bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selection for a floral trait is not mediated by pollen receipt even though seed set in the population is pollen‐limited
Authors: Campbell Diane R. , Bischoff Mascha
Published: July 2013

Seed production in natural populations is often limited by quantity of pollen received. This pollen limitation has the potential to generate natural selection through female function favouring certain floral traits (hereafter ‘pollen‐mediated’ selection). Floral traits can, however, also be under selection via other mechanisms, and the influence of a particular trait on pollen limitation of individuals is rarely quantified.

We took a trait‐based approach to pollen limitation by adding a quantitative trait to a previously published model. The modified model predicted impacts of both pollen supplementation and pollen reduction in seed production when the trait influences pollen receipt, and when the trait influences other model parameters. We then manipulated pollen availability in a population of the alpine New Zealand herbWahlenbergia albomarginatavarying in petal colour to test a long‐standing hypothesis that pale flower colour in that habitat is selected for via pollinators.

Under pollen‐mediated selection, supplementing pollination should eliminate fitness dependence on a trait, while reducing pollination could exacerbate it. In contrast, if selection through female function on a floral trait is not solely pollen‐mediated, seed production should change with the trait value even when excess pollen is added. Furthermore, if the effect is on maximum seed production, the trait effect should increase with higher pollen availability as greater resources can be used for filling seeds from more fertilised ovules.

InWahlenbergia albomarginata, average seed production was strongly pollen‐limited, with supplemental pollen increasing seeds by 43%. Selection through female function also favoured whiter flowers as quantified with reflectance spectrometry. This selection on flower colour was stronger when supplemental pollen was added, consistent with an effect of the trait on asymptotic seed production rather than an effect on pollen receipt.

These results, along with previous behavioural studies of pollinators, show that pale flower colour, common in the habitat and often attributed to pollinator behaviour, is not maintained by pollen‐mediated selection but instead through another mechanism. This study illustrates the value of combining experimental pollen supplements and reductions with trait variation to study selection of floral traits, especially in species where compatible pollen receipt is difficult to measure.
Phloem‐feeding whiteflies can fool their host plants, but not their parasitoids
Authors: Zhang Peng‐Jun , Xu Cai‐Xia , Zhang Jin‐Ming , Lu Yao‐Bin , Wei Jia‐Ning , Liu Yin‐Quan , David Anja , Boland Wilhelm , Turlings Ted C. J.
Published: July 2013

Herbivore attack induces plants to mobilize chemical defences, including the release of volatiles that attract natural enemies of the herbivore. This commonly involves the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway. However, phloem‐feeding whiteflies specifically trigger salicylic acid (SA)‐signalling, thereby suppressing JA‐based defences and enhancing host plant suitability.

Here, we show with Arabidopsis thaliana plants that the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa outsmarts this apparent host plant manipulation by exploiting the SA‐triggered emission of β‐myrcene. Assays with various Arabidopsis mutants and phytohormone and gene‐expression analyses reveal that the whiteflies induce the accumulation of endogenous SA, thereby enhancing the expression of SA‐regulated genes, one of which encodes ocimene/myrcene synthase, which resulted in the recruitment of parasitoids under greenhouse conditions. Performance assays confirmed that whiteflies directly benefit from suppressing JA‐based defences.

Taken together, we conclude that by activating SA‐signalling whitefly feeding suppresses direct, JA‐based defences, but that parasitoids can adapt to this by exploiting specific, SA‐induced volatile emissions for host location.

Our work further confirms that herbivory contributes to selective pressure governing the evolution of inducible volatile signals as indirect plant defences.
Clinical markers in Italian‐speaking children with and without specific language impairment: a study of non‐word and real word repetition as predictors of grammatical ability
Authors: Dispaldro Marco , Leonard Laurence B. , Deevy Patricia
Published: July 2013

Background

In many languages a weakness in non‐word repetition serves as a useful clinical marker of specific language impairment (SLI) in children. However, recent work in Italian has shown that the repetition of real words may also have clinical utility. For young typically developing Italian children, real word repetition is more predictive of particular grammatical abilities than is non‐word repetition. This finding is important because these particular grammatical abilities—the production of present‐tense third‐person plural inflections and direct‐object clitic pronouns—are precisely those that are problematic for Italian‐speaking children with SLI. Along with their grammatical requirements, these two morpheme types present a significant phonological/prosodic challenge for these children.

Aims

To replicate the findings with young typically developing Italian children and to determine whether real word repetition is also more predictive of the use of these two morpheme types than is non‐word repetition in a group of Italian‐speaking children with SLI.

Methods & Procedures

Seventeen Italian‐speaking children with SLI and 17 younger typically developing children matched for mean length of utterance participated in tasks of real word and non‐word repetition as well as tasks requiring the production of direct‐object clitic pronouns and present‐tense third‐person plural inflections.

Outcomes & Results

Children with SLI were less accurate than their younger peers on all measures. Importantly, for the younger typically developing children, real word repetition explained a significant amount of variance in the use of third‐person plural inflections and direct‐object clitic pronouns. For the children with SLI, in contrast, non‐word repetition was a significant predictor, whereas real word repetition was not a contributing factor.

Conclusions & Implications

It is argued that in Italian SLI, the grammatical details showing the greatest weakness present phonological/prosodic obstacles as well as grammatical challenges to these children. Consequently, non‐word repetition emerges as a predictor of these grammatical weaknesses in SLI, unlike the profile observed in typically developing Italian children.
Back to basics: working with young children with autism in inclusive classrooms
Authors: Deris Aaron R. , Di Carlo Cynthia F.
Published: July 2013

Young children with autism benefit from various adaptations made to an early childhood classroom. This article includes modifications for both teacher‐directed and child‐initiated activities. Adaptations are given for the classroom environment, daily schedule, sensory needs, transitions and general teaching strategies. The techniques described are especially important when working with young children with autism, but are also helpful for all young children. The information provided is gained from several years of experience working with young children with autism in schools, homes and childcare.
Patterns of seated activity in sensory gardens among children educated in special schools
Authors: Hussein Hazreena
Published: July 2013

This study investigated the seated activity among children educated in special schools and their adult carers in two sensory gardens in theUnitedKingdom. Seated activity was established whether the seating was used as intended or whether users preferred to sit on other attributes during their learning session. The objectives of this study are to explore opportunities for users' activity and their engagement with the attributes, whether activity is possible or if opportunities are not being actualised because of barriers. Observation and behaviour mapping methods were carried out alongside affordance theory. The outcome suggests that the number of users, the number of attributes and the total area of the zone did not relate to the median time spent per user; rather, it was the richness of the attributes that did so.
‘I don't know what it is to be able to read’: how students with dyslexia experience their reading impairment
Authors: Wennås Brante Eva
Published: July 2013

Better understanding of the diverse reading abilities of people with dyslexia is necessary for the design of more effective learning situations, which are vital both to students with dyslexia and to their teachers. Seven individuals with dyslexia currently or formerly in higher education were interviewed about their reading experiences to learn how they themselves understand and describe their reading. The interviews are treated as individual profiles. Although the respondents were adult experienced readers, aware of their impairments, none could identify any strategy for overcoming dyslexia other than investing much time in homework and study. Each profile is unique, yet they share some characteristics, including strong parental support and a refusal to accept the label of ‘stupid’. Teachers need to recognise the diverse effects of dyslexia in order to improve the chances of dyslexic students – especially those who cannot rely upon strong parental support – of continuing to higher education.
Not all election winners are equal: Satisfaction with democracy and the nature of the vote
Authors: Singh Shane P.
Published: July 2013

It is well known that individuals who voted for the winning party in an election tend to be more satisfied with democracy than those who did not. However, many winners deviate from their first choice when voting. It is argued in this article that the mechanisms that engender satisfaction operate less forcefully among such winners, thereby lessening the impact of victory on satisfaction. Results show that the gap in satisfaction over electoral losers among these ‘non‐optimal winners’ is, in fact, much smaller than that of ‘optimal winners’, who voted in line with their expressed preferences. A win matters more for those who have a bigger stake in victory. The article further explores how the effect of optimal victory on satisfaction varies across electoral systems.
Geographic Disparities in Mammography Capacity in the South: A Longitudinal Assessment of Supply and Demand
Authors: Eberth Jan M. , Eschbach Karl , Morris Jeffrey S. , Nguyen Hoang T. , Hossain Md Monir , Elting Linda S.
Published: July 2013

Objective

Studies have shown that there is sufficient availability of mammography; however, little is known about geographic variation in capacity. The purpose of this study was to determine the locations and extent of over/undersupply of mammography in 14 southern states from 2002 to 2008.

Data Sources

Mammography facility data were collected from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Population estimates, used to estimate the potential demand for mammography, were obtained from GeoLytics Inc.

Study Design

Using the two‐step floating catchment area method, we calculated spatial accessibility at the block group level and categorized the resulting index to represent the extent of under/oversupply relative to the potential demand.

Principal Findings

Results show decreasing availability of mammography over time. The extent of over/undersupply varied significantly across the South. Reductions in capacity occurred primarily in areas with an oversupply of machines, resulting in a 68 percent decrease in the percent of women living in excess capacity areas from 2002 to 2008. The percent of women living in poor capacity areas rose by 10 percent from 2002 to 2008.

Conclusions

Our study found decreasing mammography availability and capacity over time, with substantial variation across states. This information can assist providers and policy makers in their business planning and resource allocation decisions.
Validity of Infant Race/Ethnicity from Birth Certificates in the Context of U.S. Demographic Change
Authors: Mason Lisa Reyes , Nam Yunju , Kim Youngmi
Published: July 2013

Objective

To compare infant race/ethnicity based on birth certificates with parent report of infant race/ethnicity in a survey.

Data Sources

The 2007 Oklahoma birth certificates and SEED for Oklahoma Kids baseline survey.

Study Design

Using sensitivity scores and positive predictive values, we examined consistency of infant race/ethnicity across two data sources (N = 2,663).

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

We compared conventional measures of infant race/ethnicity from birth certificate and survey data. We also tested alternative measures that allow biracial classification, determined from parental information on the infant's birth certificate or parental survey report.

Principal Findings

Sensitivity of conventional measures is highest for whites and African Americans and lowest for Hispanics; positive predictive value is highest for Hispanics and African Americans and lowest for American Indians. Alternative measures improve values among whites but yield mostly low values among minority and biracial groups.

Conclusions

Health disparities research should consider the source and validity of infant race/ethnicity data when creating sampling frames or designing studies that target infants by race/ethnicity. The common practice of assigning the maternal race/ethnicity as infant race/ethnicity should continue to be challenged.
Partial and Incremental PCMH Practice Transformation: Implications for Quality and Costs
Authors: Paustian Michael L. , Alexander Jeffrey A. , El Reda Darline K. , Wise Chris G. , Green Lee A. , Fetters Michael D.
Published: July 2013

Objective

To examine the associations between partial and incremental implementation of the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model and measures of cost and quality of care.

Data Source

We combined validated, self‐reported PCMH capabilities data with administrative claims data for a diverse statewide population of 2,432 primary care practices in Michigan. These data were supplemented with contextual data from the Area Resource File.

Study Design

We measured medical home capabilities in place as of June 2009 and change in medical home capabilities implemented between July 2009 and June 2010. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the mean effect of these PCMH measures on total medical costs and quality of care delivered in physician practices between July 2009 and June 2010, while controlling for potential practice, patient cohort, physician organization, and practice environment confounders.

Principal Findings

Based on the observed relationships for partial implementation, full implementation of the PCMH model is associated with a 3.5 percent higher quality composite score, a 5.1 percent higher preventive composite score, and $26.37 lower per member per month medical costs for adults. Full PCMH implementation is also associated with a 12.2 percent higher preventive composite score, but no reductions in costs for pediatric populations. Incremental improvements in PCMH model implementation yielded similar positive effects on quality of care for both adult and pediatric populations but were not associated with cost savings for either population.

Conclusions

Estimated effects of the PCMH model on quality and cost of care appear to improve with the degree of PCMH implementation achieved and with incremental improvements in implementation.
The transfer of Taiwanese management practices to British subsidiaries: a diachronic perspective
Authors: Chang Yi‐Ying , Smale Adam
Published: July 2013

We applied a diachronic analysis to explore the presence of stickiness factors at difference stages in the transfer of HRM practices from four Taiwanese multinational corporations (MNCs) to their British subsidiaries over a five‐year period. Based on a total of 201 interviews with managers and employees from headquarters and the subsidiaries, the findings provide evidence of the manifestation of different stickiness factors at three different stages of the transfer process. More specifically, the results suggest that the main factors that continue to affect the degree of transfer stickiness over time are, first, the quality of social interactions between expatriate managers and other key actors in the subsidiary and headquarters; second, the expatriates' ability – as knowledge senders – to teach and explain parent HRM practices to host‐country nationals; and third, certain attitudinal barriers among host‐country nationals that were related to attempts to transfer HRM practices from ‘East to West’.
Palmitate induces interleukin‐8 expression in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells via Toll‐like receptor 4/nuclear factor‐κB pathway (TLR4/NF‐κB通路介导了软脂酸诱导人主动脉血管平滑肌细胞白细胞介素‐8的基因表达)
Authors: Quan Jinxing , Liu Jing , Gao Xiaobo , Liu Juxiang , Yang Haijing , Chen Wei , Li Weihua , Li Yonghong , Yang Weiguo , Wang Baoli
Published: July 2013

Background

Recent evidence demonstrates that saturated free fatty acids (FFAs) induce the inflammatory response via the Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway. Interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) is a proinflammatory cytokine that induces vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration in vitro. However, the regulation of IL‐8 expression by palmitate in human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMCs) has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulation of IL‐8 expression by free fatty acids and determine the underlying mechanisms in HVSMCs.

Methods

Human vascular smooth muscle cells were cultured and treated with palmitate, various signaling inhibitors or TLR4 shRNA adenovirus, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL‐8, nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) luciferase activity and NF‐κB p65 binding activity were studied.

Results

Palmitate induced IL‐8 mRNA expression and secretion in a dose‐dependent manner. Palmitate significantly stimulated both nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) luciferase activity and NF‐κB p65 binding activity, which were markedly diminished by pretreatment with the NF‐κB inhibitor, parthenolide. Parthenolide pretreatment also abolished IL‐8 mRNA and protein induction by palmitate. By contrast, disrupting the ceramide and phosphoinositide‐3 kinase (PI3K) pathways with myriocin and wortmannin did not affect palmitate‐induced IL‐8 expression. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) activation with calphostin C and chelerythrine partially suppressed palmitate‐stimulated IL‐8 expression, but it had no effect on palmitate‐induced NF‐κB activation. Finally, knockdown of TLR4 markedly abolished palmitate‐induced NF‐κB activation and IL‐8 expression.

Conclusions

Palmitate induces IL‐8 gene expression in HVSMCs through the TLR4/NF‐κB pathway.
Timely diagnosis of pulmonary artery tumor embolism by ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration
Authors: Lee Seung Jun , Lee Jinwoo , Yu Su Jong , Lee Hyun Ju , Kim Kyung Ju , Lee Kyoung‐Bun , Park Young Sik
Published: July 2013

Pulmonary artery tumor embolism (PATE) is a rare disease without an established diagnostic method. In an autopsy series, however, the incidence of PATE was relatively high, between 3% and 26% in patients with a solid tumor. Here we report a case of a patient with a massive PATE from hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed safely and promptly by endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration.
Gender Differences in the Perceived Effectiveness of Narcissistic Leaders
Authors: De Hoogh Annebel H.B. , Den Hartog Deanne N. , Nevicka Barbora
Published: July 2013

Researchers have obtained inconsistent results on the relationship between leader narcissism and leader effectiveness evaluations. Here we draw on social role theory and recent findings on prescriptive gender stereotypes to propose that leader's and follower's gender influence the degree to which narcissistic leaders are perceived as effective. Narcissistic female leaders lack stereotypically gender appropriate qualities (e.g. kindness) and demonstrate undesirable qualities associated with the other gender (e.g. arrogance). This combination is potentially threatening to the traditionally higher status of males, thus resulting in poor leader effectiveness ratings, especially by male subordinates. Conversely, we expect narcissism to be tolerated in male leaders. We find support for this idea in a study on 145 leader subordinate dyads. Female narcissistic leaders were seen as less effective than male narcissistic leaders. However, looking more closely, these lower ratings were only found when male subordinates served as raters. Specifically, male subordinates rated female narcissistic leaders lower while their effectiveness ratings of male leaders were not affected by narcissism. Female subordinates showed no gender bias in their effectiveness evaluations of narcissistic leaders. Thus, gender differences may be an important source of inconsistencies in evaluations of narcissistic leaders.
Effect of calf death loss on cloned cattle herd derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer: Clones with congenital defects would be removed by the death loss
Authors: Watanabe Shinya
Published: July 2013

To increase public understanding on cloned cattle derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the present review describes the effect of calf death loss on an SCNT cattle herd. The incidence of death loss in SCNT cattle surviving more than 200 days reached the same level as that in conventionally bred cattle. This process could be considered as removal of SCNT cattle with congenital defects caused by calf death loss. As a result of comparative studies of SCNT cattle and conventionally bred cattle, the substantial equivalences in animal health status, milk and meat productive performance have been confirmed. Both sexes of SCNT cattle surviving to adulthood were fertile and their reproductive performance, including efficiency of progeny production, was the same as that in conventionally bred cattle. The presence of substantial equivalence between their progeny and conventionally bred cattle also existed. Despite these scientific findings, the commercial use of food products derived from SCNT cattle and their progeny has not been allowed by governments for reasons including the lack of public acceptance of these products and the low efficiency of animal SCNT. To overcome this situation, communication of the low risk of SCNT technology and research to improve SCNT efficiency are required.
Addition of oxytocin to semen extender improves both sperm transport to the oviduct and conception rates in pigs following AI
Authors: Okazaki Tetsuji , Ikoma Erena , Tinen Tukasa , Akiyoshi Teiichi , Mori Manabu , Teshima Hisanori
Published: July 2013

Oxytocin (OXT) contained in boar semen is known to produce uterine contraction; therefore, we hypothesized that the co‐injection of OXT with sperm would improve artificial insemination (AI) using liquid or frozen‐thawed boar sperm. We initially examined whether OXT added to semen extender improved sperm transport to the oviduct. Although the addition of OXT did not affect the fresh or frozen‐thawed sperm motility or acrosomal integrity, it significantly increased the number of sperm in the oviduct at 6 h after AI injection with OXT, as compared with the control (P < 0.05). Moreover, some sperm were observed in the sperm reservoir of the isthmus in the OXT treatment group, whereas few sperm were observed in the control. When OXT was added to the semen extender immediately prior to AI, the conception rates were significantly higher in both fresh semen and frozen‐thawed semen than in the control group (P < 0.05: liquid, 87.5% vs. 70.5%; frozen‐thawed, 89.8% vs. 75.0%). From these results, we concluded that the addition of OXT to the semen extender assisted in sperm transportation from the uterus to the oviduct, which resulted in improved reproductive performance.
Evaluation of feeding value of forage soybean silage as a substitute for wheat bran in sheep
Authors: Touno Eiko , Kaneko Makoto , Uozumi Sunao , Kawamoto Hidenori , Deguchi Shin
Published: July 2013

Twelve sheep were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design to evaluate the effect of substituting wheat bran with forage soybean silage in the diet on apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance. Forage soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) was cultivated in a no‐till, no‐herbicide cropping system with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) as a living mulch. Forage soybean and Italian ryegrass were wilted and ensiled in round bales without additives, respectively. The experimental diets were based on corn silage supplemented with protein sources (tow silages or wheat bran). The crude protein and the acid detergent insoluble protein contents of forage soybean silage were the highest among the protein sources. The apparent digestibility of crude protein and the nitrogen balance did not significantly differ among the diets. In addition, the phytoestrogen content of forage soybean silage was below the level at which animal reproductive performance would be negatively affected. These results suggest that forage soybean silage has comparable feeding value to wheat bran, and can be given at an inclusion level of 17% (dry matter basis) as an alternative protein source to wheat bran without adverse effects on digestion or nitrogen balance in sheep fed a corn silage‐based diet.
Examination of the bidirectional influences of leisure activity and memory in old people: A dissociative effect on episodic memory
Authors: Mousavi‐Nasab S.‐M.‐Hossein , Kormi‐Nouri Reza , Nilsson Lars‐Göran
Published: July 2013

The present study examined the relationships between different types of social and cognitive activities and different types of episodic and semantic memory. A total of 794 adult men and women from five age cohorts (aged 65–85 at baseline), participating in the longitudinal Betula project on ageing, memory, and health, were included in the study. The participants were studied over 10 years (1995–2005) in three waves. Recognition and recall were used as episodic memory tasks, and knowledge and verbal fluency as semantic memory tasks. The results, after controlling for age, gender, education, and some diseases, including heart disease and hypertension, as covariates, showed unidirectional effects of social activity on episodic memory on all test occasions (β = .10). Also, episodic memory predicted change in cognitive activity for all test waves (β = .21–.22). Findings suggest that social activity can be seen as protective factor against memory decline. It also seems that episodic memory performance is a predictor of cognitive activity in old people. However, the opposite direction does not hold true.
JUDGING BIAS IN COMPETITIVE ACADEMIC DEBATE: THE EFFECTS OF REGION, SIDE, AND SEX
Authors: HENSON CLIFFORD C. , DORASIL PAUL R.
Published: July 2013

Debate is a “mind sport” that requires fair and impartial judging. This study examines debate rounds at the Tournament of Champions from 2004 to 2009. We use a binomial choice model to estimate the marginal effects of regional bias, sex bias, and side bias, using transitive predictions to control for idiosyncratic quality. We find evidence of region and side bias but not sex bias. These factors may explain the significant number of nontransitive outcomes in the data. Finally, we suggest some policy remedies to mitigate the impact of biases and further applications of our methodology. (JEL C25, J16, J52, J71, L83)
CAPS IN SEQUENTIAL CONTESTS
Authors: MEGIDISH REUT , SELA ANER
Published: July 2013

We study a sequential two‐stage all‐pay auction with two identical prizes. In each stage, the players compete for one prize and each player can win either one or two prizes. The designer may impose a cap on the players' bids in each of the stages. We analyze the equilibrium in this sequential all‐pay auction with bid caps and show that capping the players' bids is profitable for a designer who wishes to maximize the players' expected total bid. (JEL D44, D82, J31, J41)
The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration cystatin C (CKD‐EPI‐CysC) equation has an independent prognostic value for overall survival in newly diagnosed patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma; is it time to change from MDRD to CKD‐EPI‐CysC equations?
Authors: Terpos Evangelos , Christoulas Dimitrios , Kastritis Efstathios , Katodritou Eirini , Pouli Anastasia , Michalis Eurydiki , Papassotiriou Ioannis , Dimopoulos Meletios A. ,   Greek Myeloma Study Group
Published: July 2013

Objectives

The estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in multiple myeloma (MM) is based on equations that use serum creatinine (sCr), such as the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. However, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) group has suggested that eGFR based on both sCr and cystatin C (CKD‐EPI‐sCr‐CysC) is more accurate than other formulae for the estimation of kidney dysfunction. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate, for the first time in the literature, the CKD‐EPI‐sCR‐CysC formula in newly diagnosed patients with symptomatic MM.

Methods

We studied 220 newly diagnosed, previously untreated, patients with symptomatic myeloma and calculated eGFR using the MDRD, the CKD‐EPI‐sCR, the CKD‐EPI‐CysC, and the CKD‐EPI‐sCr‐CysC equations.

Results

CKD‐EPI‐sCr‐CysC equation detected more myeloma patients with stage 3–5 renal impairment than the MDRD, CKD‐EPI, or CKD‐EPI‐CysC equations: 45% vs. 39.5%, 42.2%, and 43.1%, respectively (P < 0.01). This was also observed in the elderly patients (>70 yrs), while in patients ≤70 yrs, the CKD‐EPI‐CysC equation managed to identify higher number of patients with stage 3–5 renal impairment (RI) than the other equations. Furthermore, 63 (28.6%) patients with eGFR values by the MDRD formula were reclassified to higher CKD stages according to CKD‐EPI‐CysC equation. The median overall survival for all patients was 52 months. In the multivariate analysis, that included International Staging System stage, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ≥300 U/L and eGFR for each different equation (as a continuous variable), only eGFR that included CysC, but not sCr had independent prognostic value (P = 0.013) along with high LDH (P = 0.029).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that equations based on CysC reveal higher number of MM patients with RI compared with equations based only in sCr. Furthermore, the CKD‐EPI‐CysC formula independently predicted for survival. Based on these data, we suggest that CKD‐EPI equations based on CysC should substitute MDRD, as it has been suggested for patients with several other renal disorders.
Maternal thermal and photoperiodic effects on the progeny diapause inTrichogramma telengai Sorokina (Hymenoptera:Trichogrammatidae)
Authors: Vaghina Nina P. , Voinovich Natalia D. , Reznik Sergey Ya
Published: July 2013

Although maternal photoperiodic and maternal thermal effects on the progeny diapause have been demonstrated in a number of insect species, their interaction has been rarely studied. We investigated this interaction inTrichogramma telengai. In a series of experiments, maternal females were reared at day lengths of 12–18 h and at temperatures of 17, 20, 25 and 30°C. Their progeny developed under day length of 12 h and temperatures of 13, 14 and 15°C. The experiments showed that both short day and low temperature experienced by the maternal generation significantly increased the proportion of diapausing progeny. In particular, the threshold of the maternal photoperiodic response decreased with temperature. Under combinations of photoperiod with daily thermoperiod, the role of the “night” temperature in the induction of diapause in the progeny was much more important than that of the “day” temperature. We conclude that the interaction pattern between the photoperiodic and thermal maternal effects inT. telengaiis generally the same as that between the photoperiodic and thermal responses directly influencing diapause induction in other long‐day insects. The threshold temperature of the maternal thermal response ofT. telengaiwas about 25–27°C, while diapause can be induced if larvae develop at temperatures not higher than 15–16°C. This suggests that, at least in the studiedTrichogrammaspecies, the maternal thermal effect has no ecological value. In the practice of biocontrol, however, rearing ofTrichogrammawasps at high temperature can drastically reduce the proportion of diapausing progeny.
Electrotrawling: a promising alternative fishing technique warranting further exploration
Authors: Soetaert Maarten , Decostere Annemie , Polet Hans , Verschueren Bart , Chiers Koen
Published: July 2013

In trawl fisheries, beam trawls with tickler chains, chain mats or bobbin ropes are used to target flatfish or shrimp. High fuel consumption, seabed disturbance and high discard rates are well‐known disadvantages of this fishing technique. These shortcomings are increasingly gaining international public and political attention, especially with the upcoming discard ban in Europe. The most promising alternative fishing technique meeting both the fisherman's aspirations, and the need for ecological progress is pulse fishing with electrotrawls. Here, the mechanical stimulation by tickler chains or bobbins is replaced by electrical stimulation resulting in reduced bottom contact, fuel costs and discards. Although a significant amount of research has been done on electrotrawls and their impact on marine organisms, most data were published in very diverse sources ranging from local non‐peer‐reviewed reports with a limited distribution to highly consulted international peer‐reviewed journals. Therefore, there is a clear need for a comprehensive yet concise and critical overview, covering and summarizing all these data and making these available for the scientific community. This article aims to meet the above goals by discussing the working principle of electric fields, the history of electrotrawls and their current application in the North Sea and impact on marine organisms. It is concluded by elaborating on the opportunities and challenges for the further implementation of this alternative fishing technique.
Silibinin protects murine fibroblast L929 cells from UVB‐induced apoptosis through the simultaneous inhibition of ATM‐p53 pathway and autophagy
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Otkur Wuxiyar , Zhang Yuning , Li Qiuyuan , Ye Yuanchao , Zang Linghe , He Hao , Hayashi Toshihiko , Tashiro Shin‐ichi , Onodera Satoshi , Ikejima Takashi
Published: July 2013

Ultraviolet B (UVB) is a major cause of skin inflammation, leading to skin damage. Our previous in vivo study revealed that a natural flavonoid silibinin had marked anti‐inflammatory effect on UVB‐exposed murine skin. UVB exposure caused reduced autophagy in epidermis while it promoted autophagy in dermis. Nevertheless, silibinin inhibited the inflammatory flux in the skin epidermis as well as dermis through the modulation of autophagy. In order to elucidate the underlying protective mechanisms of silibinin for UVB damage on skin, separate studies on epidermis and dermis are helpful. Derived from the normal tissue of the mouse, L929 cells are capable of representing some characteristics of dermal cells. UVB irradiation caused L929 cell apoptosis in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. Ataxia‐telangiectasia‐mutated (ATM) protein and p53 were activated to cause cell apoptosis, accompanying upregulation of the autophagic flux. The pharmacological inhibition of ATM, p53 and autophagy or the transfection with autophagy‐associated protein‐targeted small interfering RNAs showed that the UVB‐activated ATM‐p53 axis and autophagy formed a positive feedback loop, which synergistically promoted cell apoptosis. Silibinin treatment simultaneously repressed the activation of ATM‐p53 and autophagy and thereby protected UVB‐irradiated L929 cells from apoptotic death.
Empirical Evidence on Corporate Risk‐Shifting
Authors: Danielova Anna N. , Sarkar Sudipto , Hong Gwangheon
Published: July 2013

We study empirically whether nonfinancial firms’ behavior is consistent with systematic risk‐shifting. We compare firms’ operating risk before and after a debt issue, under the assumption that if there is any risk‐shifting it is most likely to occur right after a debt issue. We document a significant increase in firms’ operating risk, even after adjusting for industry influences. The risk‐shifting is higher for firms with no subsequent debt issues, and for firms with lower credit ratings. Other determinants are earnings volatility, size of debt issue, and whether the bond is callable.
Information and Long‐Term Stock Performance Following Open‐Market Share Repurchases
Authors: Leng Fei , Noronha Gregory
Published: July 2013

We find that firm managers have private information when they decide on open‐market share repurchases, and that this information is significantly correlated with announcement period and post‐announcement abnormal returns. We further find that long‐term post‐announcement abnormal returns are related to private information differently for firms that actually repurchase shares when compared to firms that announce a repurchase program but do not acquire shares. Our results indicate that managers’ private information is only ambiguously revealed by the repurchase announcement, and that the market waits for the firm's subsequent actions, such as actual repurchase, to further interpret the private information.
Performance of Thinly Traded Assets: A Case in Real Estate
Authors: Cheng Ping , Lin Zhenguo , Liu Yingchun
Published: July 2013

Thinly traded private assets do not fit into the traditional finance paradigm of a liquid and well‐functioning market where trading is continuous and instantaneous. Since private assets cannot be bought and sold easily, they bear liquidity risk. Classical finance theories cannot properly gauge the performance of illiquid private assets because they implicitly assume such illiquidity is trivial. This paper proposes an alternative performance metric for the illiquid private asset, which explicitly captures liquidity risk in a formal analysis. Applying the new performance metric, we are able to explain the decades‐old “real estate risk premium puzzle.”
Invasion, establishment, and range expansion of two parasitic nematodes in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Kutz Susan J. , Checkley Sylvia , Verocai Guilherme G. , Dumond Mathieu , Hoberg Eric P. , Peacock Rod , Wu Jessica P. , Orsel Karin , Seegers Karin , Warren Amy L. , Abrams Arthur
Published: July 2013

Climate warming is occurring at an unprecedented rate in the Arctic and is having profound effects on host‐parasite interactions, including range expansion. Recently, two species of protostrongylid nematodes have emerged for the first time in muskoxen and caribou on Victoria Island in the western Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Umingmakstrongylus pallikuukensis, the muskox lungworm, was detected for the first time in 2008 in muskoxen at a community hunt on the southwest corner of the island and by 2012, it was found several hundred kilometers east in commercially harvested muskoxen near the town of Ikaluktutiak. In 2010, Varestrongylus sp., a recently discovered lungworm of caribou and muskoxen was found in muskoxen near Ikaluktutiak and has been found annually in this area since then. Whereas invasion of the island by U. pallikuukensis appears to have been mediated by stochastic movement of muskoxen from the mainland to the southwest corner of the island, Varestrongylus has likely been introduced at several times and locations by the seasonal migration of caribou between the island and the mainland. A newly permissive climate, now suitable for completion of the parasite life cycles in a single summer, likely facilitated the initial establishment and now drives range expansion for both parasites.
Corporate Rebranding: An Integrative Review of Major Enablers and Barriers to the Rebranding Process
Authors: Miller Dale , Merrilees Bill , Yakimova Raisa
Published: July 2013

In the field of corporate rebranding, which is an emerging area of research, the literature consists largely of descriptive case studies that are scattered across diverse contexts. These studies take divergent theoretical perspectives that often inform only aspects of rebranding, leaving researchers and managers without a comprehensive understanding of the corporate rebranding process. In adopting a holistic theory of corporate rebranding to organize a review of the literature, this study aims to present an integrated review of the major enablers and barriers to corporate rebranding, with special attention to contextual factors. Through an examination of 76 cases in 61 articles, the paper contributes a new general model of corporate rebranding. Unlike previous models of corporate rebranding, the new model incorporates both single‐ and multi‐phase enablers and barriers. Critical to successful corporate rebranding are the identification and application of six major enablers, including strong rebranding leadership and coordination among multiple functions and stakeholder groups. The new model suggests directions for future research, and the paper discusses how managers can use the model to inform rebranding practice and improve corporate rebranding outcomes.
Are corporatist labour markets different? Labour market regimes and unemployment in OECD countries
Authors: STURN Simon
Published: July 2013

Empirical studies on the unemployment effects of labour market institutions show contradictory results. One explanation is that these institutions affect unemployment differently depending on the regime in which they operate. Because of good labour relations, institutional complementarities and a trade‐off between external and internal flexibility, they produce distinctive effects in corporatist regimes. Based on empirical evidence from 20 OECD countries over the period 1985–2008, the author finds that, in corporatist labour markets, strict employment protection legislation reduces unemployment, and unemployment benefits have no negative effect. He also shows that high real interest rates, low capital accumulation and restrictive fiscal policy during recessions increase unemployment.
Active labour market policies in Spain: A macroeconomic evaluation
Authors: ARRANZ José María , GARCÍA SERRANO Carlos , HERNANZ Virginia
Published: July 2013

Using aggregate panel data on Spain's 17 regions for the period 1987–2010, the authors present a macroeconomic assessment of a variety of active labour market policies, including employment subsidies for permanent contracts, job‐creation schemes and vocational training programmes. Their results suggest that employment subsidies for permanent contracts had no notable effect on aggregate levels of permanent or temporary employment. However, they do appear to have had a small positive effect on transitions from unemployment to employment, and from temporary to permanent employment, particularly since the 1997 labour reform. Better targeted subsidies, the authors conclude, would have incurred fewer deadweight and substitution effects.
Exploring students' learning effectiveness and attitude in Group Scribbles‐supported collaborative reading activities: a study in the primary classroom
Authors: Lin C.‐P. , Chen W. , Yang S.‐J. , Xie W. , Lin C.‐C.
Published: July 2013

Improving students' reading comprehension is of significance. In this study, collaborative learning supported by Group Scribbles (GS), a networked technology, was integrated into a primary reading class. Forty‐seven 10‐year‐old students from two 4th grade classes participated in the study. Experimental and control groups were established to investigate the effectiveness of GS‐supported collaborative learning in enhancing students' reading comprehension. The results affirmed the effectiveness of the intervention designed. In the experiment group, students' learning attitudes, motivation and interest were enhanced as well. Further analyses were done to probe students' interaction processes in the networked collaborative classroom and different collaboration patterns and behaviours were identified. Based on the findings obtained, implications for future learning design to empower L1 learning were elaborated.
Effect of multispecies probiotics on irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Yoon Jun Sik , Sohn Won , Lee Oh Young , Lee Sang Pyo , Lee Kang Nyeong , Jun Dae Won , Lee Hang Lak , Yoon Byung Chul , Choi Ho Soon , Chung Won‐Seok , Seo Jae‐Gu
Published: July 2013

Background and Aim

The efficacy of treatment with multispecies probiotics on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and the alterations of gut microbiota in patients who have taken probiotics were investigated.

Methods

This randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial involved 49 IBS patients (probiotics: 25, placebo: 24) diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: either to receive multispecies probiotics (a mixture of Bifidobacterium longum, B. bifidum, B. lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, and Streptococcus thermophilus) twice a day for 4 weeks or to receive a placebo twice a day for 4 weeks. The primary efficacy end‐point was the proportion of participants whose IBS symptoms were substantially relieved at week 4. Secondary end‐points were the intensity of abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating, stool frequency/consistency, alterations in fecal microflora over the 4 weeks. Fecal microflora were analyzed in 34 patients (probiotics: 17, placebo: 17) by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays.

Results

The proportion of patients whose IBS symptoms were substantially relieved at week 4 was significantly higher in the probiotics group than in the placebo group: 68.0% (17/25) versus 37.5% (9/24) (P < 0.05). Secondary end‐points such as improvement in abdominal pain/discomfort and bloating occurred in the probiotics group but not in the placebo group. Fecal analysis revealed that B. lactis, L. rhamnosus, and S. thermophilus had increased significantly in the probiotics group after 4 weeks and that B. lactis had increased in the placebo group.

Conclusions

Multispecies probiotics are effective in IBS patients and induce the alterations in the composition of intestinal microbiota.