bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of benthic algae and cyanobacteria along twin‐stressor gradients of nutrients and fine sediment: a stream mesocosm experiment
Authors: Wagenhoff Annika , Lange Katharina , Townsend Colin R. , Matthaei Christoph D.
Published: June 2013

The factors underlying population and community dynamics are almost invariably multivariate, and ecosystems worldwide are affected by many anthropogenic stressors. Inorganic dissolved nutrients and deposited fine sediment are common stressors in agricultural streams and can be expected to influence benthic algae and cyanobacteria.

We determined population‐ and community‐level responses of phototrophic periphyton along twin‐stressor gradients of dissolved nutrients and deposited fine sediment after 20 days of exposure in stream mesocosms. Multiple linear regression and an information‐theoretic approach were used to select the best predictive models for each response variable, accounting for potential subsidy‐stress responses for each stressor (where at low stressor levels, an ecological variable responds positively up to an inflection point, beyond which the effect is negative) and for multiple‐stressor interactions. This approach enabled us to test the subsidy‐stress hypothesis for each stressor and to investigate whether the two stressors operated singly or in concert (additively or with an interaction) on periphyton attributes.

Focussing further on three ecological guilds of periphyton (low profile, high profile, motile), we also tested the specific hypotheses, that sediment augmentation would produce a proportional increase in motile and a decrease in high‐profile forms, and that nutrient augmentation would produce proportional increases in both motile and high‐profile forms.

Unimodal subsidy‐stress patterns along the sediment gradient were found only for densities of two common Nitzschia species. By contrast, unimodal patterns along the nutrient gradient occurred frequently at both population and community levels, supporting the subsidy‐stress hypothesis for nutrient enrichment. Some single‐stressor responses were observed, but the twin stressors sediment and nutrients mainly acted in a simple, additive way, probably because their modes of action are different. As a notable exception from this rule, potentially harmful cyanobacteria (Phormidium and Oscillatoria species) responded synergistically to the stressors. Our hypothesis about the representation of ecological guilds across the sediment gradient was fully supported, whilst the hypothesis regarding nutrients received partial support.

Categorisation of periphyton taxa into physiognomic guilds revealed predictable response patterns to the stressors. The prevalence of motile taxa in stream communities may be suitable for detecting sedimentation impacts and early signs of nutrient enrichment. Finally, based on periphyton response shapes along the nutrient gradient, thresholds could be identified at which community variables changed abruptly.
Ecological niche shifts of understorey plants along a latitudinal gradient of temperate forests in north‐western Europe
Authors: Wasof Safaa , Lenoir Jonathan , Gallet‐Moron Emilie , Jamoneau Aurélien , Brunet Jörg , Cousins Sara A. O. , De Frenne Pieter , Diekmann Martin , Hermy Martin , Kolb Annette , Liira Jaan , Verheyen Kris , Wulf Monika , Decocq Guillaume
Published: June 2013

Aim

In response to environmental changes and to avoid extinction, species may either track suitable environmental conditions or adapt to the modified environment. However, whether and how species adapt to environmental changes remains unclear. By focusing on the realized niche (i.e. the actual space that a species inhabits and the resources it can access as a result of limiting biotic factors present in its habitat), we here examine shifts in the realized‐niche width (i.e. ecological amplitude) and position (i.e. ecological optimum) of 26 common and widespread forest understorey plants across their distributional ranges.

Location

Temperate forests along a ca. 1800‐km‐long latitudinal gradient from northern France to central Sweden and Estonia.

Methods

We derived species' realized‐niche width from a β‐diversity metric, which increases if the focal species co‐occurs with more species. Based on the concept that species' scores in a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) represent the locations of their realized‐niche positions, we developed a novel approach to run species‐specific DCAs allowing the focal species to shift its realized‐niche position along the studied latitudinal gradient while the realized‐niche positions of other species were held constant.

Results

None of the 26 species maintained both their realized‐niche width and position along the latitudinal gradient. Few species (9 of 26: 35%) shifted their realized‐niche width, but all shifted their realized‐niche position. With increasing latitude, most species (22 of 26: 85%) shifted their realized‐niche position for soil nutrients and pH towards nutrient‐poorer and more acidic soils.

Main conclusions

Forest understorey plants shifted their realized niche along the latitudinal gradient, suggesting local adaptation and/or plasticity. This macroecological pattern casts doubt on the idea that the realized niche is stable in space and time, which is a key assumption of species distribution models used to predict the future of biodiversity, hence raising concern about predicted extinction rates.
Species richness–phosphorus relationships for lakes and streams worldwide
Authors: Azevedo Ligia B. , van Zelm Rosalie , Elshout Pieter M. F. , Hendriks A. Jan , Leuven Rob S. E. W. , Struijs Jaap , de Zwart Dick , Huijbregts Mark A. J.
Published: June 2013

Aim

We investigated the patterns of autotrophic and heterotrophic relative species richness along a total phosphorus (TP) concentration gradient. The relative species richness–TP relationships were calculated separately for four different regions [(sub)tropical, xeric, temperate and cold] and two types of water bodies (lakes and streams).

Location

Global

Methods

Using data from peer‐reviewed articles reporting the occurrence of freshwater species at specific TP concentrations, we determined the species richness along a TP gradient. Using log‐logistic regressions, we then estimated the TP concentration at which the potential decrease of relative species richness (RSR) equals 0.5 and the slope at which the decrease occurs (β). The RSR is given as the ratio of species richness to maximized species richness along a TP gradient.

Results

The RSR of streams generally decreased more rapidly than that of lakes with increasing P, as illustrated by the steeper slope of the log‐logistic functions for streams (βlakes < βstreams). Although there was no consistent trend between autotrophs and heterotrophs in the different regions, we found that the TP concentration at which the RSR equals 0.5 was lower in cold regions (0.04–0.22 mg P/L) than in warmer regions (0.28–1.29 mg P/L).

Main Conclusions

The log‐logistic relationships between RSR and TP concentration vary considerably among regions of the world, between freshwater types (lakes and streams) and between species groups (autotrophs and heterotrophs). This variability may be attributed to differences between the two freshwater types in respect to their species groups and evolutionary patterns, nutrient demand, biogeochemical and hydrological processes. We were not able to derive log‐logistic regressions for all combinations of freshwater type or species type and region [e.g. (sub)tropical lakes]. For other areas, our results can be used to assess the potential impact of phosphorus eutrophication on freshwater biota.
Democracy or autonomy? Indymedia and the contradictions of global social movement networks
Authors: WOLFSON TODD
Published: June 2013

In this article, I examine the indymedia movement as exemplar of a transnational network where the dynamics of democracy and local autonomy come into tension. Indymedia was launched during the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999. Since 1999, indymedia has mushroomed into a transnational social movement based network. Through the lens of indymedia's networked structure, I examine the tension between participatory decision‐making and local autonomy. In specific I look at the decision of the global indymedia network to reject a large grant from the Ford Foundation because of Ford's history in the Argentine dirty wars. The heated episode, which almost forced the growing network to shut down, brings to the fore the complex contradictions of local autonomy and shared decision‐making in the age of networks. Moreover, this episode and indymedia in general, brings to light the inability of decentralized networks to build proactive power, highlighting the disorganizing and at times debilitating logic of contemporary social movements.
Health‐related quality of life in patients with haemophilia and inhibitors on prophylaxis with anti‐inhibitor complex concentrate: results from the Pro‐FEIBA study
Authors: Gringeri A. , Leissinger C. , Cortesi P. A. , Jo H. , Fusco F. , Riva S. , Antmen B. , Berntorp E. , Biasoli C. , Carpenter S. , Kavakli K. , Morfini M. , Négrier C. , Rocino A. , Schramm W. , Windyga J. , Zülfikar B. , Mantovani L. G.
Published: June 2013

Patients with haemophilia A and inhibitors are at high risk for severe bleeding, progression of joint disease and deterioration of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). To determine the impact of prophylaxis with an activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC) on HRQoL, HRQoL was assessed using the Short‐Form (SF)‐36 Health Survey and the EQ‐5D questionnaire in subjects ≥14 years participating in a prospective, randomized, crossover study comparing 6 months of aPCC prophylaxis with 6 months of on‐demand therapy. Eighteen of 19 patients completed the survey or questionnaire before and after the on‐demand therapy and prophylaxis periods. A general trend towards improved HRQoL after prophylaxis was observed for the 18 evaluable patients in all SF‐36 dimensions except for vitality/energy and physical functioning. After prophylaxis, ‘good responders,’ defined as patients experiencing ≥50% reduction in bleeding, exhibited statistically and clinically significant differences in the physical component score (P = 0.021), role – physical (P = 0.042), bodily pain (P = 0.015), and social functioning (P = 0.036). Similarly, the EQ‐5D health profile showed a trend towards improvement after prophylaxis in all evaluable patients. Among the good responders, improvements did not differ from those observed after on‐demand treatment. EQ visual analogue scale values were slightly improved following prophylaxis for all evaluable patients and the EQ‐5D utility index improved in the good responders only. During prophylaxis, patients missed significantly fewer days from school or work because of bleeding than during on‐demand treatment (P = 0.01). In conclusion, by significantly reducing bleeding frequency in good responders, aPCC prophylaxis improved HRQoL compared with on‐demand treatment.
HLA‐A, HLA‐B, HLA‐DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies in 6384 umbilical cord blood units and transplantation matching and engraftment statistics in the Zhejiang cord blood bank of China
Authors: Wang F. , He J. , Chen S. , Qin F. , Dai B. , Zhang W. , Zhu FM. , Lv HJ.
Published: June 2013

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a widely accepted source of progenitor cells, and now, many cord blood banks were established. Here, we analysed the HLA‐A, HLA‐B and HLA‐DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies, HLA matching possibilities for searching potential donors and outcome of UCB transplantations in Zhejiang cord blood bank of China. A total of 6384 UCB units were characterized for 17 HLA‐A, 30 HLA‐B and 13 HLA‐DRB1 alleles at the first field resolution level. Additionally, B*14, B*15 and B*40 were typed to the second field level. A total of 1372 distinct A‐B‐DRB1 haplotypes were identified. The frequencies of 7 haplotypes were more than 1%, and 439 haplotypes were <0.01%. A*02‐B*46‐DRB1*09, A*33‐B*58‐DRB1*03 and A*30‐B*13‐DRB1*07 were the most common haplotypes, with frequencies of 4.4%, 3.3%, and 2.9%, respectively. Linkage disequilibrium(LD) analysis showed that there were 83 A‐B, 106 B‐DRB1, 54 A‐DRB1 haplotypes with positive LD, in which 51 A‐B, 60 B‐DRB1, 32 A‐DRB1 haplotypes exhibited a significant LD (P < 0.05). In 682 search requests, 12.9%, 40.0% and 42.7% of patients were found to have 6 of 6, 5 of 6 and 4 of 6 HLA‐A, HLA‐B and HLA‐DRB1 matching donors, respectively. A total of 30 UCB units were transplanted to 24 patients (3 patients not evaluated due to early death); 14 of 21 patients (66.7%) engrafted. This study reveals the HLA distribution and its transplantation application in the cord blood bank of Zhejiang province. These data can help to select potential UCB donors for transplantation and used to assess the scale of new cord blood banking endeavours.
Effects of a psychoeducational intervention for secondary prevention in Korean patients with coronary artery disease: A pilot study
Authors: Park Jin‐Hee , Tahk Seung‐Jae , Bae Sun Hyoung , Son Youn‐Jung
Published: June 2013

This intervention study was designed to examine whether a 12‐week psychoeducational intervention influenced recurrent cardiac events, symptom experience and treatment adherence of patients with coronary artery disease. Fifty‐eight patients were randomized to either the intervention or the control group. Measures were taken at baseline, after intervention, and at 6‐month follow‐up. Recurrent cardiac events included revascularization, rehospitalization, emergency room visits and mortality. Symptom experiences were measured using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire‐Korean and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Treatment adherence included health behaviours, routine check‐up and medication adherence. At 6‐month follow‐up, the intervention group had significantly better physical functions and lower anxiety and depressive symptoms. Treatment adherence was also significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group. No significant difference was noticed in the incidence of recurrent cardiac events between the groups. A longer follow‐up study is needed to determine the long‐term effects on the prevention of recurrent cardiac events.
Community nurses' perceptions of providing bereavement care
Authors: Redshaw Sarah , Harrison Kath , Johnson Amanda , Chang Esther
Published: June 2013

This study explored the perceptions of bereavement support offered to clients and their carers and family by community nurses (CNs) in three community health centres located in a single area health service. In the context of an ageing population, it is pertinent to review CNs' perceptions in providing bereavement services. Early assessment and intervention is likely to prevent complicated grief occurring in the community. The bereavement support provided by CNs, considered here within a person‐centred framework, enables identification of complicated grief. Semistructured interviews were held with 10 CNs and were transcribed verbatim. Transcriptions were analysed for major themes, and responses were grouped in relation to the study aims and themes emerging from the interviews. The themes discussed in this paper are as follows: the carer as a focus of palliative care; bereavement support as an outlet for carers; and the ending of the relationship between carers and CNs that is facilitated through bereavement support. The study provides evidence that supports the adoption of a model of bereavement support delivered by CNs as a means of reducing the likelihood of complicated grief occurring in the community. Further, the visits provide an important opportunity for nurses and carers to satisfactorily complete their relationship.
The nature and course of illness perception following cardiac pacemaker implantation: A self‐regulatory approach
Authors: Rakhshan Mahnaz , Hassani Parkhideh , Ashktorab Tahereh , Majd Hamid Alavi
Published: June 2013

This study was designed to explore the relationship between illness perceptions and educational intervention based on the Leventhal's model in pacemaker patients.

Fifty‐one consecutive patients who were admitted for implantation of permanent cardiac pacemaker were recruited to receive an educational intervention, which consisted of two sessions delivered in the hospital and clinic, respectively. Participants completed a pacemaker‐specific Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) twice, one prior to educational intervention and the other 10 weeks following the pacemaker implantation.

Data regarding the dimensions of cognitive and emotional representations based on the Leventhal's model have demonstrated the relationship between the patients’ perception before and after the educational intervention. Overall, after the educational intervention, the patients have considered the illness as having a moderate impact on their life and have known their illness as a chronic condition that was responsive to treatment and influenced by personal behavior. Participants believed they had a good understanding of their illness and had less ‘concern’ and ‘emotional representation’.

Based on the results of the present study, pacemaker patients had a more benign view about their illness after educational intervention compared with before this intervention. These explanations might affect the acceptance and treatment seeking and even lead to lower complications.
Sildenafil in the treatment of pressure ulcer: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Farsaei Shadi , Khalili Hossein , Farboud Effat S , Khazaeipour Zahra
Published: June 2013

Pressure ulcer (PrU)‐related hospitalisation and mortality are critical issues in medical and surgical patients. Although animal studies have suggested the beneficial effects of sildenafil on wound healing, related clinical data are lacking. This is the first clinical study that has evaluated the effects of topical sildenafil on PrU healing in human subjects. Enrolled patients were randomly allocated to receive topical sildenafil (10%) ointment or placebo daily. Wound healing was assessed visually and photographically by the change in wound score according to two‐digit Stirling scale. Decreases in grades of the PrUs were significantly higher in sildenafil group compared with placebo group (P < 0·001). In addition, surface areas of ulcers in sildenafil group were significantly reduced compared to the control group at day 14 of intervention (P = 0·007). It appears that these effects may be mediated by improvement of microvascular reperfusion in the skin and soft tissue. Further study to emphasise the role of topical sildenafil in the prevention or treatment of PrUs in hospitalised patients is required.
The prevalence of childhood asthma in Costa Rica
Authors: SOTO‐QUIROS M. , BUSTAMANTE M. , GUTIERREZ I. , HANSON L. Å. , STRANNEGÅRD I.‐L. , KARLBERG J.
Published: June 2013

The prevalence of asthma in children between the ages of 5 and 17 years in Costa Rica was determined using a large sample (n = 2682). The definition of asthma was based on a combination of a physician's diagnosis and a symptom score, using information from a questionnaire given to the parents. An overall asthma prevalence as high as 23·4% was found. Sex, age, urban/rural location, or rain precipitation did not show any association with the diagnosis of asthma. The presence of smokers in the home was found to be an important risk factor (odds ratio = 1·6). Another identified risk factor was a high yearly average outside temperature, i.e. above 25°C (odds ratio = 1·8). Furthermore, the proportion of children with more than four upper respiratory infections during the preceding year was found to be significantly increased in children with asthma (odds ratio = 4·3). The non‐asthma group seemed to use equal amounts of drugs for the treatment of asthma as the asthma group. For a country like Costa Rica with limited economic resources the current work indicates two important issues for consideration in the future; firstly, to try to define the cause(s) of asthma and secondly, to continuously inform the physicians about the best way of diagnosing and treating asthmatic patients to ensure optimal handling of this large patient group.
Estimation of Poverty in Greater Cairo: Case Study of Three ‘Unplanned’ Areas
Authors: Iwasaki Erina , El‐Laithy Heba
Published: June 2013

This paper aims to evaluate the poverty situation in the unplanned areas in Cairo as a case study. The unplanned areas, which are considered low‐income areas, make up the majority of Cairo, and they have attracted the interest of policymakers and researchers because of their huge size and the political upheavals that have occurred since the 1990s. However, there have been no studies on poverty in these areas owing to a lack of data. The originality of this paper lies in employing three concepts of poverty: consumption‐based poverty, a multidimensional poverty index (MPI), and subjective poverty. By using these different concepts of poverty, this paper contributes to the understanding of the nature of poverty and the interrelationship between these three measures of poverty in Greater Cairo. The main finding is that the three types of poverty are different. Households can be poor according to the MPI measure or can consider themselves to be poor, even though they are not objectively poor on the consumption‐based measure. This implies that policies aiming at improving living standards in these areas should address and design strategies according to the types of poverty that are prevalent.
No place called home: the causes and social consequences of the UK housing ‘bubble’
Authors: Bone John , O'Reilly Karen
Published: June 2013

This paper examines the key causes and social consequences of the much debated UK ‘housing bubble’ and its aftermath from a multidimensional sociological approach, as opposed to the economic perspective of many popular discussions. This is a phenomenon that has affected numerous economies in the first decade of the new millennium. The discussion is based on a comprehensive study that includes exhaustive analysis of secondary data, content and debate in the mass media and academia, primary data gathered from the monitoring of weblogs and forums debating housing issues, and case histories of individuals experiencing housing difficulties during this period. This paper is intended to provide a broad overview of the key findings and preliminary analysis of this ongoing study, and is informed by a perspective which considers secure and affordable housing to be an essential foundation of stable and cohesive societies, with its absence contributing to a range of social ills that negatively impact on both individual and collective well being. Overall, it is argued that we must return to viewing decent, affordable housing as an essential social resource, that provides the bedrock of stable individual, family and community life, while recognizing that its increasing treatment as a purely economic asset is a key contributor to our so‐called ‘broken society’.
The political mobilization of corporate directors: socio‐economic correlates of affiliation to European pressure groups
Authors: Bond Matthew , Glouharova Siana , Harrigan Nicholas
Published: June 2013

Business has played a central role in the debate over Britain's place in the European Union. This paper examines the socio‐economic characteristics of directors of Britain's largest corporations who affiliated either to Business for Sterling or Britain in Europe. It reports associations between directors' social backgrounds and their probabilities of affiliation. Elite university education, club membership, wealth and multiple directorships were all associated with higher propensities to affiliate. The associations are consistent with the idea that directors' social resources allow them to overcome collective action problems as well as supplying them with the motivations to affiliate. They also indicated that directors form a privileged group in that they have a number of very powerful actors who can take unilateral political actions.
Education and occupational status in 14 countries: the role of educational institutions and labour market coordination
Authors: Andersen Robert , Van De Werfhorst Herman G.
Published: June 2013

This article explores the role of national institutional factors – more specifically, the level of skill transparency of the education system and labour market coordination – in accounting for cross‐national differences in the relationship between education and occupational status. Consistent with previous research, our findings suggest that skill transparency is the primary moderator. Countries with a highly transparent educational system (i.e., extensive tracking, strong vocational orientation, limited tertiary enrolment) tend to be characterized by a strong relationship between education and occupational status. These findings hold even after controlling for the level of labour market coordination. Nevertheless, we also find that labour market coordination plays an independent role by dampening the effect of education on occupational status. Taken together, these results suggest two quite different policy implications: (1) strengthening the skill transparency of the education system by increasing secondary and tertiary‐level differentiation may strengthen the relationship between education and occupation, regardless of the level of coordination, and (2) increasing labour market coordination could lead to improved social inclusion and a reduction in inequalities related to educational attainment.
Social acceleration and the network effect: a defence of social ‘science fiction’ and network determinism
Authors: Hassan Robert
Published: June 2013

This essay is a response to Judy Wajcman's essay ‘Life in the fast lane? Towards a sociology of technology and time’ (2008: 59–77). In that article Wajcman argued that recent developments in the sociology of temporal change had been marked by a tendency in social theory towards a form of ‘science fiction’– a sociological theorizing, she maintains, that bears no real relation to actual, empirically provable developments in the field and should therefore be viewed as not contributing to ‘a richer analysis of the relationship between technology and time’ (2008: 61). This reply argues that as Wajcman suggests in her essay, there is indeed an ‘urgent need for increased dialogue to connect social theory with detailed empirical studies’ (2008: 59) but that the most fruitful way to proceed would not be through a constraining of ‘science fiction’ social theorizing but, rather, through its expansion – and more, that ‘science fiction’ should take the lead in the process. This essay suggests that the connection between social theory and empirical studies would be strengthened by a wider understanding of the function of knowledge and research in the context of what is termed ‘true originality’ and ‘routine originality’. The former is the domain of social theory and the latter resides within traditional sociological disciplines. It is argued that both need each other to advance our understanding of society, especially in the context of the fast‐changing processes of technological development. The example of ‘technological determinism’ is discussed as illustrative of how ‘routine originality’ can harden into dogma without the application of ‘true originality’ to continually question (sometimes through ideas that may appear to border on ‘science fiction’) comfortable assumptions that may have become ‘routine’ and shorn of their initial ‘originality’.
Measuring fractional forest canopy element cover and openness – definitions and methodologies revisited
Authors: Gonsamo Alemu , D’odorico Petra , Pellikka Petri
Published: June 2013

Canopy structural parameters are often used to give adequate representation of vegetated ecosystems for various purposes including primary productivity, climate system, water and carbon gas exchanges, and radiation extinction. Canopy structural parameters are usually described using several pseudo‐synonymous terms, often measuring different components of vegetation canopies. Standardization in the definitions has fallen short, leading to confusion of terms even in standard text books making the comparison of historic measures futile. Here we clarify concepts that have been used for fractional canopy element cover and openness measures. The fractional canopy element cover and openness concepts considered are canopy closure, canopy cover, canopy openness, crown closure, crown completeness, crown cover, crown porosity, site openness and tilt openness. New methodologies are presented to obtain large scale fractional canopy element cover and openness measures using hemispherical photography. The new methodologies and variations in definitions of fractional canopy element cover and openness concepts are demonstrated using photographic measurements in complex topography. The results indicate that both fractional canopy element cover and openness parameters can be estimated with a few point‐based measurements using hemispherical photography. Hemispherical photography is therefore less time, labour and resource intensive, as compared to point based measuring techniques of canopy element cover and openness.

Most of the commonly and interchangeably used concepts of fractional canopy element cover and openness measures represent physically different structural properties of a vegetated ecosystem.
Increased temperature alters feeding behavior of a generalist herbivore
Authors: Lemoine Nathan P. , Drews Willem A. , Burkepile Deron E. , Parker John D.
Published: June 2013

Temperature can regulate a number of important biological processes and species interactions. For example, environmental temperature can alter insect herbivore consumption, growth and survivorship, suggesting that temperature‐driven impacts on herbivory could influence plant community composition or nutrient cycling. However, few studies to date have examined whether rising temperature influences herbivore preference and performance among multiple plant species, which often dictates their impact at the community level. Here, we assessed the effects of temperature on the performance and preference of the generalist herbivore Popillia japonica among nine plant species. We show that, on average, consumption rates and herbivore performance increased at higher temperatures. However, there was considerable variation among plant species with consumption and performance increasing on some plant species at higher temperatures but decreasing on others. Plant nutritional quality appeared to influence these patterns as beetles increased feeding on high‐nitrogen plants with increasing temperature, suggesting stronger nitrogen limitation. In addition to changes in feeding rates, feeding preferences of P. japonica shifted among temperatures, a pattern that was largely explained by differential deterrence of plant chemical extracts at different temperatures. In fact, temperature‐induced changes in the efficacy of plant chemical extracts led P. japonica to reduce its diet breadth at higher temperatures. Our results indicate that rising temperatures will influence herbivore feeding behavior by altering the importance of plant nutritional and chemical traits, suggesting that climate change will alter the strength and sign of plant–insect interactions.
Predicting novel herbivore–plant interactions
Authors: Pearse Ian S. , Harris David J. , Karban Richard , Sih Andrew
Published: June 2013

As human‐aided range expansions and climate change alter the distributions of plants and their herbivores, predicting and addressing novel species interactions will become increasingly pressing for community ecologists. In this context, a key, surprisingly understudied question is: when an exotic plant is introduced, which herbivores will adopt this new potential host? Whether the plant is a weed, an ornamental, or a crop, the development versus non‐development of a novel plant–insect interaction can have profound effects for both economic and conservation applications. In this paper, we sketch mechanistic and statistical frameworks for predicting these interactions, based on how plant and herbivore traits as well as shared evolutionary history can influence detection, recognition, and digestion of novel plants. By emphasizing mechanisms at each of these steps, we hope to clarify different aspects of novel interactions and why they may or may not occur. We also emphasize prediction and forecasting, as a major goal is to know in advance which interactions will develop from the many plant or insect introductions that occur in natural and man‐made systems.
Adaptive transgenerational plasticity in the perennial Plantago lanceolata
Authors: Latzel Vít , Janeček Štěpán , Doležal Jiří , Klimešová Jitka , Bossdorf Oliver
Published: June 2013

Phenotypes of plants, and thus their ecology and evolution, can be affected by the environmental conditions experienced by their parents, a phenomenon called parental effects or transgenerational plasticity. However, whether such effects are just passive responses or represent a special type of adaptive plasticity remains controversial because of a lack of solid tests of their adaptive significance. Here, we investigated transgenerational effects of different nutrient environments on the productivity, carbon storage and flowering phenology of the perennial plant Plantago lanceolata, and whether these effects are influenced by seasonal variation in the maternal environment. We found that maternal environments significantly affected the offspring phenotype, and that plants consistently produced more biomass and had greater root carbohydrate storage if grown under the same environmental conditions as experienced by their mothers. The observed transgenerational effects were independent of the season in which seeds had matured. We therefore conclude that transgenerational effects on biomass and carbon storage in P. lanceolata are adaptive regardless of the season of seed maturation.
Sentinels and signposts: The epidemiology and significance of the oral manifestations of HIV disease
Authors: Greenspan JS
Published: June 2013

A large number of studies attest to the frequency of oral disease in those with HIV infection. Most show that hairy leukoplakia and pseudomembranous candidiasis are the commonest lesions in those with HIV infection and AIDS, with higher prevalence and incidence rates correlating with falling CD4 counts and disease progression. HIV‐infected individuals with oral candidiasis or hairy leukoplakia progress to AIDS more rapidly than matched controls without these lesions. Oral candidiasis and hairy leukoplakia increase with time since seroconversion. On the other hand, parotid enlargement in children appears to be associated with slower progression to AIDS. As a consequence of these and other observations, oral lesions are widely included in natural history studies, staging and classification schemes for HIV infection. In addition to their role in the diagnosis of HIV infection and as indicators of the progression of HIV disease, oral lesions are used as clinical correlates of CD4 counts and as criteria for entry into clinical trials.
Detection of human herpesvirus‐8 DNA in oral ulcer tissues of HIV‐infected individuals
Authors: Di Alberti L , Porter SR , Speight PM , Scully CM , Zakrzewska JM , Williams IG , Artese L , Piattelli A , Ngui SL , Teo CG
Published: June 2013

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of detection of human herpesvirus‐8 (HHV‐8) in HIV‐related oral ulcers. DESIGN: Analysis of archived biopsy material.

METHODS: Nested polymerase chain reaction of DNA extracts.

RESULTS: HHV‐8 DNA was detected in six of 10 oral ulcers of HIV‐positive patients without oral Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) lesions and five of 11 oral KS lesions. The positive non‐KS samples were derived from various oral sites.

CONCLUSIONS: In HIV‐positive people, HHV‐8 can infect oral tissues that are not affected by KS.
Periodontal health and HIV infection
Authors: Robinson PG , Sheiham A , Challacombe SJ , Zakrzewska JM
Published: June 2013

Despite a large amount of research of periodontal health seen in HIV infection, much remains to be learned. Very few large controlled studies of infected people at settings not self‐selected for oral disease have been reported, and few have investigated the necrotising periodontal diseases described in HIV infection. In this paper we present a brief review of three approaches to identify periodontal changes associated with HIV infection and identify possible aetiological factors for them. First, we summarise the methods and findings of a controlled blinded study of the periodontal health of homosexual men attending a genito‐urinary medicine clinic. Second, we précis a case‐control study of gingival ulceration among patients at a dedicated dental clinic. Finally, we outline how the validity of diagnostic criteria for HIV‐associated periodontal changes were tested against the data collected in the controlled study.
Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) in mucosal fluids inhibits HIV‐1
Authors: Wahl SM , McNeely TB , Janoff EN , Shugars D , Worley P , Tucker C , Orenstein JM
Published: June 2013

Despite the presence of HIV‐1 in the oral cavity, transmission of the virus through saliva has not been proven. Consistent with these observations, we recently identified an endogenous 12 kD protein, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), in saliva which blocks HIV‐1 infection in vitro. Whereas other salivary proteins tested were inactive, purified native or recombinant SLPI inhibited HIV‐1 infection of human monocytes at 100 ng ml−1. Levels of SLPI quantitated by ELISA in saliva from control and HIV‐1 infected individuals exceeded this level, consistent with in vivo antiviral activity. As in saliva, levels of SLPI mRNA determined by Northern hybridization, and protein as assessed by immunohistochemistry in the salivary glands of control and infected populations were comparable. In contrast to adults, oral transmission occurs in infants, possibly due to their lack of fully developed salivary glands. To determine whether the inadequate antiviral protection might be compensated for by maternal sources, we evaluated breast milk samples obtained 6 months postpartum. Levels of SLPI were significantly lower than in saliva and not sufficient to provide antiviral protection in contrast to colostrum samples in which SLPI levels were equivalent to those in saliva and able to inhibit HIV‐1 infection when tested in vitro. These data suggest that breast milk may provide transient antiviral activity in the newborn, but that this maternal source of SLPI is of insufficient duration to maintain protection against mucosal transmission of the virus over time. The high functional levels of SLPI in saliva and the low levels in mature breast milk correlate with negligible rates of HIV‐1 transmission by saliva and higher rates by breast feeding.
The Implementation of Preferences for Male Offspring
Authors: Bongaarts John
Published: June 2013

Over the past quarter century the sex ratio at birth (SRB) has risen above natural levels in a number of countries, mostly in Asia. This rise has been made possible in populations with strong son preference by the increasing availability of safe, effective, and inexpensive technologies to determine the sex of a fetus and to end unwanted pregnancies. This article documents levels and trends in the sex ratio at birth, in preferences for male offspring (using information on desired number of girls and boys), and in the implementation of these preferences. DHS surveys from 61 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and for Indian states are the main source of data. A comparison of desired with actual SRBs finds large gaps in most populations, implying a substantial pent‐up demand for male offspring and the technology to implement this preference. Two types of actions to implement preferences are considered: the practice of contraception to stop childbearing after the desired number of sons has been born and the use of sex‐selective abortion to avoid female births. The second part of the article discusses factors that could influence the SRB, including the promotion of gender equality, and the implications of these factors for future trends.
Synthesis of Fluid Inclusion Reference Materials in the H2O–NaCl–CH4 System
Authors: Faulstich Fabiano R. L. , Neumann Reiner , Pironon Jacques , Randi Aurelien
Published: June 2013

In this study, we detail procedures to synthesise inclusions of fluids of known composition under diagenetic conditions – low temperatures (50–180 °C) and pressures (2–25 MPa) – hosted by quartz. Pre‐existing microcavities in polished quartz chips were used, decrepitated and rinsed before being healed in an autoclave. Each synthesis required around 4 weeks. A range of biphase liquid–vapour inclusions in the H2O–CH4–NaCl system, similar to natural ones, were synthesised in quartz, varying the content of all three components. The quartz chips were checked before and after synthesis by optical microscopy, microthermometry and Raman spectroscopy. The method was used to build a series of calibration curves relating methane‐to‐water count ratios to the methane content of aqueous fluid inclusions. Good correlation was obtained between Raman band area ratios and the expected CH4 solubilities from equations of state. The chosen procedure's main advantages, compared with other published methods, are as follows: quicker healing of the microfractures at lower temperatures, larger inclusions, simple quartz sample preparation, control of fluid inclusion composition and the use of commercial reactors. Such reference material inclusions allow the calibration of Raman microspectrometers with the objective of PTX reconstruction of palaeofluid migration in petroleum reservoirs.
Dielectric and Piezoelectric Properties of (1−x)K0.5Bi0.5TiO3–xBa(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3 Ceramics
Authors: Zeb Aurang , Milne Steven J.
Published: June 2013

The properties of relaxor ceramics in the compositional series (1−x)K0.5Bi0.5TiO3–xBa(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3 have been investigated. Values of Tm, the temperature of maximum relative permittivity, decreased from 380°C at x = 0.0 to below room temperature for x > 0.7. Compositions x = 0.1 and 0.2 were piezoelectric and ferroelectric. The maximum value of d33 piezoelectric charge coefficient, 130 pC/N, and strain, 0.14%, occurred at x = 0.1. Piezoelectric properties of x = 0.1 were retained after thermal cycling from room temperature to 220°C, consistent with results from high‐temperature X‐ray diffraction indicating a transition to single‐phase cubic at ~300°C.
The aesthetic and cultural interests of patients attending an acute hospital – a phenomenological study
Authors: Moss Hilary , O'Neill Desmond
Published: June 2013

Aim

To describe the aesthetic and cultural pursuits of older patients in hospital.

Background

Although there is much discussion of the importance of arts – used in this paper to refer to all art forms, as currently listed by the Arts Council of Ireland www.artscouncil.ie – in health, little is known about the salience of aesthetic and cultural pursuits of hospital patients.

Design

A qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study examined artistic and cultural interests and experiences of older hospital patients and their perceptions of aesthetics of hospital.

Methods

A phenomenological study was carried out in 2011, using purposeful sampling with 20 inpatients aged over 65. Patients were selected from the geriatric medicine day hospital of a university teaching hospital, 10 had experience of the hospital arts programme.

Results

Seven themes identified: loss and the impact of illness on leisure activities; patients' interests and passions; a lack of expectation of arts in hospital; the positive impact of arts in hospital for those who had experienced them; varying preference between receptive and participative arts activity according to phase of illness; aesthetic aspects of the hospital experience; recommendations for changes to improve arts in hospital.

Conclusions

Aesthetic and cultural interests are important in the lives of older patients admitted to hospital. Illness can create barriers to artistic engagement. Participation in arts activities may be more important during recovery and rehabilitation, with receptive arts being more popular during the acute phase of illness in hospital. Further research recommended on the role of the aesthetic environment for patients' health and well‐being as well as receptive arts in hospital.
Sweating under pressure: skin conductance level reactivity moderates the association between peer victimization and externalizing behavior
Authors: Gregson Kim D. , Tu Kelly M. , Erath Stephen A.
Published: June 2013

Background

This study examined whether the association between peer victimization and externalizing behavior may be illuminated by individual differences in skin conductance level reactivity (SCLR) in the context of peer stress.

Methods

Participants included 123 fifth and sixth graders (Mean age = 12.03 years, 50% females; 42% ethnic minorities). SCLR was assessed in the context of an ecologically relevant, lab‐based peer‐evaluative stress experience in preadolescence.

Results

As hypothesized, self‐reported peer victimization was linked with parent‐ and teacher‐reported externalizing behavior, and SCLR consistently moderated these associations. Peer victimization was associated with parent‐ and teacher‐reported externalizing behavior among preadolescents who exhibited lower SCLR, but not among preadolescents who exhibited higher SCLR.

Conclusions

Results suggest that promoting engagement with peer stress experiences and enhancing inhibitory control are potential intervention targets that may reduce externalizing behavior in the context of peer victimization (or reduce peer victimization among preadolescents who exhibit externalizing behavior).
The shore fishes of the Trindade–Martin Vaz insular complex: an update
Authors: Simon T. , Macieira R. M. , Joyeux J.‐C.
Published: June 2013

A compilation of historical and recent collections and observations of shore fishes yielded 154 recorded species for Trindade and 67 for Martin Vaz. Twelve taxa, mostly small cryptobenthic species with limited dispersal capabilities and low ecological amplitude, are endemic to this insular complex. In several cases, the seamounts of the Vitória‐Trindade Chain appear to have acted as stepping stones between the mainland and islands in periods of low sea level.