bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Body Composition Assessment Methods in Pediatric Intestinal Failure
Authors: Mehta Nilesh M. , Raphael Bram , Guteirrez Ivan M. , Quinn Nicolle , Mitchell Paul D. , Litman Heather J. , Jaksic Tom , Duggan Christopher P.
Published: March 2014

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to examine the agreement of multifrequency bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometry with reference methods for body composition assessment in children with intestinal failure (IF).

Methods:

We conducted a prospective pilot study in children 14 years or younger with IF resulting from either short bowel syndrome or motility disorders. Bland‐Altman analysis was used to examine the agreement between BIA and deuterium dilution in measuring total body water (TBW) and lean body mass (LBM), and between BIA and dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) techniques in measuring LBM and fat mass (FM). FM and percent body fat (%BF) measurements by BIA and anthropometry were also compared in relation to those measured by deuterium dilution.

Results:

Fifteen children with IF, median (interquartile range) age 7.2 (5.0, 10.0) years, and 10 (67%) boys, were studied. BIA and deuterium dilution were in good agreement with a mean bias (limits of agreement) of 0.9 (−3.2 to 5.0) for TBW (L) and 0.1 (−5.4 to 5.6) for LBM (kg) measurements. The mean bias (limits) for FM (kg) and %BF measurements were 0.4 (−3.8 to 4.6) kg and 1.7 (−16.9 to 20.3)%, respectively. The limits of agreement were within 1 standard deviation of the mean bias in 12 of 14 (86%) subjects for TBW and LBM, and in 11 of 14 (79%) for FM and %BF measurements. Mean bias (limits) for LBM (kg) and FM (kg) between BIA and DXA were 1.6 (−3.0 to 6.3) kg and −0.1 (−3.2 to 3.1) kg, respectively. Mean bias (limits) for FM (kg) and %BF between anthropometry and deuterium dilution were 0.2 (−4.2 to 4.6) and −0.2 (−19.5 to 19.1), respectively. The limits of agreement were within 1 standard deviation of the mean bias in 10 of 14 (71%) subjects.

Conclusions:

In children with IF, TBW and LBM measurements by multifrequency BIA method were in agreement with isotope dilution and DXA methods, with small mean bias and clinically acceptable limits of agreement. In comparison with deuterium dilution, BIA was comparable to anthropometry for FM and %BF assessments with small mean bias, but the limits of agreement were large. BIA is a reliable method for TBW and LBM assessments in population studies; however, its reliability in individual patients, especially for FM assessments, cannot be guaranteed.
PRDM9 binding organizes hotspot nucleosomes and limits Holliday junction migration
Authors: Baker Christopher L. , Walker Michael , Kajita Shimpei , Petkov Petko M. , Paigen Kenneth
Published: March 2014

In mammals, genetic recombination during meiosis is limited to a set of 1- to 2-kb regions termed hotspots. Their locations are predominantly determined by the zinc finger protein PRDM9, which binds to DNA in hotspots and subsequently uses its SET domain to locally trimethylate histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3). This sets the stage for double-strand break (DSB) formation and reciprocal exchange of DNA between chromatids, forming Holliday junctions. Here we report genome-wide analyses of PRDM9-dependent histone modifications using two inbred mouse strains differing only in their PRDM9 zinc finger domain. We show that PRDM9 binding actively reorganizes nucleosomes into a symmetrical pattern, creating an extended nucleosome-depleted region. These regions are centered by a consensus PRDM9 binding motif, whose location and identity was confirmed in vitro. We also show that DSBs are centered over the PRDM9 binding motif within the nucleosome-depleted region. Combining these results with data from genetic crosses, we find that crossing-over is restricted to the region marked by H3K4me3. We suggest that PRDM9-modified nucleosomes create a permissible environment that first directs the location of DSBs and then defines the boundaries of Holliday junction branch migration.
An improved model for the cost of quality
Authors: Khaled Omar Mohamed , Murgan Sharmeeni
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to present a report on the development of an improved mathematical model for quantifying the cost of quality. In addition, a simulation model is developed using real-life industrial data; the model is used to investigate the impact of certain quality control level plans on cost of quality.

Design/methodology/approach

– The cost of the quality model was developed based on the reported literature and suggestion from the company quality control manager. An extensive discussion was conducted with the quality control supervisors in the company to develop some quality control plans to investigate their impact on cost of quality. A simulation model that represents a specific section of the process at the company was used to carry out the investigation. The results were analysed and compared with some important findings reported in the literature that describe the characteristics of costs of quality.

Findings

– The simulation work provides valuable insights into the behavior of the different components that constitute the total cost of quality. The results show that reduction of failure costs can be achieved at low or no-subsequent increase in the non-conformance expenditure. In addition, it seems that the traditional accounting system approach may no longer be adequate since it depends mainly on direct labour costs. The results indicate that the direct labour cost is only contributing by about 3 percent of the total cost of quality.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper focuses on the development of a comprehensive model for quantifying the cost of quality in a semiconductor company. Future research is needed to expand the model for more complex process configuration. In addition, the developed model could be extended to deal with variant defect rates.

Originality/value

– This study presents an advanced theoretical model for cost quality that enhanced models of quality presented in the literature. Using the developed cost of the quality model, a comprehensive simulation was carried out to investigate the impact of some quality plans on cost of quality. The study clearly indicates important evidence to justify the implementation of cost of quality models in real-life industry.
Students' perceptions of education for sustainable development
Authors: Zeegers Yvonne , Francis Clark Ian
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– This study investigated whether a course which focused on raising students' awareness of sustainability, from a balanced perspective, that is, one which gives equal consideration to the social and economic aspects as well as the environmental would produce graduates with the knowledge and commitment required to drive the sustainability agenda forward. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– An analysis of students' final entries in their reflective journal was used to explore whether their views on sustainability reflected a balanced view.

Findings

– The findings of this research confirmed previous studies showed that initially students do have an enviro-centric bias. It also showed that despite experiencing a pedagogical approach which challenged views by encouraging discussion, debate, and reflection and which provided what was considered to be a balanced view of sustainability, many of the students still leaned towards an environmentally focused perspective of sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

– The conclusions are based on one data set but are supported by other data described in the paper.

Practical implications

– The finding led the authors to conclude that a concerted holistic effort within and across courses is needed within tertiary institutions if students' views about sustainability are to be challenged.

Originality/value

– The outcomes demonstrate that students' reflective journals can be used to gather information about the change in students' perceptions about sustainability.
Insights into the adoption of social media mashups
Authors: He Wu , Zha Shenghua
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The existing mashup literature paid little attention to the actual adoption and diffusion of mashups in an organizational context. As more and more organizations are engaged in mashup initiatives, more research efforts focussing on the mashup use and adoption issues from the organizational perspective are needed to ensure that organizations can receive the maximum benefits from their mashup initiatives. Two studies are conducted to increase the understanding of the use and adoption issues with social media mashups. The paper aims at discussing these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper first used a text mining approach to analyze relevant posts on blogs and messages in a major online mashup forum in order to understand the current status of social media mashup as well as representative themes and issues with social media mashups in general. Subsequently, the paper reviewed a number of social media mashup sites created by higher education institutions (HEIs) in the USA.

Findings

– The paper identified some representative themes and issues with social media mashups in general. The paper also identified the approaches that were used to design the interface of social media mashup sites by HEIs. Based on the two studies, this paper provides recommendations and insights to guide social media mashup development and adoption in an organizational context.

Originality value

– This is the first article to discuss the use and adoption of social media mashups in organizational environments. This paper can be used as a starting point to motivate other researchers to further explore the diffusion of social media mashups in different industries. This paper also helps organizations improve their social media mashup initiatives.
Liberal education may be dead but the magic will not die!
Authors: Bussey Marcus
Published: March 2014

Purpose

–The purpose of this paper is to challenge the assumption that liberal education as we understand it today, is alive and well in our institutions of higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

–This article is a reflective essay

Findings

–The spirit of liberal education is alive and well but has largely fled the university and taken up residence in less formal, more flexible educational contexts.

Originality/value

–This article plays the devil's advocate and argues that we need to rethink how we approach and signify “liberal education.”
The impact of servant leadership and subordinates' organizational tenure on trust in leader and attitudes
Authors: C.H. Chan Simon , Mak Wai-ming
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between servant leadership, subordinates' trust in leader and job satisfaction, and whether subordinates' organizational tenure moderated the effect.

Design/methodology/approach

– A structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data by 218 employees in a service-oriented private firm in the People's Republic of China.

Findings

– The findings indicated that trust in leader mediated the relationship between servant leadership and subordinates' job satisfaction. Also, the positive effect of servant leadership on subordinates' trust in leader and job satisfaction was stronger for short-tenure subordinates than that for long-tenure subordinates.

Originality/value

– This paper enriches the existing leadership literature and contributes to the research into how and why servant leadership may influence subordinates' attitudes.
Is innovation behavior congenital? Enhancing job satisfaction as a moderator
Authors: Niu Han-Jen
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– In the age of the knowledge-based economy, innovation has become a significant factor in business competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between personality and employees' individual innovative behavior in the service industry.

Design/methodology/approach

– The object of this research is the employee in service industry in Taiwan. A total sample of 626 employees in five service industry categories was taken in Taiwan's service industry. The descriptive statistical analyses and hierarchical regression were adopted.

Findings

– The results show that job satisfaction positively affects individual innovative behavior, and also has moderating effect on personality traits and innovative behavior.

Originality/value

– Innovative behavior is not only congenital, that can be stimulated by job satisfaction.
Did Regulation Fair Disclosure, SOX, and Other Analyst Regulations Reduce Security Mispricing?
Authors: LEE EDWARD , STRONG NORMAN , ZHU ZHENMEI (JUDY)
Published: March 2014

Between 2000 and 2003 a series of disclosure and analyst regulations curbing abusive financial reporting and analyst behavior were enacted to strengthen the information environment of U.S. capital markets. We investigate whether these regulations reduced security mispricing and increased stock market efficiency. After the regulations, we find a significant reduction in short‐term stock price continuation following analyst forecast revisions and earnings announcements. The effect was more pronounced among higher information uncertainty firms, where we expect security valuation to be most sensitive to regulation. Analyst forecast accuracy also improved in these firms, consistent with reduced mispricing being due to an improved corporate information environment following the regulations. Our findings are robust to controls for time trends, trading activity, the financial crisis, analyst coverage, delistings, and changes in information uncertainty proxies. We find no concurrent effect among European firms and a regression discontinuity design supports our identification of a regulatory effect.
Forensic Dental Age Estimation by Measuring Root Dentin Translucency Area Using a New Digital Technique
Authors: Acharya Ashith B.
Published: March 2014

Dentin translucency measurement is an easy yet relatively accurate approach to postmortem age estimation. Translucency area represents a two‐dimensional change and may reflect age variations better than length. Manually measuring area is challenging and this paper proposes a new digital method using commercially available computer hardware and software. Area and length were measured on 100 tooth sections (age range, 19–82 years) of 250 μm thickness. Regression analysis revealed lower standard error of estimate and higher correlation with age for length than for area (R = 0.62 vs. 0.60). However, test of regression formulae on a control sample (n = 33, 21–85 years) showed smaller mean absolute difference (8.3 vs. 8.8 years) and greater frequency of smaller errors (73% vs. 67% age estimates ≤ ±10 years) for area than for length. These suggest that digital area measurements of root translucency may be used as an alternative to length in forensic age estimation.
Use of high resolution melting analysis to genotype the avirulence AvrLm4‐7 gene of Leptosphaeria maculans, a fungal pathogen of Brassica napus
Authors: Carpezat J. , Bothorel S. , Daverdin G. , Balesdent M.H. , Leflon M.
Published: March 2014

The oilseed rape (Brassica napus) stem canker disease, due to the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, is mainly controlled by host genetic resistance. Since 2004, the specific resistance gene Rlm7 is widely used in France. Specific resistance is effective when fungal populations are mainly composed of avirulent isolates. The development of molecular tools for the identification of virulent isolates towards Rlm7 was needed to undertake large‐scale surveys and to monitor the emergence of virulent populations in fields. Previous studies have described a large diversity of molecular events leading to virulence towards Rlm7, rendering conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods inapplicable to identify virulent isolates. Interestingly, a very limited nucleotide polymorphism was observed for avirulent, AvrLm7, alleles. Such characteristics were exploited here to develop a diagnostic method based on high resolution melting (HRM) analysis of the AvrLm4‐7 gene. High resolution melting analysis of a collection of 206 reference isolates revealed only four different profiles within 100 avirulent isolates and 87% of virulent isolates showed either no amplification or HRM curves distinct from those of avirulent isolates. The reliability of the method was confirmed using a second set of 119 unknown isolates, for which biological phenotyping and HRM genotyping were in agreement for 93% of the isolates. HRM combined with the PCR amplification of a larger fragment encompassing AvrLm4‐7 led to a correct diagnostic for 97.5% of the isolates.
Effects of incubation temperature on the organic amendment‐mediated control of Fusarium wilt of tomato
Authors: Borrego‐Benjumea A. , Basallote‐Ureba M.J. , Abbasi P.A. , Lazarovits G. , Melero‐Vara J.M.
Published: March 2014

Organic soil amendments play important roles in the reduction of plant diseases caused by soil‐borne plant pathogens. This study examined the combined effects of concentrations of organic amendments, temperature and period of incubation in soil on the management of Fusarium wilt of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol). In an experiment with substrate mixture, Fol reduction was higher when the soils were incubated at 35°C than at 30°C. Disease severity was proportionally reduced as the volume of amendment added increased. Furthermore, disease was significantly lower in substrates incubated for 30 days at both temperatures, as compared to substrates incubated for only 15 days. The most effective control was achieved with pelletised poultry manure (PPM). In experiments with natural sandy soil, the effects of amendments on Fol populations, measured by real‐time quantitative PCR with TaqMan probes, were significant. The highest decreases in Fol DNA resulted when the soil was amended with 2% PPM and incubated at 35°C. The reductions in DNA concentrations was most likely related to the accumulations of high concentrations of NH3 (27.3 mM) in soils treated with 2% PPM and incubated at room temperature (RT; 23 ± 2°C), or at 35°C. Severity of plants grown in soils incubated at RT decreased by over 40%, and more than 73% when incubated at 35°C, regardless of the rate of PPM. The results indicate that the management with PPM, when combined with heating or solarisation, is an effective control measure against Fusarium wilt of tomato.
Time‐course effect of exercise‐induced muscle damage on localized muscle mechanical properties assessed using elastography
Authors: Lacourpaille L. , Nordez A. , Hug F. , Couturier A. , Dibie C. , Guilhem G.
Published: March 2014

Aim

Changes in muscle stiffness after exercise‐induced muscle damage have been classically inferred from passive torque–angle curves. Elastographic techniques can be used to estimate the shear modulus of a localized muscular area. This study aimed to quantify the changes in shear elastic modulus in different regions of the elbow flexors after eccentric exercise and their relation to muscle length.

Methods

Shear elastic modulus and transverse relaxation time (T2) were measured in the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles of sixteen participants, before, 1 h, 48 h and 21 days after three sets of ten maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions performed at 120° s−1.

Results

The shear elastic modulus of the elbow flexors significantly increased 1 h (+46%; P = 0.005), with no significant change at 48 h and 21D, post‐exercise. In contrast, T2 was not modified at 1 h but significantly increased at 48 h (+15%; P < 0.05). The increase in shear elastic modulus was more pronounced at long muscle lengths and reached a similar extent in the different regions of the elbow flexors. The normalized hysteresis area of shear elastic modulus–length relationship for the biceps brachii increased 1 h post‐exercise (31%) in comparison with the pre‐exercise value (18%), but was not significantly altered after five stretching cycles (P = 0.63).

Conclusion

Our results show homogeneous changes in muscle shear elastic modulus within and between elbow flexors. The greater increase in shear elastic modulus observed at long muscle lengths suggests the putative involvement of both cross‐bridges number and titin in the modifications of muscle shear elastic modulus after damaging exercise.
Systematic review: the management of chronic diarrhoea due to bile acid malabsorption
Authors: Wilcox C. , Turner J. , Green J.
Published: March 2014

Background

Bile acid malabsorption (BAM) is a common, yet under‐recognised, cause of chronic diarrhoea, with limited guidance available on the appropriate management of patients with BAM.

Aim

To summarise the evidence supporting different treatments available for patients with bile acid malabsorption, noting their impact on clinical outcomes, tolerability and associated side effects.

Methods

A literature search was conducted through PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Scopus. Relevant articles studied patients who had been diagnosed with BAM and were clinically assessed before and after therapy.

Results

A total of 30 relevant publications (1241 adult patients) were identified, which investigated the clinical response to drugs, including colestyramine, colestipol, colesevelam, aluminium hydroxide and obeticholic acid. The most commonly used diagnostic test of bile acid malabsorption was the SeHCAT test (24 studies). Colestyramine treatment was by far the most studied of these agents, and was successful in 70% of 801 patients (range: 63–100%).

Conclusions

Colestyramine and colestipol are generally effective treatments of gastrointestinal symptoms from BAM, but may be poorly tolerated and reduce the bioavailability of co‐administered agents. Alternative therapies (including colesevelam and aluminium hydroxide) as well as dietary intervention may also have a role, and the promising results of the first proof‐of‐concept study of obeticholic acid suggest that its novel approach may have an exciting future in the treatment of this condition. Future trials should employ accurate diagnostic testing and be conducted over longer periods so that the long‐term benefits and tolerability of these different approaches can be evaluated.
The pharmacokinetics of anthocyanins and their metabolites in humans
Authors: de Ferrars R M , Czank C , Zhang Q , Botting N P , Kroon P A , Cassidy A , Kay C D
Published: March 2014

Background and Purpose

Anthocyanins are phytochemicals with reported vasoactive bioactivity. However, given their instability at neutral pH, they are presumed to undergo significant degradation and subsequent biotransformation. The aim of the present study was to establish the pharmacokinetics of the metabolites of cyanidin‐3‐glucoside (C3G), a widely consumed dietary phytochemical with potential cardioprotective properties.

Experimental Approach

A 500 mg oral bolus dose of 6,8,10,3′,5′‐13C5‐C3G was fed to eight healthy male participants, followed by a 48 h collection (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 24, 48 h) of blood, urine and faecal samples. Samples were analysed by HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS with elimination kinetics established using non‐compartmental pharmacokinetic modelling.

Key Results

Seventeen 13C‐labelled compounds were identified in the serum, including 13C5‐C3G, its degradation products, protocatechuic acid (PCA) and phloroglucinaldehyde (PGA), 13 metabolites of PCA and 1 metabolite derived from PGA. The maximal concentrations of the phenolic metabolites (Cmax) ranged from 10 to 2000 nM, between 2 and 30 h (tmax) post‐consumption, with half‐lives of elimination observed between 0.5 and 96 h. The major phenolic metabolites identified were hippuric acid and ferulic acid, which peaked in the serum at approximately 16 and 8 h respectively.

Conclusions and Implications

Anthocyanins are metabolized to a structurally diverse range of metabolites that exhibit dynamic kinetic profiles. Understanding the elimination kinetics of these metabolites is key to the design of future studies examining their utility in dietary interventions or as therapeutics for disease risk reduction.
Comparing subjective well‐being and health‐related quality of life of Australian drug users in treatment in Regional and Rural Victoria
Authors: Miller Peter G. , Hyder Shannon , Zinkiewicz Lucy , Droste Nicolas , Harris Jane B.
Published: March 2014

Introduction and Aims

The aim of this study is to examine the self‐reported subjective well‐being and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of alcohol and other drug users and to examine whether subjective well‐being in this sample would be predicted by either HRQOL and/or severity of dependence.

Design and Methods

A cross‐sectional survey was conducted of 201 Victorian substance users in individual targeted outpatient treatment for a variety of types of substance use. Participants were administered an interview, including the personal well‐being index, the SF‐8 health survey and the severity of dependence scale, in order to assess subjective well‐being, the mental health component of HRQOL and severity of drug dependence respectively.

Results

Subjective well‐being was predicted by mental health aspects of HRQOL (sr2 = 0.03) and by employment (sr2 = 0.05), rather than by severity of dependence [F(5, 146) = 5.60, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.14].

Discussion and Conclusions

The current sample of urban and regional substance users in outpatient treatment shows poorer levels of subjective well‐being than do the general population. Subjective well‐being was predicted by mental aspects of HRQOL and not by severity of drug dependence or by physical aspects of HRQOL. Treatment which aims to improve substance users' well‐being should include mental health interventions and pathways to employment. [Miller PG, Hyder S, Zinkiewicz L, Droste N, Harris JB. Comparing subjective well‐being and health‐related quality of life of Australian drug users in treatment in Regional and Rural Victoria. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:651‐657]
Phylogenetic trees do not reliably predict feature diversity
Authors: Kelly Steven , Grenyer Richard , Scotland Robert W.
Published: March 2014

Aim

Phylogenetic trees provide a framework for understanding the evolution of features (properties, characters or traits) of species, where closely related species share many common or similar features. This property of phylogenetic trees has practical use in applications such as bio‐prospecting, where an optimal strategy exploits phylogenetic information to target closely related species to search for shared features of interest. The implicit corollary of this is that distantly related species share few features in common. This property of phylogenetic trees is thought to be useful for conservation evaluation in choosing sets of species that maximize the present utilitarian benefits of extant feature diversity (such as biologically active compounds or source systems for genetic engineering) as well as maximizing the range of evolutionary trajectories into the future.

Location

Global.

Methods

Here, we investigate the relationship between phylogenetic trees and biological features through both simulation and meta‐analysis of 223 publicly available feature matrices.

Results

We demonstrate that phylogenetic tree distance, both in real and simulated datasets, is correlated with feature similarity only for a short relative distance along the tree, such that there is no relationship for the majority of the length of most phylogenetic trees. In other words, close relatives share more features than distant relatives but beyond a certain threshold increasingly more distant relatives are not more divergent in phenotype.

Main conclusions

Measures of phylogenetic diversity based upon maximizing phylogenetic distance may not maximize feature diversity.
Formal and informal material aid following the 2010 Haiti earthquake as reported by camp dwellers
Authors: Versluis Anna
Published: March 2014

Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, more than two million people moved to temporary camps, most of which arose spontaneously in the days after the earthquake. This study focuses on the material assistance people in five Port‐au‐Prince camps reported receiving, noting the differences between assistance from formal aid agencies and from ‘informal’ sources such as family. Seven weeks after the earthquake, 32% of camp dwellers reported receiving no assistance whatsoever; 55% had received formal aid, typically a tent or tarpaulins; and 40% had received informal aid, usually in the form of cash transfers from family living abroad. While people were grateful for any material aid, cash was more frequently considered timely and more effective than aid‐in‐kind. Should this study be indicative of the greater displaced population, aid agencies should consider how they might make better use of cash transfers as an aid modality.
Cichlid species‐area relationships are shaped by adaptive radiations that scale with area
Authors: Wagner Catherine E. , Harmon Luke J. , Seehausen Ole
Published: March 2014

A positive relationship between species richness and island size is thought to emerge from an equilibrium between immigration and extinction rates, but the influence of species diversification on the form of this relationship is poorly understood. Here, we show that within‐lake adaptive radiation strongly modifies the species‐area relationship for African cichlid fishes. The total number of species derived fromin situspeciation increases with lake size, resulting in faunas orders of magnitude higher in species richness than faunas assembled by immigration alone. Multivariate models provide evidence for added influence of lake depth on the species‐area relationship. Diversity of clades representing within‐lake radiations show responses to lake area, depth and energy consistent with limitation by these factors, suggesting that ecological factors influence the species richness of radiating clades within these ecosystems. Together, these processes produce lake fish faunas with highly variable composition, but with diversities that are well predicted by environmental variables.
Parasitism of three attelabid weevils by Bracon (Uncobracon) apoderi Watanabe (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Kyushu, Japan
Authors: Kuramitsu Kazumu , Komizo Katsuki
Published: March 2014

The larval parasitoid Bracon (Uncobracon) apoderi Watanabe (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is reported from Kyushu for the first time. Two host weevils, Phymatapoderus latipennis and Paroplapoderus pardalis (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), are newly recorded. Bracon apoderi parasitized three attelabid species, including Apoderus balteatus, but did not parasitize Cycnotrachelus roelofsi even though it is a dominant attelabid species in the study site. In addition, B. apoderi mainly parasitized suspended cradles rather than cut‐off cradles.
Enhanced in vitro CA1 network activity in a sodium channel β1(C121W) subunit model of genetic epilepsy
Authors: Hatch Robert J. , Reid Christopher A. , Petrou Steven
Published: March 2014

Objective

A NaVβ1(C121W) mouse model of human genetic epilepsy has enhanced neuronal excitability and temperature sensitivity attributed to a decreased threshold for action potential firing in the axon initial segment. To investigate the network consequences of this neuronal dysfunction and to establish a genetic disease state model we developed an in vitro assay to investigate CA1 network properties and antiepileptic drug sensitivity.

Methods

CA1 network oscillations were induced by tetanic stimulation and average number of spikes, interspike interval (ISI), duration, and latency were measured in slices from control and NaVβ1(C121W) heterozygous mice in the presence and absence of retigabine or carbamazepine. Retigabine was also tested in a thermogenic seizure model.

Results

Oscillations were reliably induced by tetanic stimulation and were maintained after severing connections between CA3 and CA1, suggesting a local recurrent circuit. Blocking α‐Amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor A (GABAA), Ih, and T‐type Ca2+ channels/receptors reduced the number of spikes. Slices from NaVβ1(C121W) heterozygous mice displayed several hallmarks of increased network excitability including increases in duration of the oscillation, the number and frequency of spikes and a decrease in their onset latency. The effect of genotype on network excitability was temperature sensitive, as it was seen only at elevated temperatures. Carbamazepine and retigabine were more effective in reducing network excitability in slices from NaVβ1(C121W) heterozygous mice. Retigabine appeared to be more effective in suppressing time to thermogenic seizures in NaVβ1(C121W) heterozygous mice compared to wild‐type (WT) controls.

Significance

Hippocampal networks of the NaVβ1(C121W) heterozygous mouse model of genetic epilepsy show enhanced excitability consistent with earlier single neuron studies bridging important scales of brain complexity relevant to seizure genesis. Altered pharmacosensitivity further suggests that genetic epilepsy models may be useful in the development of novel antiepileptic drugs that target disease state pathology.

A PowerPoint slide summarizing this article is available for download in the Supporting Information section here.
Social Reversal of Sex‐Biased Aggression and Dominance in a Biparental Cichlid Fish (Julidochromis marlieri)
Authors: Wood Kelsey J. , Zero Victoria H. , Jones Albyn , Renn Suzy C. P.
Published: March 2014

In biparental species, aggression, dominance, and parental care are typically sexually dimorphic. While behavioral dimorphism is often strongly linked to gonadal sex, the environment—either social or ecological—may also influence sex‐biased behavior. In the biparental cichlid fish Julidochromis marlieri, the typical social environment for breeding pairs consists of large females paired with smaller males. While both sexes are capable of providing territory defense and parental care, the larger female provides the majority of defense for the pair, while the smaller male remains in the nest guarding their offspring. We examine the contributions of sex and relative mate size to these sex‐biased behaviors in monogamous J. marlieri pairs. Both female‐larger and male‐larger pairs were formed in the laboratory and were observed for territorial aggression (against conspecifics and heterospecifics), dominance, and parental care. In female‐larger pairs, territorial aggression and intra‐pair dominance were female‐biased, while in male‐larger pairs this bias was reversed. For both pairing types, the presence of an intruder amplified sex differences in territorial aggression, with the larger fish always attacking with greater frequency than its mate. Though less robust, there was evidence for plasticity of sex‐bias for some egg care related behaviors in the inverse direction. Our study suggests that relative mate size strongly influences the sex bias of aggression and dominance in J. marlieri and that this aspect of the social environment can override the influence of gonadal sex on an individual's behavior. The remarkable plasticity of this species makes Julidochromis an exciting model that could be used to address the relationship between proximate and ultimate mechanisms of behavioral plasticity.
Multi‐parameter crack tip stress state description for evaluation of nonlinear zone width in silicate composite specimens in component splitting/bending test geometry
Authors: Veselý V. , Frantík P. , Sobek J. , Malíková L. , Seitl S.
Published: March 2014

This paper is aimed at the approximation of the stress and displacement fields both in the vicinity and also at a larger distance from the crack tip in test specimens utilised for the determination of the fracture characteristics of quasi‐brittle materials. A novel geometry is considered, which, with changes in the specimen's shape proportions, offers a wide variety of crack tip constraint levels and consequently also a broad range of extents/shapes of the nonlinear zone evolving around the crack tip. The combination of (four‐point) bending and wedge splitting tests of notched prismatic specimens is proposed and numerically investigated. Several variants of boundary conditions are modelled. The stress intensity factor K, the T‐stress and the coefficients of even higher‐order terms of the Williams series are determined and subsequently utilised for analytical approximations of the stress field. The agreement between the analytical and numerical solution depending on the distance from the crack tip and the number of terms of the series, and taking into account the analytical expression, is discussed. The presented approach is expected to be a suitable technique employed as part of a procedure being developed for the estimation of the fracture process zone extent in silicate composite materials. Such materials are characterised by their quasi‐brittle fracture response, which is caused by the softening of the material in the nonlinear zone. It is shown that changes in specimen proportions and/or the positions of supports slightly influence the crack tip constraint level resulting in possible differences in the width of the nonlinear zone.
Electrical energy production from forest detritus in a forested wetland using microbial fuel cells
Authors: Dai Jianing , Wang Jun‐Jian , Chow Alex T. , Conner William H.
Published: March 2014

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has shown great potential for harvesting energy from waste organic materials. Here, we explored the potential of MFC‐based electricity generation from forest detritus, a large untapped biomass pool. Electricity generation from in situ MFCs and relevant environmental parameters (i.e., carbon sources and concentrations, temperature, water depth) in a seasonally flooded freshwater cypress‐tupelo wetland were monitored intensively for two flooding periods. Current outputs ranged from 0 to 1.27 mA (mean of 0.40 mA for flooding period) and were highly sensitive to environmental changes, showing seasonal and diel dependences. Excluding the influence of heavy storms, drought, or wetland icing, current output was highly temperature‐dependent dielly. Seasonally, current output gradually increased in the first 3–4 months (limited by temperature) and decreased slightly during the last 1–2 months (probably limited by carbon and nutrients) of both flooding periods. Litter extract of baldcypress (Taxodium distictum) with lower C/N ratio and aromatic content showed greater stable current outputs (0.57 mA) based on 50 mg l−1 biological oxygen demand compared to extracts of water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), suggesting that the current output of in situ MFCs could depend on the vegetation within a wetland. Our study highlights the potential application of MFC in generating green and sustainable electricity from forest biomass for powering remote sensors in wetland ecosystems.
High photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency of Miscanthus lutarioriparius characterize an energy crop in the semiarid temperate region
Authors: Yan Juan , Zhu Caiyun , Liu Wei , Luo Fan , Mi Jia , Ren Yongjian , Li Jianqiang , Sang Tao
Published: March 2014

The development of second‐generation energy crops on marginal land relies on the identification of plants with suitable physiological properties. In this study, we measured and compared leaf photosynthesis and water use efficiency of 22 populations from three Miscanthus species, M. lutarioriparius, M. sacchariflorus, and M. sinensis, planted in two experimental fields located in Qingyang of the Gansu Province (QG) and Jiangxia of the Hubei Province (JH) in China. QG is located in the Loess Plateau, one of the world's most seriously eroded regions particularly abundant in semiarid marginal land. At both locations, M. lutarioriparius produced the highest biomass and had the highest photosynthetic rates (A), with the growing‐season average of A reaching nearly 20 μmol m−2 s−1. Native to JH, M. lutarioriparius maintained a relatively high photosynthetic rate into the late growing stage in QG, for example, 15 μmol m−2 s−1 at temperature as low as 11.6 °C in October. All three species had higher water use efficiency (WUE) in semiarid QG than in warmer and wetter JH. In the late growing stage of M. lutarioriparius, instantaneous WUE (A/E) of the species nearly tripled in QG comparing to JH. Being able to maintain remarkably high photosynthetic rates when transplanted to a colder and drier location, these M. lutarioriparius populations serve as suitable wild progenitors for energy crop domestication in the Loess Plateau and other areas with the similar climates.
Bioenergy crop greenhouse gas mitigation potential under a range of management practices
Authors: Hudiburg Tara W. , Davis Sarah C. , Parton William , Delucia Evan H.
Published: March 2014

Perennial grasses have been proposed as viable bioenergy crops because of their potential to yield harvestable biomass on marginal lands annually without displacing food and to contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by storing carbon in soil. Switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored native prairie are among the crops being considered in the corn and agricultural regions of the Midwest and eastern United States. In this study, we used an extensive dataset of site observations for each of these crops to evaluate and improve the DayCent biogeochemical model and make predictions about how both yield and GHG fluxes would respond to different management practices compared to a traditional corn‐soy rotation. Using this model‐data integration approach, we found 30–75% improvement in our predictions over previous studies and a subsequent evaluation with a synthesis of sites across the region revealed good model‐data agreement of harvested yields (r2 > 0.62 for all crops). We found that replacement of corn‐soy rotations would result in a net GHG reduction of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 with average annual yields of 3.6, 9.2, and 17.2 Mg of dry biomass per year for native prairie, switchgrass, and miscanthus respectively. Both the yield and GHG balance of switchgrass and miscanthus were affected by harvest date with highest yields occurring near onset of senescence and highest GHG reductions occurring in early spring before the new crops emergence. Addition of a moderate length rotation (10–15 years) caused less than a 15% change to yield and GHG balance. For policy incentives aimed at GHG reduction through onsite management practices and improvement of soil quality, post‐senescence harvests are a more effective means than maximizing yield potential.
Palaeocene–Eocene evolution of beta diversity among ungulate mammals in North America
Authors: Darroch Simon A. F. , Webb Amelinda E. , Longrich Nicholas , Belmaker Jonathan
Published: March 2014

Aim

The Palaeocene–late Eocene transition in North America marks a critical interval in the evolution and diversification of land mammals, including adaptive radiation in the Palaeocene, and repeated waves of immigration over habitat bridges at the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary. We investigate the fossil record of ungulate mammals over this period to understand the effects of immigration and faunal exchange on local (alpha), regional (gamma) and between‐site (beta) diversity.

Location

North America.

Methods

We use Palaeocene and Eocene records of North American ungulate mammals taken from the Paleobiology Database (PBDB), and calculate beta diversity among families and genera within the seven stages of the Cenozoic. We reconstruct geographic ranges sizes for studied taxa, and test trends in these ranges against null models used to control for sampling biases. Finally, we use Mantel tests to quantify the relationship between geographic distance and faunal dissimilarity within each time slice, in order to visualize changes in the spatial complexity of mammal communities.

Results

Gamma diversity increases over the studied interval, with varying contributions from alpha and beta diversity. Beta diversity increases from the Palaeocene to Eocene, reflected in decreasing range size and increased correlation between reconstructed distance and faunal similarity. Increase in beta diversity over the Palaeocene–Eocene transition is driven by smaller geographic ranges among putatively invasive ‘immigrant’ and secondarily endemic taxa; range contraction among these groups in the middle–late Eocene leads to a Bartonian peak in beta diversity.

Main conclusions

High gamma diversity in the Eocene was driven by high beta diversity rather than alpha diversity, indicating that range contraction in both immigrant and secondarily endemic taxa restructured the spatial organization of mammal communities. These parallel trends suggest that factors such as tectonic uplift or climate change were responsible, as opposed to ecological differences. Increase in beta diversity over the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary suggests that over longer time‐scales, mass immigration events can lead to greater overall richness and greater heterogeneity, rather than homogeneity, within regional assemblages.
Is taxonomic homogenization linked to functional homogenization in temperate forests?
Authors: Sonnier Grégory , Johnson Sarah E. , Amatangelo Kathryn L. , Rogers Dave A. , Waller Donald M.
Published: March 2014

Aim

Biotic homogenization – the tendency for communities to converge in species composition – has occurred in many ecosystems, creating management challenges. The extent to which this convergence in species composition is related to convergence in trait composition (‘functional homogenization’), however, remains unresolved.

Location

North America, Wisconsin.

Methods

Using extensive plant community survey data from the 1950s and 2000s, and values for 11 traits measured on 169 species, we examined changes in functional beta diversity across 151 upland forest stands distributed across southern and northern Wisconsin. To estimate functional beta diversity, we used two recently developed pairwise functional dissimilarity metrics, plus an additive partitioning of functional diversity approach.

Results

Using pairwise functional dissimilarity metrics, we found no significant changes in functional beta diversity through time in either southern or northern upland forests. Under additive partitioning, species alpha diversity was lower than species beta diversity; whereas functional alpha diversity was much higher than functional beta diversity in both time periods and across all forest types. This suggests a high turnover of species but a low turnover of traits among communities.

Main conclusions

Although upland forests in Wisconsin have experienced taxonomic homogenization, they have not undergone functional homogenization, which may reflect a high functional redundancy among Wisconsin forest plants. As species decline further or disappear in response to habitat fragmentation and other global changes, functional redundancy may decline in a way that could diminish the functional diversity of Wisconsin's forests at both local and regional scales.
CATEGORIES OF THE NON‐CONFORMIST: THE HISTORICAL FICTION OF INNER EMIGRATION
Authors: Klapper John
Published: March 2014

One of the striking features of German literature after the First World War was the increasing popularity of the historical novel. The spread of the genre continued unabated beyond the year 1933 and historical subject matter is to be found in equal measure in the work of exiled writers, oppositionally‐minded inner emigrants and authors loyal to the Nazi cause. Non‐conformist writers within the Third Reich sought through varied techniques of camouflage and deliberate ambiguity to circumvent censors, whilst at the same time conveying their subversive Christian and humanist message to an esoteric sensitised readership. This article offers for the first time a categorisation of non‐conformist historical fiction, identifying four distinct approaches and illustrating how they are realised in inner emigrant works by Andres, Bergengruen, Jünger, Klepper, le Fort, Mitterer, Reck‐Malleczewen, Saile, Schneider and Wiechert. The suggested hermeneutic framework for historical fiction confirms certain well‐known shortcomings of inner emigrant writing but also reveals the ways in which this literature addressed a real need under National Socialism and countered the spiritual poverty of the time.