bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial ecology of the salmon necrobiome: evidence salmon carrion decomposition influences aquatic and terrestrial insect microbiomes
Authors: Pechal Jennifer L. , Benbow M. Eric
Published: December 2015

Carrion decomposition is driven by complex relationships that affect necrobiome community (i.e. all organisms and their genes associated with a dead animal) interactions, such as insect species arrival time to carrion and microbial succession. Little is understood about how microbial communities interact with invertebrates at the aquatic–terrestrial habitat interface. The first objective of the study was to characterize internal microbial communities using high‐throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons for aquatic insects (three mayfly species) in streams with salmon carcasses compared with those in streams without salmon carcasses. The second objective was to assess the epinecrotic microbial communities of decomposing salmon carcasses (Oncorhynchus keta) compared with those of terrestrial necrophagous insects (Calliphora terraenovae larvae and adults) associated with the carcasses. There was a significant difference in the internal microbiomes of mayflies collected in salmon carcass‐bearing streams and in non‐carcass streams, while the developmental stage of blow flies was the governing factor in structuring necrophagous insect internal microbiota. Furthermore, the necrophagous internal microbiome was influenced by the resource on which the larvae developed, and changes in the adult microbiome varied temporally. Overall, these carrion subsidy‐driven networks respond to resource pulses with bottom‐up effects on consumer microbial structure, as revealed by shifting communities over space and time.
Phosphorus depletion in forest soils shapes bacterial communities towards phosphorus recycling systems
Authors: Bergkemper Fabian , Schöler Anne , Engel Marion , Lang Friederike , Krüger Jaane , Schloter Michael , Schulz Stefanie
Published: December 2015

Phosphorus (P) is an important macronutrient for all biota on earth but similarly a finite resource. Microorganisms play on both sides of the fence as they effectively mineralize organic and solubilize precipitated forms of soil phosphorus but conversely also take up and immobilize P. Therefore, we analysed the role of microbes in two beech forest soils with high and low P content by direct sequencing of metagenomic deoxyribonucleic acid. For inorganic P solubilization, a significantly higher microbial potential was detected in the P‐rich soil. This trait especially referred to Candidatus Solibacter usiatus, likewise one of the dominating species in the data sets. A higher microbial potential for efficient phosphate uptake systems (pstSCAB) was detected in the P‐depleted soil. Genes involved in P starvation response regulation (phoB, phoR) were prevalent in both soils. This underlines the importance of effective phosphate (Pho) regulon control for microorganisms to use alternative P sources during phosphate limitation. Predicted genes were primarily harboured by Rhizobiales, Actinomycetales and Acidobacteriales.
Identification of bypass reactions leading to the formation of one central steroid degradation intermediate in metabolism of different bile salts in Pseudomonas sp. strain Chol1
Authors: Holert Johannes , Yücel Onur , Jagmann Nina , Prestel Andreas , Möller Heiko M. , Philipp Bodo
Published: December 2015

The bile salts cholate, deoxycholate, chenodeoxycholate and lithocholate are released from vertebrates into soil and water where environmental bacteria degrade these widespread steroid compounds. It was investigated whether different enzymes are required for the degradation of these tri‐, di‐ and monohydroxylated bile salts in the model organism Pseudomonas sp. strain Chol1. Experiments with available and novel mutants showed that the degradation of the C5‐carboxylic side chain attached to the steroid skeleton is catalysed by the same set of enzymes. A difference was found for the degradation of partially degraded bile salts consisting of H‐methylhexahydroindanone‐propanoates (HIPs). With deoxycholate and lithocholate, which lack a hydroxy group at C7 of the steroid skeleton, an additional acyl‐coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase was required for β‐oxidation of the C3‐carboxylic side chain attached to the methylhexahydroindanone moiety. The β‐oxidation of this side chain could be measured in vitro. With cholate and deoxycholate, a reductive dehydroxylation of the C12‐hydroxy group of HIP was required. Deletion of candidate genes for this reaction step revealed that a so‐far unknown steroid dehydratase and a steroid oxidoreductase were responsible for this CoA‐dependent reaction. These results showed that all bile salts are channelled into a common pathway via bypass reactions with 3'‐hydroxy‐HIP‐CoA as central intermediate.
Coping with Diversity in Alliances for Innovation: The Role of Relational Social Capital and Knowledge Codifiability
Authors: Vlaisavljevic Vesna , Cabello‐Medina Carmen , Pérez‐Luño Ana
Published: December 2015

Alliances are increasingly considered a key element for innovation, especially in knowledge‐intensive firms. While this is true, the mere membership to alliances does not explain innovation performance, and thus the alliance's characteristics that determine high performance must be examined. This research address the question of how the diversity of partners in a certain alliance for innovation affects innovation performance, and how this influence can be moderated by certain characteristics, such as the relational dimension of social capital and the type of knowledge shared among partners. The empirical analysis of a sample of 90 biotech companies shows that there is an inverted U‐shaped relationship between alliance partner diversity and innovation performance and confirms the positive moderating effects of relational social capital and knowledge codifiability. These findings contribute to the current research on alliances for innovation by providing empirical evidence on why some alliances perform better than others. Also, the results suggest that the study of alliance partner diversity, as a determinant of alliance performance, should not be addressed in isolation.
Urban Citizenship and Right to the City: The Fragmentation of Claims
Authors: Blokland Talja , Hentschel Christine , Holm Andrej , Lebuhn Henrik , Margalit Talia
Published: December 2015

In this symposium, we explore how urban citizenship is about expressing, if not producing, difference, and how fragmentation of claims affects urban citizenship and right to the city movements with their universal, all‐inclusive ideals. Investigating social movements, political participation and conflicting diversities in public space in Tel Aviv and Berlin, we see a trend towards a diversification of interests, a weakening of movements, and even a competition over rights and resources rather than a development of mutual support and solidarities among various groups on the pathway to a livable city. This tension, we argue, deserves attention. Radical urban scholarship and politics need to better understand the historical and place‐specific contexts that structure the formation of citizenship claims and the courses that citizenship struggles take. Celebrations of urban citizenship as a more contextualized, community oriented, and bottom‐up framework (in comparison to national citizenship) should therefore be complemented by a careful investigation of their fragmented and fragmenting practices.
‘There are Really Two Cities Here’: Fragmented Urban Citizenship In Tel Aviv
Authors: Cohen Nir , Margalit Talia
Published: December 2015

The inflow of African migrants into Tel Aviv's southern neighborhoods has aroused much resentment from long‐term residents. Contesting the uneven burden sharing, which exacerbates already poor conditions at the local level, southern residents have aimed their grievances at municipal and national policymakers as well as the city's more affluent northern residents. In analyzing the contestation, this article challenges traditional conceptions of migrants as the binary opposition to residents of the host city, intruders on the shared and socio‐culturally homogenous urban arena. We build on recent theorizations of urban citizenship as an agency‐centered process to think through the ways in which city residents articulate their identities relationally and hierarchically against new and old ‘others’ and argue that international newcomers have destabilized long‐conceived social relations. Using narratives of long‐term southern residents, we illustrate how the uneven geographies of African migrants' settlement in Tel Aviv have (re)set in motion a process of urban citizenship formation by southern residents, thereby adding new layers of contention to what was already a highly stratified realm.
Investigation into Seasonal Scavenging Patterns of Raccoons on Human Decomposition,
Authors: Jeong Yangseung , Jantz Lee Meadows , Smith Jake
Published: December 2015

Although raccoons are known as one of the most common scavengers in the U.S., scavenging by these animals has seldom been studied in terms of forensic significance. In this research, the seasonal pattern of raccoon scavenging and its effect on human decomposition was investigated using 178 human cadavers placed at the Anthropological Research Facility (ARF) of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) between February 2011 and December 2013. The results reveal that (i) the frequency of scavenging increases during summer, (ii) scavenging occurs relatively immediately and lasts shorter in summer months, and (iii) scavenging influences the decomposition process by hollowing limbs and by disturbing insect activities, both of which eventually increases the chance of mummification on the affected body. This information is expected to help forensic investigators identify raccoon scavenging as well as make a more precise interpretation of the effect of raccoon scavenging on bodies at crime scenes.
Determining the acceptable level of physician compliance with a treat‐to‐target strategy in early rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Wabe Nasir , Sorich Michael J. , Wechalekar Mihir D. , Cleland Leslie G. , McWilliams Leah , Lee Anita , Spargo Llewellyn , Metcalf Robert , Hall Cindy , Proudman Susanna M. , Wiese Michael D.
Published: December 2015

Objective

To determine the minimum cut‐points for rate of physician compliance with a treat‐to‐target (T2T) strategy needed to achieve optimal rates of remission or low disease activity (LDA).

Method

In this analysis of longitudinal observational data from patients with early RA, physician compliance with a T2T treatment protocol was determined for each clinic visit over 3 years. Remission and LDA were measured by Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), simplified disease activity index (SDAI) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI). The minimum physician compliance rates for predicting these outcomes were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Result

Overall, 149 patients completed 3078 clinic visits over 3 years of follow‐up. Treatment decisions complied with the T2T protocol in 2343 of these visits (76.1%). The minimum cut‐points for physician compliance rates that predicted remission and LDA according to DAS28 were 81.1% and 70.7%, respectively, and to predict remission and LDA according to SDAI, the respective cut‐points were 92.7% and 77.4%. Based on these cut‐points, three categories of physician compliance with T2T were proposed: high (to maximize the likelihood of achieving remission, > 80% according to DAS28 or > 90% according to SDAI/CDAI); medium (the minimal physician compliance to achieve LDA, 70–79% according to DAS28 or 75–89% for SDAI/CDAI); and low (< 70% for DAS28 and < 75% for SDAI/CDAI), where remission and LDA are unlikely). When patients were stratified by baseline disease activity, the physician compliance rate cut‐points were similar for most outcomes at year 3.

Conclusion

Using real‐life clinical data, we determined the thresholds for physician compliance with a T2T strategy that stratified patients according to their disease outcomes and proposed a system for classifying physician compliance as high, medium and low.
Comparative efficacy and safety of tocilizumab, rituximab, abatacept and tofacitinib in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis that inadequately responds to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: a Bayesian network meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lee Young Ho , Bae Sang‐Cheol
Published: December 2015

Aims

This study aimed to assess the relative efficacy and safety of biologics and tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) showing an inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.

Methods

We performed a Bayesian network meta‐analysis to combine the direct and indirect evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab, rituximab, abatacept and tofacitinib in patients with RA that inadequately responds to TNF inhibitors.

Results

Four RCTs including 1796 patients met the inclusion criteria. The tocilizumab 8 mg group showed a significantly higher American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response rate than the abatacept and tofacitinib groups. Ranking probability based on surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) indicated that tocilizumab 8 mg had the highest probability of being the best treatment for achieving the ACR20 response rate (SUCRA = 0.9863), followed by rituximab (SUCRA = 0.6623), abatacept (SUCRA = 0.5428), tocilizumab 4 mg (SUCRA = 0.4956), tofacitinib 10 mg (SUCRA = 0.4715), tofacitinib 5 mg (SUCRA = 0.3415) and placebo (SUCRA = 0). In contrast, the safety based on the number of withdrawals due to adverse events did not differ significantly among the treatment options.

Conclusions

Tocilizumab 8 mg was the second‐line non‐TNF biologic with the highest performance regarding an early good response based on ACR20 response rate and acceptable safety profile, followed by rituximab, abatacept and tofacitinib in patients with RA and an inadequate response to anti‐TNF therapy, and none of these treatments were associated with a significant risk of withdrawal due to adverse events.
ProSAVANA and the Expanding Scope of Accountability in Brazil's Development Cooperation
Authors: Cabral Lídia , Leite Iara
Published: December 2015

As Brazil becomes a visible player in international development, questions about accountability resonate loudly amidst wider scrutiny of the country's cooperation programme. This article takes the case of Brazil's flagship ProSAVANA programme in Mozambique to analyse changing accountability practices in Brazilian development cooperation. It documents the emergence of a transnational civil society movement contesting ProSAVANA, and analyses the interaction of this transnational movement with evolving domestic political contests surrounding Brazilian cooperation. This transnational mobilisation exposed weaknesses in Brazilian cooperation regarding transparency of action and lines of responsibility – contributing to shifts in both understanding and practices of accountability within Brazil. Campaigners called for the Brazilian government to accept greater responsibility vis‐à‐vis Mozambican constituents, and established direct lines of interaction between Mozambican and Brazilian civil society actors. To some extent, these links have enabled ProSAVANA target populations to communicate their preferences to Brazilian taxpayers, who can then call the Brazilian government directly to account. Such domestic‐transnational accountability interfaces can contribute to tackling ‘broken information feedback loops’ between donors and affected populations. However, the enduring significance of such changes will depend on the ability of emerging accountability practices to connect a broader range of stakeholders, both in Brazil and in Mozambique, and to establish constructive dialogue among competing visions and interests.
Differential Sphingolipid and Phospholipid Profiles in Alcohol and Nicotine‐Derived Nitrosamine Ketone‐Associated White Matter Degeneration
Authors: Yalcin Emine B. , Nunez Kavin , Tong Ming , de la Monte Suzanne M.
Published: December 2015

Background

Alcohol‐mediated neurodegeneration is associated with white matter (WM) atrophy due to targeting of myelin and oligodendrocytes. However, variability in disease severity suggests cofactors contribute to WM degeneration. We examined the potential cofactor role of the tobacco‐specific nitrosamine, nicotine‐derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK), because smoking causes WM atrophy and most heavy drinkers consume tobacco products.

Methods

This 8‐week study of Long Evans rats had 4 treatment groups: control; NNK‐2 mg/kg, 3×/wk in weeks 3 to 8; ethanol (EtOH) (chronic‐26% caloric + binge‐2 g/kg, 3×/wk in weeks 7 to 8); and EtOH + NNK. Exposure effects on WM lipid biochemical profiles and in situ distributions were examined using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

NNK mainly caused WM fiber degeneration and fiber loss, EtOH caused demyelination, and dual exposures had additive effects. EtOH and EtOH + NNK decreased WM (including corpus callosum) and/or gray matter (hypothalamus, cortex, medial temporal) levels of several phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and sphingolipid (sulfatide [ST]) species, while NNK increased or had minimal effect on these lipids. EtOH + NNK had broader and larger inhibitory effects on phospholipids and ST than EtOH or NNK alone. Principal component analysis clustered control with NNK, and EtOH with EtOH + NNK groups, highlighting the independent EtOH‐ rather than NNK‐driven responses.

Conclusions

Chronic EtOH exposures decreased several phospholipid and sphingolipid species in brain, while concomitant NNK exposures exacerbated these effects. These findings support our hypothesis that tobacco smoking is a pathogenic cofactor in alcohol‐mediated WM degeneration.
Genetic and pharmacological manipulation of glyoxalase 1 regulates voluntary ethanol consumption in mice
Authors: McMurray Katherine M. J. , Sidhu Preetpal S. , Cook James M. , Arnold Leggy A. , Palmer Abraham A.
Published: December 2015

Previous studies have identified an association between the gene glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) and anxiety‐like behavior in mice and have shown that the substrate of GLO1, methylglyoxal, is a competitive partial agonist at GABAA receptors. Given the well‐established role of GABAA receptors in the behavioral effects of ethanol (EtOH), we investigated the role of Glo1 in voluntary EtOH consumption in mice using the drinking in the dark (DID) paradigm. Transgenic mice overexpressing Glo1 on both FVB/NJ (FVB) or C57BL/6J (B6) backgrounds showed increased voluntary EtOH consumption compared to their wild‐type littermates in DID. Furthermore, transgenic Glo1 knockdown mice on a B6 background showed decreased voluntary EtOH consumption in DID. These genetic manipulations of Glo1 had no effect on sucrose, saccharin or water consumption. Finally, we found that a small molecule GLO1 inhibitor (S‐bromobenzylglutathione cyclopentyl diester (pBBG; 6.25, 12.5 mg/kg)) reduced EtOH consumption compared to vehicle treated B6 mice without altering saccharin or water consumption. Sucrose consumption was only reduced by the higher (12.5 mg/kg) dose of pBBG. We did not observe differences in the loss of righting reflex (LORR) or EtOH‐induced foot slips on the balance beam in response to acute EtOH administration (LORR: 4 g/kg, Balance Beam: 1.25 g/kg) in B6 or FVB mice overexpressing Glo1, nor in B6 mice treated with pBBG. These data are the first to implicate Glo1 in EtOH‐related behaviors and suggest that GLO1 inhibitors may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
Re‐exposure to morphine‐associated context facilitated long‐term potentiation in the vSUB‐NAc glutamatergic pathway via GluN2B‐containing receptor activation
Authors: Li Yi‐Jing , Ping Xing‐Jie , Qi Chong , Shen Fang , Sun Lin‐Lin , Sun Xiao‐Wei , Ge Fei‐Fei , Xing Guo‐Gang , Cui Cai‐Lian
Published: December 2015

The glutamatergic projection from the ventral subiculum of the hippocampus (vSUB) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell has been reported to play a key role in drug‐related behavior. The GluN2B subunit of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the NAc can be selectively elevated after the retrieval of drug‐conditioned memory. However, whether the increased GluN2B‐containing NMDARs (GluN2B‐NMDARs) are able to alter the synaptic plasticity of the vSUB‐NAc glutamatergic pathway remains unclear. Here, we found that the long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the vSUB‐NAc pathway was facilitated and the GluN2B subunit protein level was elevated in synaptoneurosomes of the NAc shell, but not in the core, following morphine‐induced conditioned place preference (CPP) expression in rats. The facilitated LTP was prevented by the GluN2B‐NMDAR antagonist RO25‐6981. Also, a neurochemical disconnection following microinjection of RO25‐6981 into the NAc shell, plus microinfusion of GABA agonist baclofen and muscimol into the contralateral vSUB prevented the expression of morphine‐induced CPP. These findings suggest that the retrieval of drug‐associated memory potentiated synaptic plasticity in the vSUB‐NAc pathway, which was dependent on GluN2B‐NMDAR activation in the NAc shell. These findings provide a new explanation for the mechanisms that underlie the morphine‐associated‐context memory. The GluN2B‐NMDARs may be regarded as a potential target for erasing morphine‐related memory.
Loss of brain graph network efficiency in alcohol dependence
Authors: Sjoerds Zsuzsika , Stufflebeam Steven M. , Veltman Dick J. , Van den Brink Wim , Penninx Brenda W. J. H. , Douw Linda
Published: December 2015

Alcohol dependence (AD) is characterized by corticostriatal impairments in individual brain areas such as the striatum. As yet however, complex brain network topology in AD and its association with disease progression are unknown. We applied graph theory to resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS‐fMRI) to examine weighted global efficiency and local (clustering coefficient, degree and eigenvector centrality) network topology and the functional role of the striatum in 24 AD patients compared with 20 matched healthy controls (HCs), and their association with dependence characteristics. Graph analyses were performed based on Pearson's correlations between RS‐fMRI time series, while correcting for age, gender and head motion. We found no significant group differences between AD patients and HCs in network topology. Notably, within the patient group, but not in HCs, the whole‐brain network showed reduced average cluster coefficient with more severe alcohol use, whereas longer AD duration within the patient group was associated with a global decrease in efficiency, degree and clustering coefficient. Additionally, within four a‐priori chosen bilateral striatal nodes, alcohol use severity was associated with lower clustering coefficient in the left caudate. Longer AD duration was associated with reduced clustering coefficient in caudate and putamen, and reduced degree in bilateral caudate, but with increased eigenvector centrality in left posterior putamen. Especially changes in global network topology and clustering coefficient in anterior striatum remained strikingly robust after exploratory variations in network weight. Our results show adverse effects of AD on overall network integration and possibly on striatal efficiency, putatively contributing to the increasing behavioral impairments seen in chronically addicted patients.
Brain connectivity and psychiatric comorbidity in adolescents with Internet gaming disorder
Authors: Han Doug Hyun , Kim Sun Mi , Bae Sujin , Renshaw Perry F. , Anderson Jeffrey S.
Published: December 2015

Prolonged Internet video game play may have multiple and complex effects on human cognition and brain development in both negative and positive ways. There is not currently a consensus on the principle effects of video game play neither on brain development nor on the relationship to psychiatric comorbidity. In this study, 78 adolescents with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and 73 comparison subjects without IGD, including subgroups with no other psychiatric comorbid disease, with major depressive disorder and with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were included in a 3 T resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis. The severity of Internet gaming disorder, depression, anxiety and ADHD symptoms were assessed with the Young Internet Addiction Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Korean ADHD rating scales, respectively. Patients with IGD showed an increased functional correlation between seven pairs of regions, all satisfying q < 0.05 False discovery rates in light of multiple statistical tests: left frontal eye field to dorsal anterior cingulate, left frontal eye field to right anterior insula, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to left temporoparietal junction (TPJ), right DLPFC to right TPJ, right auditory cortex to right motor cortex, right auditory cortex to supplementary motor area and right auditory cortex to dorsal anterior cingulate. These findings may represent a training effect of extended game play and suggest a risk or predisposition in game players for over‐connectivity of the default mode and executive control networks that may relate to psychiatric comorbidity.
Sequence analysis of three canine adipokine genes revealed an association between TNF polymorphisms and obesity in Labrador dogs
Authors: Mankowska M. , Stachowiak M. , Graczyk A. , Ciazynska P. , Gogulski M. , Nizanski W. , Switonski M.
Published: December 2015

Obesity is an emerging health problem in purebred dogs. Due to their crucial role in energy homeostasis control, genes encoding adipokines are considered candidate genes, and their variants may be associated with predisposition to obesity. Searching for polymorphism was carried out in three adipokine genes (TNF, RETN and IL6). The study was performed on 260 dogs, including lean (n = 109), overweight (n = 88) and obese (n = 63) dogs. The largest cohort was represented by Labrador Retrievers (n = 136). Altogether, 24 novel polymorphisms were identified: 12 in TNF (including one missense SNP), eight in RETN (including one missense SNP) and four in IL6. Distributions of five common SNPs (two in TNF, two in RETN and one in IL6) were further analyzed with regard to body condition score. Two SNPs in the non‐coding parts of TNF (c.‐40A>C and c.233+14G>A) were associated with obesity in Labrador dogs. The obtained results showed that the studied adipokine genes are highly polymorphic and two polymorphisms in the TNF gene may be considered as markers predisposing Labrador dogs to obesity.
Big fish in big ponds: Contrast and assimilation effects on math and verbal self‐concepts of students in within‐school gifted tracks
Authors: Herrmann Julia , Schmidt Isabelle , Kessels Ursula , Preckel Franzis
Published: December 2015

Background

Ability grouping can lower students’ academic self‐perceptions through reference group effects of class‐average achievement on academic self‐concept (ASC) – the Big‐fish‐little‐Pond‐effect (BFLPE; Marsh & Parker, 1984, J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 47, 213). Although the effect itself is well documented, many open questions remain. For instance, negative contrast effects of group average achievement and positive assimilation effects of group status are confounded in most BFLPE studies. For the verbal domain, no study has yet investigated contrast and assimilation effects simultaneously. Strong assimilation effects can be assumed for gifted ability grouping.

Aims

We aimed at disentangling contrast and assimilation effects of full‐time within‐school gifted tracking on verbal ASC and math ASC.

Sample

Students attended regular or gifted classes within the top track of German secondary schools. Our sample comprised 1,330 fifth‐grade students (42 regular classes, n = 1,069, 48% female; 15 gifted classes, n = 261, 39% female).

Methods

Using multilevel regression analyses, we simultaneously modelled negative contrast effects of class ability and positive assimilation effects of class type (regular vs. gifted) on ASC in math and the verbal domain.

Results and conclusions

In the mathematical domain, the assimilation effect, caused by membership in gifted classes, compensated for negative contrast effects of class‐average achievement on ASC even after controlling for previous ASC. In the verbal domain, we found neither a significant contrast effect nor an assimilation effect. Implications for gifted education are discussed.
Language‐related values, reading amount, and reading comprehension in students with migration backgrounds
Authors: El‐Khechen Wahiba , Ferdinand Hanna D. , Steinmayr Ricarda , McElvany Nele
Published: December 2015

Background

Although various studies on general language performance have investigated determinants of students’ reading comprehension (e.g., reading amount), they have paid insufficient attention to how students perceive parental values influence their language‐related values and behaviour – and, as a consequence, their performance. This is particularly the case for bilingual students with a migration background.

Aims

The present study aims to examine the impact of how students perceive parental values regarding German (attainment, utility, and cost), students’ (utility) value of German/Turkish, and students’ reading amount in German/Turkish on German reading comprehension.

Sample

A total of 118 Grade 4 students in Germany with Turkish as their family language.

Methods

Reading comprehension was measured with a 15‐item standardized test. Whereas students’ reading amount (German/Turkish) was assessed through students’ self‐reports on three questions, students’ utility value (German/Turkish) and perceived parental values regarding German (attainment, utility, and cost) were each measured with two items.

Results

Results of path modelling supported the hypotheses that students’ utility value regarding German and their reading amount in German would positively predict their German reading comprehension, whereas their utility value regarding Turkish and their reading amount in Turkish would negatively predict their German reading comprehension. Data also confirmed a direct effect of the negatively perceived parental cost value of German on German reading comprehension.

Conclusions

The new evidence is of practical relevance for teachers, educational scientists, and psychologists who are striving to improve the educational outcomes of bilingual students. Further research needs and the significance of the results for educational practice and home environment are discussed.
Critical Management Studies and public administration: Reinterpreting democratic governance using critical theory and poststructuralism
Authors: Hudon Pierre‐André , Rouillard Christian
Published: December 2015

In this article we present the schools of thought comprising Critical Management Studies (CMS), explore their implications for public administration, and provide an alternate definition of democratic governance. We synthesize and describe the “modern stream,” inspired by the Frankfurt School, and the “postmodern stream,” associated with poststructuralist authors. Despite significant epistemological and ontological differences, these perspectives complement each other and cast new light on democratic governance. We present the respective theories of Foucault and Habermas, explore their implications for public administration, reconcile their views on power as a basis for a normative definition for so‐called good governance, and redefine the concept of “democratic governance.”
Central nervous system has a lymphatic system: What's next?
Authors: Kanda Takashi
Published: December 2015

The presence of dural lymphatic vessels has finally been unveiled. This route supplies not only the conduit to discard unnecessary macromolecules from the interstitial fluid of the brain, but also a novel pathway of mononuclear cell egress into the central nervous system parenchyma without breaking the blood–brain barrier.
Chick embryos can form teratomas from microinjected mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Haraguchi Seiki , Matsubara Yuko , Hosoe Misa
Published: December 2015

We examined whether chick embryos are a suitable experimental model for the evaluation of pluripotency of stem cells. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) expressing the reporter gene, LacZ or GFP were injected into the subgerminal cavity of blastoderms (freshly oviposited) or the marginal vein of chick embryos (2 days of incubation). Injected mESCs were efficiently incorporated into the body and extra‐embryonic tissues of chick embryos and formed small clusters. Increased donor cell numbers injected were positively associated with the efficiency of chimera production, but with lower viability. A single mESC injected into the blastoderm proliferated into 34.7 ± 3.8 cells in 3 days, implying that the chick embryo provides an optimal environment for the growth of xenogenic cells. In the embryo body, mESCs were interspersed as small clustered chimeras in various tissues. Teratomas were observed in the yolk sac and the brain with three germ layers. In the yolk sac, clusters of mESCs gradually increased in volume and exhibited varied morphology such as a water balloon‐like or dark‐red solid mass. However, mESCs in the brain developed into a large soft tissue mass of whitish color and showed a tendency to differentiate into ectodermal lineage cells, including primitive neural ectodermal and neuronal cells expressing the neurofilament protein. These results indicate that chick embryos are useful for the teratoma formation assays of mESCs and have a broad‐range potential as an experimental host model.
Empirical Analysis of the Intertemporal Relationship between Downside Risk and Expected Returns: Evidence from Time‐varying Transition Probability Models
Authors: Chen Cathy Yi‐Hsuan , Chiang Thomas C.
Published: December 2015

This paper examines the intertemporal relationship between downside risks and expected stock returns for five advanced markets. Using Value‐at‐Risk (VaR) as a measure of downside risk, we find a positive and significant relationship between VaR and the expected return before the world financial crisis (September 2008). However, when we estimate the model using a sample after this date, the results show a negative risk–return relationship. Evidence from a two‐state Markov regime‐switching model indicates that as uncertainty rises, the sign of the risk–return relationship turns negative. Evidence suggests that the Markov regime‐switching model helps to resolve the conflicting signs in the risk–return relationship.
Tracking bluefin tuna reproductive migration into the Mediterranean Sea with electronic pop‐up satellite archival tags using two tagging procedures
Authors: Abascal Francisco J. , Medina Antonio , De La Serna José M. , Godoy Dolores , Aranda Guillermo
Published: December 2015

Thirteen adult bluefin tuna were tracked with electronic pop‐up satellite tags during their reproductive migration towards Mediterranean spawning grounds as they entered the Strait of Gibraltar. Fish were caught in tuna traps and tagged either underwater, with the aid of a modified spear gun, or on the deck of the boat. Fish tagged on board initially showed a shallower behavior than those tagged in the water. The pattern of horizontal movements was also different between both groups. Shortly after tagging, the eight fish tagged in the water entered the Mediterranean Sea. Six of these fish reached the spawning ground located southwest of the Balearic archipelago before heading back for the Atlantic, whereas the other two traveled farther east, reaching its easternmost longitudes between Formentera and Sardinia and the South Tyrrhenian Sea, respectively. In contrast, two out of the five fish tagged on board never entered the Mediterranean Sea, and another one did enter the Mediterranean when the reproductive season was already over. These results suggest an impact of the tagging procedure on the post‐release behavior of bluefin tuna. Excluding the tags that popped‐off east of the Strait of Gibraltar, bluefin tuna stayed in the Mediterranean Sea for 22–28 days. Analysis of the median depth indicated a shallow behavior during both day and nighttime throughout the return phase of the fish from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean with the exception of the area around the Strait of Gibraltar, where they showed a deeper behavior that coincided with a marked vertical gradient in the currents.
Species composition and diversity of fish larvae in the Subtropical Convergence Zone of the Sargasso Sea from morphology and DNA barcoding
Authors: Ayala Daniel , Riemann Lasse , Munk Peter
Published: December 2015

Specific regions of otherwise oligotrophic oceans seem to attract fish spawning and sustain significant abundances of fish larvae. The Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre is known as the spawning area of the Atlantic eels, but numerous other fish species also spawn in the area. In order to evaluate spatial variability of larval fish in the region, we examined species diversity, composition and abundances at eight stations in the Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ) using morphological identification and DNA barcoding. From a total of approximately 3500 specimens collected, at least 154 species from 50 families could be identified. The family Myctophidae had the highest species richness, with at least 32 species represented. The myctophids Lepidophanes gaussi, Bolinichthys indicus, Notolychnus valdiviae and Ceratoscopelus warmingii were the four most abundant species. Other common species included the three eels: Nemichthys scolopaceus, Ariosoma balearicum and Anguilla anguilla. Larval fish species composition differed substantially between the relatively closely spaced stations on either side of prominent hydrographic fronts in the study area, presumably because of the strong environmental gradients. Common eel species were concentrated between the fronts whereas common myctophids were of highest abundance at the outer edges of the fronts. The abundances of most species were generally enhanced in the vicinity of the fronts. The use of combined morphological and DNA‐barcoding identification methods facilitated species identification, and we could document substantially higher levels and a larger degree of spatial variability in species diversity of fish larvae than previously shown for oligotrophic ocean areas.
Climate‐change refugia: shading reef corals by turbidity
Authors: Cacciapaglia Chris , van Woesik Robert
Published: December 2015

Coral reefs have recently experienced an unprecedented decline as the world's oceans continue to warm. Yet global climate models reveal a heterogeneously warming ocean, which has initiated a search for refuges, where corals may survive in the near future. We hypothesized that some turbid nearshore environments may act as climate‐change refuges, shading corals from the harmful interaction between high sea‐surface temperatures and high irradiance. We took a hierarchical Bayesian approach to determine the expected distribution of 12 coral species in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, between the latitudes 37°N and 37°S, under representative concentration pathway 8.5 (W m−2) by 2100. The turbid nearshore refuges identified in this study were located between latitudes 20–30°N and 15–25°S, where there was a strong coupling between turbidity and tidal fluctuations. Our model predicts that turbidity will mitigate high temperature bleaching for 9% of shallow reef habitat (to 30 m depth) – habitat that was previously considered inhospitable under ocean warming. Our model also predicted that turbidity will protect some coral species more than others from climate‐change‐associated thermal stress. We also identified locations where consistently high turbidity will likely reduce irradiance to <250 μmol m−2 s−1, and predict that 16% of reef‐coral habitat ≤30 m will preclude coral growth and reef development. Thus, protecting the turbid nearshore refuges identified in this study, particularly in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the northern Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands (Japan), eastern Vietnam, western and eastern Australia, New Caledonia, the northern Red Sea, and the Arabian Gulf, should become part of a judicious global strategy for reef‐coral persistence under climate change.
Sentinel lymph nodes for breast carcinoma: an update on current practice
Authors: Maguire Aoife , Brogi Edi
Published: December 2015

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been established as the standard of care for axillary staging in patients with invasive breast carcinoma and clinically negative lymph nodes (cN0). Historically, all patients with a positive SLN underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The ACOSOG Z0011 trial showed that women with T1–T2 disease and cN0 who undergo breast‐conserving surgery and whole‐breast radiotherapy can safely avoid ALND. The main goal of SLN examination should be to detect all macrometastases (>2 mm). Gross sectioning of SLNs at 2‐mm intervals and microscopic examination of one haematoxylin and eosin‐stained section from each SLN block is the preferred method for pathological evaluation of SLNs. The role and timing of SLN biopsy for patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy is controversial, and continues to be explored in clinical trials. SLN biopsies from patients with invasive breast carcinoma who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy pose particular challenges for pathologists.
The impact of self‐transcendence on physical health status promotion in multiple sclerosis patients attending peer support groups
Authors: JadidMilani Maryam , Ashktorab Tahereh , AbedSaeedi Zhila , AlaviMajd Hamid
Published: December 2015

This study aimed to investigate the effect of self‐transcendence on the physical health of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients attending peer support groups. This study was a quasi‐experimental before‐and‐after design including 33 MS patients in three groups: 10 men in the men‐only group, 11 women in the women‐only group, and 12 men and women in the mixed group. Participants were required to attend eight weekly sessions of 2 h each. Instruments included the physical health section of the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory and Reed's Self‐Transcendence Scale. Peer support group attendance was found to have a significant positive effect on the physical health and self‐transcendence of MS patients when comparing average scores before and after attendance. Regression analysis showed that improvement in self‐transcendence predicted improvement in physical health. Results show the positive effects of peer support groups on self‐transcendence and physical health in MS patients, and suggest that improvement in well‐being can be gained by promoting self‐transcendence and physical health.
Integrated multidisciplinary community service for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease reduces hospitalisations
Authors: Chung L. P. , Lake F. , Hyde E. , McCamley C. , Phuangmalai N. , Lim M. , Waterer G. , Summers Q. , Moodley Y.
Published: December 2015

Background

Hospitalisations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation affect patient outcomes and healthcare costs. The long‐term impact of an integrated COPD disease‐management approach on hospitalisation remains controversial.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a multidisciplinary community service reduces respiratory hospitalisations for COPD patients.

Methods

A total of 346 patients was followed for a mean duration of 27.3 months. The number of admissions, total bed days for respiratory (COPD exacerbation or pneumonia) or general medical causes and length of stay (LOS) per respiratory admission was compared before and after referral with the service. A secondary multivariate analysis examined which clinical parameters best predict benefit from such service.

Results

The total respiratory admission and hospital bed days after referral were reduced by 31% (288 vs 417,P < 0.001) and 40.4% (1637 vs 2746,P < 0.0001) respectively, compared with the equivalent duration prior. The average LOS for each respiratory admission was also significantly reduced after referral (6.61 vs 5.70,P = 0.02). Overall, 55% patients experienced a reduction in admission frequency and hospital days. The impact on admission frequency and hospital days was the greatest in those with an at least moderate disease (GOLD ≥2, odds ratio (OR): 3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2, 8.9;P = 0.019) and those who completed pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.8;P = 0.04). In contrast, general medical admissions increased, one‐third attributable to a cardiovascular cause both before and after referral.

Conclusions

The implementation of COPD multidisciplinary community service was associated with reduced respiratory hospitalisations in the long term. Patients with moderate or severe disease and who are able to complete PR are much more likely to benefit.
Cement burn: an occupational disease with favorable outcome. Case report
Authors: Chiriac Anca , Podoleanu Cristian , Moldovan Cosmin , Stolnicu Simona
Published: December 2015

We present the case of a 54‐year‐old patient with a thermal cement burn. This rare case is a localised occupational chemical cement burn on the lower limbs, with no systemic involvement and favourable outcome. The lesion was induced by prolonged contact of the skin with cement and water during hot summer days.
Rapid Synthesis of Mesoporous, Nano‐Sized MgCr2O4 and Its Catalytic Properties
Authors: Tripathi Vikash Kumar , Nagarajan Rajamani
Published: December 2015

Monophasic MgCr2O4 has been synthesized by calcining the gel formed by the addition of epoxide to an ethanolic solution containing MgCl2·6H2O and CrCl3·6H2O. The sample has been characterized by a variety of analytical techniques including powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), FT‐IR, Raman, UV–Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements at room temperature. Calcining the xerogel at 500°C and 700°C for 2 h yielded MgCr2O4 (yield of almost 61% by weight). BET surface area of 33.95 m2/g with an average pore diameter of 28.45 nm was obtained for the sample after calcination at 700°C. Square facets of the cubic spinel structure were observed in TEM images with an average crystallite diameter of 18 nm. HR‐TEM experiments and SAED measurements confirmed the spinel structure and negated the presence of other phases. The presence of MO4 tetrahedral and MO6 octahedral units in MgCr2O4 has also been evidenced from FTIR and Raman spectra. The sample showed paramagnetic behavior at room temperature with μeff of 3.54 B.M suggesting the presence of Cr in III oxidation state. Its use as an efficient catalyst for the oxidative degradation of Xylenol Orange (XO) and the photo degradation of Rhodamine‐6G (Rh‐6G) dyes have been demonstrated as these dye molecules are environmental pollutants.