bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testing the depth-differentiation hypothesis in a deepwater octocoral
Authors: Quattrini Andrea M. , Baums Iliana B. , Shank Timothy M. , Morrison Cheryl L. , Cordes Erik E.
Published: April 2015

The depth-differentiation hypothesis proposes that the bathyal region is a source of genetic diversity and an area where there is a high rate of species formation. Genetic differentiation should thus occur over relatively small vertical distances, particularly along the upper continental slope (200–1000 m) where oceanography varies greatly over small differences in depth. To test whether genetic differentiation within deepwater octocorals is greater over vertical rather than geographical distances,Callogorgia deltawas targeted.This species commonly occurs throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico at depths ranging from 400 to 900 m. We found significant genetic differentiation (FST= 0.042) across seven sites spanning 400 km of distance and 400 m of depth. A pattern of isolation by depth emerged,but geographical distance between sites may further limit gene flow. Water mass boundaries may serve to isolate populations across depth; however, adaptive divergence with depth is also a possible scenario. Microsatellite markers also revealed significant genetic differentiation (FST= 0.434) betweenC. deltaand a closely related species,Callogorgia americana, demonstrating the utility of microsatellites in species delimitation of octocorals. Results provided support for the depth-differentiation hypothesis, strengthening the notion that factors covarying with depth serve as isolation mechanisms in deep-sea populations.
Social network- and community-level influences on contraceptive use: evidence from rural Poland
Authors: Colleran Heidi , Mace Ruth
Published: April 2015

The diffusion of ‘modern’ contraceptives—as a proxy for the spread of low-fertility norms—has long interested researchers wishing to understand global fertility decline. A fundamental question is how local cultural norms and other people's behaviour influence the probability of contraceptive use, independent of women's socioeconomic and life-history characteristics. However, few studies have combined data at individual, social network and community levels to simultaneously capture multiple levels of influence. Fewer still have tested if the same predictors matter for different contraceptive types. Here, we use new data from 22 high-fertility communities in Poland to compare predictors of the use of (i) any contraceptives—a proxy for the decision to control fertility—with those of (ii) ‘artificial’ contraceptives—a subset of more culturally taboo methods. We find that the contraceptive behaviour of friends and family is more influential than are women's own characteristics and that community level characteristics additionally influence contraceptive use. Highly educated neighbours accelerate women's contraceptive use overall, but not their artificial method use. Highly religious neighbours slow women's artificial method use, but not their contraceptive use overall. Our results highlight different dimensions of sociocultural influence on contraceptive diffusion and suggest that these may be more influential than are individual characteristics. A comparative multilevel framework is needed to understand these dynamics.
DNA interference: DNA-induced gene silencing in the appendicularian
Oikopleura dioica
Authors: Omotezako Tatsuya , Onuma Takeshi A. , Nishida Hiroki
Published: April 2015

RNA interference is widely employed as a gene-silencing system in eukaryotes for host defence against invading nucleic acids. In response to invading double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), mRNA is degraded in sequence-specific manner. So far, however, DNA interference (DNAi) has been reported only in plants, ciliates and archaea, and has not been explored in Metazoa. Here, we demonstrate that linear double-stranded DNA promotes both sequence-specific transcription blocking and mRNA degradation in developing embryos of the appendicularian
Oikopleura dioica
. Introduced polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products or linearized plasmids encoding Brachyury induced tail malformation and mRNA degradation. This malformation was also promoted by DNA fragments of the putative 5′-flanking region and intron without the coding region. PCR products encoding Zic-like1 and acetylcholine esterase also induced loss of sensory organ and muscle acetylcholinesterase activity, respectively. Co-injection of mRNA encoding EGFP and mCherry, and PCR products encoding these fluorescent proteins, induced sequence-specific decrease in the green or red fluorescence, respectively. These results suggest that
O. dioica
possesses a defence system against exogenous DNA and RNA, and that DNA fragment-induced gene silencing would be mediated through transcription blocking as well as mRNA degradation. This is the first report of DNAi in Metazoa.
Discovery of novel virus sequences in an isolated and threatened bat species, the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata)
Authors: Wang Jing , Moore Nicole E. , Murray Zak L. , McInnes Kate , White Daniel J. , Tompkins Daniel M. , Hall Richard J.
Published: April 2015

Bats harbour a diverse array of viruses, including significant human pathogens. Extensive metagenomic studies of material from bats, in particular guano, have revealed a large number of novel or divergent viral taxa that were previously unknown. New Zealand has only two extant indigenous terrestrial mammals, which are both bats, Mystacina tuberculata (the lesser short-tailed bat) and Chalinolobus tuberculatus (the long-tailed bat). Until the human introduction of exotic mammals, these species had been isolated from all other terrestrial mammals for over 1 million years (potentially over 16 million years for M. tuberculata). Four bat guano samples were collected from M. tuberculata roosts on the isolated offshore island of Whenua hou (Codfish Island) in New Zealand. Metagenomic analysis revealed that this species still hosts a plethora of divergent viruses. Whilst the majority of viruses detected were likely to be of dietary origin, some putative vertebrate virus sequences were identified. Papillomavirus, polyomavirus, calicivirus and hepevirus were found in the metagenomic data and subsequently confirmed using independent PCR assays and sequencing. The new hepevirus and calicivirus sequences may represent new genera within these viral families. Our findings may provide an insight into the origins of viral families, given their detection in an isolated host species.
Digital Single-Cell Analysis of Plant Organ Development Using 3DCellAtlas
Authors: Montenegro-Johnson Thomas D. , Stamm Petra , Strauss Soeren , Topham Alexander T. , Tsagris Michail , Wood Andrew T.A. , Smith Richard S. , Bassel George W.
Published: April 2015

Diverse molecular networks underlying plant growth and development are rapidly being uncovered. Integrating these data into the spatial and temporal context of dynamic organ growth remains a technical challenge. We developed 3DCellAtlas, an integrative computational pipeline that semiautomatically identifies cell types and quantifies both 3D cellular anisotropy and reporter abundance at single-cell resolution across whole plant organs. Cell identification is no less than 97.8% accurate and does not require transgenic lineage markers or reference atlases. Cell positions within organs are defined using an internal indexing system generating cellular level organ atlases where data from multiple samples can be integrated. Using this approach, we quantified the organ-wide cell-type-specific 3D cellular anisotropy driving Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyl elongation. The impact ethylene has on hypocotyl 3D cell anisotropy identified the preferential growth of endodermis in response to this hormone. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the endogenous DELLA protein RGA, expansin gene EXPA3, and cell expansion was quantified within distinct cell types of Arabidopsis roots. A significant regulatory relationship between RGA, EXPA3, and growth was present in the epidermis and endodermis. The use of single-cell analyses of plant development enables the dynamics of diverse regulatory networks to be integrated with 3D organ growth.
Supply chain typology for configuring cost-efficient tracking in fashion logistics
Authors: Hinkka Ville , Häkkinen Maiju , Holmström Jan , Främling Kary
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a typology of radio frequency identification (RFID)-based tracking solution designs to fit differing fashion supply chains. The typology is presented as principles of form and function contributing toward a design theory of configurable RFID tracking for fashion logistics.

Design/methodology/approach

– The typology is developed based on a case study of a logistics service provider (LSP) interested in designing a tracking solution for different customers in fashion logistics. In addition to the LSP, four fashion retailers were involved in the study. The case study was carried out using a review of existing RFID tracking implementations in the fashion industry, analysis of an RFID tracking pilot conducted by the case company, and interviews with representatives of the retailers.

Findings

– By varying three design parameters (place of tagging, place of tracking start and place of tracking end) a tracking solution can be configured to fit the requirements and constraints of different fashion supply chains. In the fashion logistics context under investigation, such parameterization addresses retailer requirements, brings concrete and quantifiable benefits to both LSP and its customers, and enables incremental adoption of RFID tracking.

Research limitations/implications

– Although the typology is developed in the specific setting of a case company developing RFID tracking solutions for fashion logistics, the design parameters identified in the study can be used when considering configurable tracking solutions also in other domains and settings. However, further research is needed to evaluate the proposed typology in those settings.

Practical implications

– The proposed typology enables fashion companies to consider which configuration of RFID tracking best fits the requirements and constraints imposed by their particular supply chain. For fashion companies, who find adoption of RFID tracking difficult despite the obvious benefits, the proposed typology enables incremental implementation of supply chain-wide tracking.

Originality/value

– The developed typology, describing how RFID-based tracking solutions can be adjusted to fit the needs of fashion companies with differing supply chains and requirements, is novel. The typology is generalizable to most fashion logistics settings and probably to numerous other logistics domains.
Supply chain networks design and transfer-pricing
Authors: Fernandes Rui , Pinho Carlos , Gouveia Borges
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a new modelling framework for distribution network strategy and to study how various transfer-pricing schemes cope with stochastic demand under different countries tax policies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Use is made of real options to quantify the available options for supply chain network design. The application of real options approach relies on three main conditions, such as the existence of uncertainty (market), flexibility (different network design) and irreversibility (investments) in the decision process.

Findings

– Evaluation of the potential impact of changes in local tax policies on long-run plant and distribution centers location decisions. A more intensive tax regime tends to promote changes in the distribution network that support multinational companies. In high uncertain markets, the options to change the network are more attractive – uncertainty is linked with an increase in flexibility.

Practical implications

– The present study provides decision makers with a useful tool for supporting the design of global logistics networks, considering different scenarios and therefore determines a more after-taxes profitable logistics network configuration.

Originality/value

– Integrate financial issues while studying different scenarios for supply chain network designs. It presents a model that focus on distribution network design considering transfer-pricing methods as decision variables and aiming after-taxes bottom-line results maximization. There are relatively few “reported” implementations of global profit maximization models for large-scale networks. Thus, we believe that the implementation of global profit maximization models represents a potentially significant unrealized opportunity worthy of serious consideration by many firms.
Redefining the boundaries of the firm: the role of 4PLs
Authors: Cezanne Cécile , Saglietto Laurence
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the specific valuable partnership between human capital-intensive firms (HCIFs) and fourth-party logistics (4PLs), and in particular, to explore the way boundaries of HCIFs are changing as a consequence of the growing importance of 4PLs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper represents the viewpoints of the authors as far as the role of 4PLs in the changing boundaries of HCIFs is concerned. It is based on a literature review, especially on the analysis of the recent works on organizational boundaries developed by Garicano, Santos and their co-authors. It establishes the prerequisites on the actors of the phenomenon and provides a knowledge-based conceptual framework to understand their dynamic relationship.

Findings

– The authors show that the relationship between a HCIF and a 4PL represents a balance of power between two partners based on the co-specialized human capital provided by each of them. From four main propositions, the authors explain that the HCIF extends its boundaries and create more value through the in-house and outside critical human capital it uses.

Originality/value

– The specific partnership between HCIFs and 4PLs has been rarely mentioned in the economics and management literature. This interdisciplinary viewpoint essentially provides both academics and practitioners with a conceptual map of 4PLs and HCIFs research and also points out opportunities for future research.
Management fee base: financing and investment decisions
Authors: Pattitoni Pierpaolo , Petracci Barbara , Potì Valerio , Spisni Massimo
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to focus on different compensation structures for real estate mutual fund Management Companies and assess whether management fees paid on either Net Asset Value (NAV) or Gross Asset Value (GAV) generate distorted incentives relative to those generated by performance fees paid on the market value of the fund.

Design/methodology/approach

– To test whether management fees induce Management Companies to opportunistic behaviors, the relative effect of NAV- and GAV-based fees is compared over time using a plethora of econometric models.

Findings

– It is found that Management Companies that are paid GAV-based fees start with higher leverage to expand assets under management, then, subsequently, drive leverage and over-investment down as fund maturity approaches to minimize the negative impact of negative NPV investments on the final market value of the fund and therefore on performance fees paid at maturity.

Research limitations/implications

– A dataset of Italian listed real estate mutual funds is used. While the Italian market can be considered an ideal setting for an empirical analysis, studies on other countries would make it possible to test implications of the model that are only weakly identified in our setting.

Practical implications

– Results could be important when designing managerial contracts.

Originality/value

– It is shown that Management Companies actively manage the size of their balance sheet to maximize fees, and that NAV-based fees produce effects similar to market-based fees in terms of managerial incentives.
A review of melt extrusion additive manufacturing processes: II. Materials, dimensional accuracy, and surface roughness
Authors: Turner Brian N. , Gold Scott A
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to critically review the literature related to dimensional accuracy and surface roughness for fused deposition modeling and similar extrusion-based additive manufacturing or rapid prototyping processes.

Design/methodology/approach

– A systematic review of the literature was carried out by focusing on the relationship between process and product design parameters and the dimensional and surface properties of finished parts. Methods for evaluating these performance parameters are also reviewed.

Findings

– Fused deposition modeling® and related processes are the most widely used polymer rapid prototyping processes. For many applications, resolution, dimensional accuracy and surface roughness are among the most important properties in final parts. The influence of feedstock properties and system design on dimensional accuracy and resolution is reviewed. Thermal warping and shrinkage are often major sources of dimensional error in finished parts. This phenomenon is explored along with various approaches for evaluating dimensional accuracy. Product design parameters, in particular, slice height, strongly impact surface roughness. A geometric model for surface roughness is also reviewed.

Originality/value

– This represents the first review of extrusion AM processes focusing on dimensional accuracy and surface roughness. Understanding and improving relationships between materials, design parameters and the ultimate properties of finished parts will be key to improving extrusion AM processes and expanding their applications.
Abdominal distention and constipation followed by herpes zoster infection in a 2‐month‐old female infant
Authors: Wang Hongfeng , Fang Fang
Published: April 2015

Gastrointestinal symptoms of herpes zoster in infants are rarely reported. A 2‐month‐old female infant presented with herpes zoster and additional complication of abdominal distention and constipation. While rashes resolved, abdominal distention and constipation improved soon. To our knowledge, this is the first report of gastrointestinal complication of herpes zoster in infants. Physicians should be aware of the potential for motor involvement of herpes zoster in such infants. Herpes zoster should be considered during the diagnosis in the event of infants presenting with constipation.
Conspecific and phylogenetic density‐dependent survival differs across life stages in a tropical forest
Authors: Zhu Yan , Comita Liza S. , Hubbell Stephen P. , Ma Keping
Published: April 2015

Ecologists have long recognized that plant performance is affected by the density and composition of neighbouring individuals. With the advent of highly resolved species‐level phylogenies, it has become possible to test whether such density‐dependent neighbourhood interactions are also phylogenetically dependent. Most studies of density dependence have focused on a single life stage; however, the relative importance of different neighbourhood interactions may shift over the lifetime of an individual.

We examined effects of conspecific neighbour density, heterospecific neighbour density and average phylogenetic relatedness of heterospecific neighbours on the survival of seedlings, saplings, juveniles and adult trees of 29 focal tree species using long‐term, spatially explicit forest dynamics data and a highly resolved DNA barcode phylogeny from the tropical forest of Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama.

Our results show a decline in the strength of conspecific negative density dependence across life stages: strong negative conspecific neighbour effects at early life stages gave way to weak positive conspecific neighbour effects for adult trees. In contrast, the effect of heterospecific neighbour density on survival showed no clear trend with life stage.

We found evidence of phylogenetic density dependence in the BCI forest, with a significant negative impact of neighbourhood relatedness on focal tree survival, but only for later life stages. In contrast to studies from other tropical forests, neighbourhood relatedness had a significant positive effect on seedling survival.

Furthermore, we found that focal species varied much more widely in their sensitivity to conspecific neighbour density than in their reactions to heterospecific neighbour density or phylogenetic relatedness.

Synthesis. Overall, our results demonstrate that both conspecific density dependence and phylogenetic density dependence influence tropical tree survival, but that their relative importance varies with life stage and among species. Our study highlights the need to incorporate multiple life stages and multiple species when assessing the factors contributing to individual survival and species coexistence for long‐lived organisms.
Nutrient enrichment alters the consequences of species loss
Authors: O'Connor Nessa E. , Bracken Matthew E. S. , Crowe Tasman P. , Donohue Ian
Published: April 2015

Loss of biodiversity and nutrient enrichment are two of the most pervasive drivers of change in ecosystems globally. However, little is known about how these disturbances interact to affect ecosystem functioning.

We established a field experiment to test for effects of loss of consumer species on algal assemblages (richness and assemblage structure) and ecosystem functioning (ecosystem productivity and algal biomass accumulation) on rocky shores. We manipulated the presence of three common molluscan grazer species in newly created rock pools over 13 months. Our grazer manipulation was based on a subtractive experimental design, and we also manipulated nutrient concentrations to evaluate explicitly how resource availability affected the consequences of species loss.

We found that the effects of loss of grazer species on algal assemblages and their functioning depended strongly on both the identity of the grazer species lost and of those remaining in the community. Moreover, the effects of loss of species depended on nutrient availability, making it extremely difficult to predict the effects of species loss generally without detailed knowledge of a system.

Our results demonstrate clearly that the effects of grazer species loss on primary producers and ecosystem functioning may not be generalisable based on grazer functional roles or traits.

Synthesis. Our findings highlight the need to include key physical drivers, such as nutrient availability, explicitly into biodiversity–ecosystem functioning models in order to move towards a predictive framework that incorporates the effects of both environmental heterogeneity and anthropogenic stressors.
Tree genotype mediates covariance among communities from microbes to lichens and arthropods
Authors: Lamit Louis J. , Busby Posy E. , Lau Matthew K. , Compson Zacchaeus G. , Wojtowicz Todd , Keith Arthur R. , Zinkgraf Matthew S. , Schweitzer Jennifer A. , Shuster Stephen M. , Gehring Catherine A. , Whitham Thomas G.
Published: April 2015

Community genetics studies frequently focus on individual communities associated with individual plant genotypes, but little is known about the genetically based relationships among taxonomically and spatially disparate communities. We integrate studies of a wide range of communities living on the same plant genotypes to understand how the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of one community may be constrained or modulated by its underlying genetic connections to another community.

We use pre‐existing data sets collected from Populus angustifolia (narrowleaf cottonwood) growing in a common garden to test the hypothesis that the composition of pairs of distinct communities (e.g. endophytes, pathogens, lichens, arthropods, soil microbes) covary across tree genotypes, such that individual plant genotypes that support a unique composition of one community are more likely to support a unique composition of another community. We then evaluate the hypotheses that physical proximity, taxonomic similarity, time between sampling (time attenuation), and interacting foundation species within communities explain the strength of correlations.

Three main results emerged. First, Mantel tests between communities revealed moderate to strong (ρ = 0.25–0.85) community–genetic correlations in almost half of the comparisons; correlations among phyllosphere endophyte, pathogen and arthropod communities were the most robust. Secondly, physical proximity determined the strength of community–genetic correlations, supporting a physical proximity hypothesis. Thirdly, consistent with the interacting foundation species hypothesis, the most abundant species drove many of the stronger correlations. Other hypotheses were not supported.

Synthesis. The field of community genetics demonstrates that the structure of communities varies among plant genotypes; our results add to this field by showing that disparate communities covary among plant genotypes. Eco‐evolutionary dynamics between plants and their associated organisms may therefore be mediated by the shared connections of different communities to plant genotype, indicating that the organization of biodiversity in this system is genetically based and non‐neutral.
Reclaiming Politics: Popular Democracy in Britain after the Scottish Referendum
Authors: Tierney Stephen
Published: April 2015

Referendums are often criticised for being elite‐controlled and undeliberative. This article argues that the detailed, multiactor regulation of the Scottish referendum resulted in an elaborate legal regime which helped to overcome these potential pathologies, diluting executive control and facilitating an exercise in national public engagement. It addresses the troubled history of referendum use in the UK and contends that the Scottish process may well transform how referendums are now viewed. Indeed, one outcome of the Scottish process is likely to be a greater demand at UK level for the use of direct democracy in processes of significant constitutional change. It is by no means certain, however, that these demands for greater popular engagement in the process of constitutional change will be met, particularly when we consider the Smith Commission process, which marks a return to elite interparty bargaining.
Competition in the Audit Market: Policy Implications
Authors: GERAKOS JOSEPH , SYVERSON CHAD
Published: April 2015

The audit market's unique combination of features—its role in capital market transparency, mandated demand, and concentrated supply—means it receives considerable attention from policy makers. We explore the effects of two market scenarios that have been the focus of policy discussions: mandatory audit firm rotation and further supply concentration due to the exit of a “Big 4” audit firm. To do so, we first estimate publicly traded firms' demand for auditing services, allowing the services provided by each of the Big 4 to be differentiated products. We then use those estimates to calculate how each scenario would affect client firms' consumer surplus. We estimate that, for U.S. publicly trade firms, mandatory audit firm rotation would induce consumer surplus losses of approximately $2.7 billion if rotation were required after 10 years and $4.7–5.0 billion if after only four years. We find similarly that exit by one of the Big 4 would reduce client firms' surplus by $1.4–1.8 billion. These estimates reflect only the value of firms' lost options to hire the exiting audit firm; they do not include likely fee increases resulting from less competition among audit firms. The latter could result in audit fee increases between $0.75–1.3 billion per year for mandatory rotation and $0.47–0.58 billion per year for the disappearance of a Big 4 audit firm. Such losses are substantial; by comparison, total audit fees for public firms were $11 billion in 2010.
Development and Use of Mobile Containment Units for the Evaluation and Treatment of Potential Ebola Virus Disease Patients in a United States Hospital
Authors: Sugalski Gregory , Murano Tiffany , Fox Adam , Rosania Anthony
Published: April 2015

Ebola virus disease (EVD) has been the subject of recent attention due to the current outbreak in West Africa, as well as the appearance of a number of cases within the United States. The presence of EVD patients in the United States required health care systems to prepare for the identification and management of both patients under investigation and patients with confirmed EVD infection. This article discusses the development and use of a mobile containment unit in an extended treatment area as a novel approach to isolation and screening of potential EVD patients.
Squamous cell dysplasia and carcinoma of the conjunctiva. A nationwide, retrospective, epidemiological study of Danish patients
Authors: Ramberg Ingvild , Heegaard Steffen , Prause Jan Ulrik , Sjö Nicolai Christian , Toft Peter Bjerre
Published: April 2015

Purpose

To investigate the epidemiology of squamous cell dysplasia and carcinoma of the conjunctiva in Denmark.

Methods

Review of the histopathological case reports at the Eye Pathology Institute (EPI), University of Copenhagen, and the National Danish Pathology Bank from 1980 to 2011. Information regarding distribution of age and sex, localization, earlier pathology, comorbidity and recurrence of the condition was registered. The Cause of Death Registry at Statens Serum Institut was used to obtain information regarding cause of death.

Results

A total of 143 cases were identified. Ninety‐five (61%) had epithelial dysplasia, 19 (13%) had carcinoma in situ, and 29 (20%) had squamous cell carcinoma. A significantly higher proportion of men were found. The median age at diagnosis was 65 years. The risk of recurrence was 10.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.0–15.0] after 1 year and 17.2% (95% CI: 10.8–23.7) after 5 years. The lesions were most often localized to the corneal limbus. In our records, one patient had a lymph node metastasis and the disease necessitated enucleation in two patients. No patients had died from squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva.

Conclusion

Overall, our data are in agreement with the results of previous studies in Northern, high‐latitude countries. There is a low incidence rate; the lesions are predominantly seen in men in their seventh decade and localized to the corneal limbus. The risk of recurrence is high, and the benign lesions have potential to progress to frank carcinoma.
Natural selection and the maximization of fitness
Authors: Birch Jonathan
Published: April 2015

The notion that natural selection is a process of fitness maximization gets a bad press in population genetics, yet in other areas of biology the view that organisms behave as if attempting to maximize their fitness remains widespread. Here I critically appraise the prospects for reconciliation. I first distinguish four varieties of fitness maximization. I then examine two recent developments that may appear to vindicate at least one of these varieties. The first is the ‘new’ interpretation of Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection, on which the theorem is exactly true for any evolving population that satisfies some minimal assumptions. The second is the Formal Darwinism project, which forges links between gene frequency change and optimal strategy choice. In both cases, I argue that the results fail to establish a biologically significant maximization principle. I conclude that it may be a mistake to look for universal maximization principles justified by theory alone. A more promising approach may be to find maximization principles that apply conditionally and to show that the conditions were satisfied in the evolution of particular traits.
Genetic analysis of choroideremia families in the Australian population
Authors: McLaren Terri L , De Roach John N , Montgomery Hannah , Hoffmann Ling , Kap Caitlyn , Lamey Tina M
Published: April 2015

Background

Choroideremia is an X‐linked inherited chorioretinal disease known to be caused by mutations in the CHM gene. In this study, Australian families clinically diagnosed with choroideremia were genetically analysed for mutations in the CHM gene.

Design

The Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Register and DNA Bank (AIRDR) was investigated to identify a cohort of choroideremia‐affected families for genetic analysis.

Participants

Participants were sourced from the AIRDR. Thirty‐two participants (15 affected, 10 carriers, 7 unaffected) sourced from 11 unrelated families having at least one member clinically diagnosed with choroideremia were included in the study.

Methods

We performed sequence analysis of the CHM gene on the DNA of nine probands. We received the direct sequencing results of two probands by other means. Targeted analysis was subsequently performed for all 32 participants to confirm the direct sequencing results in the 11 probands and to establish the presence or absence of the implicated mutation in the remaining 21 affected, carrier or unaffected family members.

Main Outcome Measures

Genetic characterisation of 11 choroideremia families in the Australian population.

Results

A CHM mutation was detected in all 11 families. Each family had a different mutation. Mutations segregated within each family according to disease status. Five mutations were novel and six have been previously reported.

Conclusions

Six previously reported and five novel CHM mutations were detected in 11 Australian families clinically diagnosed with choroideremia. We anticipate that this work will facilitate access for AIRDR participants and their progeny to CHM gene therapy trials.
Immediate implant placement with simultaneous guided bone regeneration in the esthetic zone: 10‐year clinical and radiographic outcomes
Authors: Kuchler Ulrike , Chappuis Vivianne , Gruber Reinhard , Lang Niklaus P. , Salvi Giovanni E.
Published: April 2015

Aim

To associate the dimension of the facial bone wall with clinical, radiological, and patient‐centered outcomes at least 10 years after immediate implant placement with simultaneous guided bone regeneration in a retrospective study.

Material and methods

Primary endpoint was the distance from the implant shoulder (IS) to the first bone‐to‐implant contact (IS‐BIC10y). Secondary endpoints included the facial bone thickness (BT10y) 2, 4, and 6 mm apical to the IS, and the implant position. At baseline, the horizontal defect width (HDWBL) from the implant surface to the alveolar wall was recorded. At recall, distance from the IS to the mucosal margin (IS‐MM10y), degree of soft tissue coverage of the mesial and distal aspects of the implants (PISm10y, PISd10y; Papilla Index), pocket probing depth (PPD10y), and patient‐centered outcomes were determined. Width of the keratinized mucosa (KM), Full‐Mouth Plaque and Bleeding Score (FMPS, FMBS) were available for both time points.

Results

Of the 20 patients who underwent immediate implant placement with simultaneous guided bone regeneration and transmucosal healing, nine males and eight females with a median age of 62 years (42 min, 84 max) were followed up for a median period of 10.5 y (min 10.1 max 11.5). The 10‐year implant survival rate was 100%. Multivariate regression analysis revealed a correlation of the IS‐BIC10y, controlled for age and gender, with four parameters: HDWBL (P = 0.03), KMBL‐10 (P = 0.02), BT10 4 mm (P = 0.01), and BT10 6 mm (P = 0.01).

Conclusion

Within the conditions of the present study, the horizontal defect width was the main indicator for the vertical dimension of the facial bone. The facial bone dimension was further associated with a reduction in the width of the keratinized mucosa and the dimension of the buccal bone.
Distraction of clinicians by smartphones in hospitals: a concept analysis
Authors: McBride Deborah L.
Published: April 2015

Aim

To report an analysis of the concept of distraction of clinicians by smartphones and other mobile devices in hospitals.

Background

In the healthcare literature, the concept of distraction of clinicians by smartphones and other mobile devices in hospitals has no consistent definition.

Design

Concept analysis.

Data sources

Journal articles published from 2003–2014.

Methods

Rodgers’ Evolutionary Concept Analysis Method was used to analyse the concept of distraction of clinicians by smartphones and other mobile devices in hospitals.

Results

This analysis led to a definition of distraction of clinicians by smartphones as the interruption of a hospital clinician's primary task by the internally or externally initiated use of their smartphone or other mobile device. There are six attributes of distraction by smartphones and other mobile devices in hospitals. These attributes are: (1) an experience by a clinician; (2) an intrusion into a primary clinical task; (3) discontinuity of the clinical task; (4) externally or internally initiated; (5) situated in a healthcare setting; and (6) mediated by a smartphone or other mobile device.

Conclusion

Use of the definition and the defining attributes of distraction of clinicians by smartphones will increase the validity and reliability of future studies. It will be extended to form a classification system of distractions within a framework of clinical practice, which will be used to unify and standardize future research studies.
Inaugural Maximum Values for Sodium in Processed Food Products in the Americas
Authors: Campbell Norm , Legowski Barbara , Legetic Branka , Nilson Eduardo , L'Abbé Mary
Published: April 2015

Reducing dietary salt/sodium is one of the most cost‐effective interventions to improve population health. There are five initiatives in the Americas that independently developed targets for reformulating foods to reduce salt/sodium content. Applying selection criteria, recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on Dietary Salt/Sodium Reduction, a consortium of governments, civil society, and food companies (the Salt Smart Consortium) agreed to an inaugural set of regional maximum targets (upper limits) for salt/sodium levels for 11 food categories, to be achieved by December 2016. Ultimately, to substantively reduce dietary salt across whole populations, targets will be needed for the majority of processed and pre‐prepared foods. Cardiovascular and hypertension organizations are encouraged to utilize the regional targets in advocacy and in monitoring and evaluation of progress by the food industry.
Trajectories of post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms among youth exposed to both natural and technological disasters
Authors: Osofsky Joy D. , Osofsky Howard J. , Weems Carl F. , King Lucy S. , Hansel Tonya C.
Published: April 2015

Background

Theorists and researchers have demonstrated multiple trajectories of symptoms following disasters (Ecology and Society, 13, 2008, 9), highlighting the importance of obtaining more knowledge about exposed youth who demonstrate resilience as well as those who suffer chronic difficulties. This paper examines trajectories of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following exposure to hurricanes and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill to increase understanding of resilience and chronic reactions to both natural and technological disasters.

Methods

A multiwave longitudinal design was used to follow N = 4,619 youth who were evaluated for PTSD symptoms, hurricane exposure, and oil spill exposure/stress at four time points over a period of 4 years. Trajectories were identified with cluster analyses and multilevel modeling.

Results

Individual trajectories were statistically identified consistent with theory. The largest group exhibited stable‐low symptoms (52%), a second group showed steep declines following initial symptoms (21%), a third group exhibited increasing symptoms (18%), and a fourth group showed stable‐high symptoms (9%). Both hurricane exposure and oil spill stress predicted trajectories and overall levels of PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions

Results identified an effect of oil spill stress and hurricane exposure on symptom levels and trajectories of exposed youth. Results provide prospective data to support theories of multiple symptom trajectories following disasters and reinforce the importance of research that utilizes a developmental perspective to consider the long‐term effects of disasters in youth. Findings highlight the importance of identifying symptoms and predictors of resilience as well as factors that contribute to resilience.
Are clinician ratings useful in evaluating outcomes in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)? A study of a continuous series of 1446 cases from an inner city CAMHS
Authors: Fuggle Peter
Published: April 2015

Rationale, aims and objectives

Routine outcome evaluation in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services is an essential part of effective service delivery but it has been hard for services to obtain client‐rated outcomes on more than 50% of cases. Clinician‐rated outcomes are examined whether this would provide a valid and reliable way of contributing to addressing this difficulty.

Method

This paper will evaluate the pragmatic utility, reliability and validity of a method of measuring clinical outcomes using clinician ratings using an adapted form of the Clinical Global Impressions scale with additional items based on the Every Child Matters framework on a continuous case series of 1446 cases.

Results

A rating of clinical outcome was obtained on 93% of cases. Approximately 55% of cases were rated as improved and about 30% as showing no change with about 5% reported as being worse. Test‐retest reliability was acceptable (Pearson r = 0.94; P < 0.001) and criterion validity, comparing clinician and parent ratings, showed a significant correlation of 0.42 on severity of problem (Kendall's tau; t = 2.321, P = 0.02) and 0.36 on the degree of improvement (t = 2.637, P = 0.008). Rates of clinical improvement in studies of usual care suggested similar rates to those reported in this study.

Conclusions

Clinician ratings were obtained for a high proportion of cases and the burden on clinicians was extremely low with negative outcomes similar to known rates of usual care. This high coverage may add value to the evaluation of service outcomes.
Global Substance Flow Analysis of Gallium, Germanium, and Indium: Quantification of Extraction, Uses, and Dissipative Losses within their Anthropogenic Cycles
Authors: Licht Christina , Peiró Laura Talens , Villalba Gara
Published: April 2015

This study provides a global substance flow analysis for gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), and indium (In) for 2011, quantifying the amount of metal lost during extraction, beneficiation/smelting/refining, manufacturing of intermediate products, and the amount embodied in end‐use products. Thus far, studies illustrating their cradle to end‐use life cycle on a global scale are either missing or outdated, and thus opportunities to increase their supply remain unknown and/or not quantified. The results illustrate the losses and inefficiencies stages, thereby identifying potential additional supply by process improvement, recovery, and recycling. Results show that there are significant opportunities to meet future demand of Ga and Ge by concentrating recovery efforts in the extraction and beneficiation/smelting/refining stages. Further, 1.4% Ga, 0.7% Ge, and 54% In of the theoretical available amount in the attractor ores are extracted to meet the primary refined demand in 2011. Of the 9,065 tonnes (t) of Ga embodied in the Bayer liquor (from aluminum production), only 263 t are refined. This is owing to low capacities of Ga refining, combined with a refining efficiency of 60%. Ge presents a similar case for the same reasons, in which only 43 t of Ge of the 7,636 t of Ge available from zinc leach residue are refined. Meeting future In demand, on the other hand, will require greater efforts in increasing end‐of‐life recycling. Process efficiencies for Ga (46%), Ge (56%), and In (78%) demonstrate further potential. We quantify the flows into use by distinguishing among dissipative and nondissipative end uses, as well as the recyclable fraction for each metal for 2011.
Phosphoinositide and Erk signaling pathways mediate activity‐driven rodent olfactory sensory neuronal survival and stress mitigation
Authors: Kim So Yeun , Mammen Alex , Yoo Seung‐Jun , Cho Bongki , Kim Eun‐Kyoung , Park Jong‐In , Moon Cheil , Ronnett Gabriele V.
Published: April 2015

Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are the initial site for olfactory signal transduction. Therefore, their survival is essential to olfactory function. In the current study, we demonstrated that while odorant stimulation promoted rodent OSN survival, it induced generation of reactive oxygen species in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner as well as loss of membrane potential and fragmentation of mitochondria. The MEK‐Erk pathway played a critical role in mediating these events, as its inhibition decreased odorant stimulation‐dependent OSN survival and exacerbated intracellular stress measured by reactive oxygen species generation and heat‐shock protein 70 expression. The phosphoinositide pathway, rather than the cyclic AMP pathway, mediated the odorant‐induced activation of the MEK‐Erk pathway. These findings provide important insights into the mechanisms of activity‐driven OSN survival, the role of the phosphoinositide pathway in odorant signaling, and demonstrate that odorant detection and odorant stimulation‐mediated survival proceed via independent signaling pathways. This mechanism, which permits independent regulation of odorant detection from survival signaling, may be advantageous if not diminished by repeated or prolonged odor exposure.

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We investigated the role of odorant stimulation in generating cellular stress and the molecular mechanisms mitigating such stress and promoting neuronal survival. Odorant stimulation promoted olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) survival and also induced intracellular oxidative stress, which was exacerbated when MEK/Erks pathway was inhibited. Sensory stimulation simultaneously activated at least two parallel pathways, the AC/cAMP cascade responsible for odorant detection, and phosphoinositide hydrolysis to promote odorant stimulation‐dependent neuronal survival odorants may activate parallel signaling cascades to mediate sensory detection and sensory stimulation‐dependent survival. AC, adenylyl cyclase; cAMP, cyclic adenosine monophosphate; Erk, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase; MEK, MAPK/ERK kinase.