifying gerontological nursing as a career choice because of poor placement experiences, suggesting a need to develop practicum placements that reveal the potential impact of nursing when working with older adults. This study describes an evaluation of a partnership approach to learning involving nursing students and older adults.

Aims and objectives

To explore the ways in which the practicum component of a course in gerontological nursing, incorporating sequential visits with an older adult, contributes to undergraduate nursing students’ and older adults’ understanding of experiences of ageing. To identify the benefits and challenges of participating in the course from the perspective of student nurses and older adults.

Design

Illuminative evaluation.

Methods

Data were drawn from the experiences of two cohorts of students who completed the programme in 2010/2011. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 32 students and with 22 older adults who participated in the programme. Eighty reflective journals completed by a sample of 59 students following visits with their designated older adult were also analysed. All data were analysed using the ‘framework’ approach.

Results

Four shared themes were identified across the data sets: becoming aware of generational experiences, seeing the unique person, valuing the relationship and discovering intergenerativity. These themes illuminated the shared benefits of the practicum experience.

Conclusions

Structured conversations between nursing students and older adults within the context of a focused course in gerontological nursing enable the development of mutually beneficial intergenerational relationships.

Implications for practice

Involving older adults as education partners in undergraduate nursing programmes has benefits for all participants and could form a valuable component of any undergraduate nursing programme.
Kinetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis of Spinal Degeneration: a Systematic Review
Authors: Lao Li‐feng , Zhong Gui‐bin , Li Qian‐yi , Liu Zu‐de
Published: November 2014

Objective

To evaluate the clinical use of kinetic magnetic resonance imaging (kMRI) in spinal degenerative diseases.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE and ISI databases for articles that had been published between January 1978 and February 2013 concerning patients who had undergone kMRI for spinal problems was performed. All selected patients had undergone kMRI in neutral, flexion, and extension weight‐bearing positions. Evaluation of cervical and lumbar degeneration by kMRI was analyzed. kMRI showed significant reduction of mobility in cervical segments of patients with severe disc degeneration; in addition, it was more severely reduced in patients with severe cord compression than in those without it. In the cervical spine, it was found that although disc height, translational motion, and angular variation were significantly affected at the level of disc herniation, no significant changes were apparent in adjacent segments. kMRI also showed that lumbar degeneration is closely associated with disc degeneration, facet joint osteoarthritis and the pathological characteristics of the interspinous ligaments, ligamentum flavum and paraspinal muscles.

Results

Eleven articles (4162 patients) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. It was found that kMRI is more specific and sensitive than conventional MRI regarding relating patients' symptoms to objective findings on imaging that demonstrate pathology and biomechanics. In the kinetic position, kMRI improves detection of disc herniation by 5.78%–19.46% and thus provides a new means of studying the biomechanical mechanism(s) in degenerative spines.

Conclusion

Kinetic MRI is effective for diagnosing, evaluating, and managing degenerative disease within the spine; however, it still has some limitations.
Transient expression assays in grapevine: a step towards genetic improvement
Authors: Jelly Noémie S. , Valat Laure , Walter Bernard , Maillot Pascale
Published: November 2014

In the past few years, the usefulness of transient expression assays has continuously increased for the characterization of unknown gene function and metabolic pathways. In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), one of the most economically important fruit crops in the world, recent systematic sequencing projects produced many gene data sets that require detailed analysis. Due to their rapid nature, transient expression assays are well suited for large‐scale genetic studies. Although genes and metabolic pathways of any species can be analysed by transient expression in model plants, a need for homologous systems has emerged to avoid the misinterpretation of results due to a foreign genetic background. Over the last 10 years, various protocols have thus been developed to apply this powerful technology to grapevine. Using cell suspension cultures, somatic embryos, leaves or whole plantlets, transient expression assays enabled the study of the function, regulation and subcellular localization of genes involved in specific metabolic pathways such as the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids. Disease resistance genes that could be used for marker‐assisted selection in conventional breeding or for stable transformation of elite cultivars have also been characterized. Additionally, transient expression assays have proved useful for shaping new tools for grapevine genetic improvement: synthetic promoters, silencing constructs, minimal linear cassettes or viral vectors. This review provides an update on the different tools (DNA constructs, reporter genes, vectors) and methods (Agrobacterium‐mediated and direct gene transfer methods) available for transient gene expression in grapevine. The most representative results published thus far are then described.
Modifying plants for biofuel and biomaterial production
Authors: Furtado Agnelo , Lupoi Jason S. , Hoang Nam V. , Healey Adam , Singh Seema , Simmons Blake A. , Henry Robert J.
Published: November 2014

The productivity of plants as biofuel or biomaterial crops is established by both the yield of plant biomass per unit area of land and the efficiency of conversion of the biomass to biofuel. Higher yielding biofuel crops with increased conversion efficiencies allow production on a smaller land footprint minimizing competition with agriculture for food production and biodiversity conservation. Plants have traditionally been domesticated for food, fibre and feed applications. However, utilization for biofuels may require the breeding of novel phenotypes, or new species entirely. Genomics approaches support genetic selection strategies to deliver significant genetic improvement of plants as sources of biomass for biofuel manufacture. Genetic modification of plants provides a further range of options for improving the composition of biomass and for plant modifications to assist the fabrication of biofuels. The relative carbohydrate and lignin content influences the deconstruction of plant cell walls to biofuels. Key options for facilitating the deconstruction leading to higher monomeric sugar release from plants include increasing cellulose content, reducing cellulose crystallinity, and/or altering the amount or composition of noncellulosic polysaccharides or lignin. Modification of chemical linkages within and between these biomass components may improve the ease of deconstruction. Expression of enzymes in the plant may provide a cost‐effective option for biochemical conversion to biofuel.
Michelin Tire Baby Syndrome: A Review of the Literature and a Proposal for Diagnostic Criteria with Adoption of the Name Circumferential Skin Folds Syndrome
Authors: Rothman Ilene L.
Published: November 2014

The term Michelin tire baby (MTB), named for the cartoon mascot of the Michelin Tire Company, has been used to describe babies with multiple symmetric circumferential rings of folded skin. In those reported with this phenotype who had skin biopsies, pathology has shown nevus lipomatosis, smooth muscle hamartoma, degenerative collagen, and scarring. Others did not undergo biopsy or had normal skin. Many individuals with the MTB phenotype have had a variety of other congenital anomalies. I review the literature on MTB and the history of the designation Michelin tire baby Syndrome (MTBS). Because the term MTBS has been poorly defined or not defined at all, I propose strict criteria for diagnosis. In doing so, it is recommended that the syndrome be renamed to avoid further confusion.