bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Divine Wisdom: The Christological Interpretation of Sapientia in Johannes von Tepl's Der Ackermann
Authors: Schneider Christian
Published: August 2014

In this essay, I explore the notion of wisdom in Johannes von Tepl's Der Ackermann (c. 1401). “Wisdom” is central to the text because it serves to justify God's concluding judgment in the dispute between man and Death: Death is awarded victory for having spoken weyßheyt. In previous interpretations, the term is tentatively explained as “divine wisdom.” The question remains open, however, what this “Gottesweisheit” might be. Drawing on medieval biblical exegesis, I argue that it refers to the Book of Proverbs and, in particular, the account of personified Sapientia. “Wisdom” as it is used in chapters 18 and 33 of the dialogue reflects the exegetical tradition of Prov. 8.22–31 and thus serves as a metonymic expression for the person of Christ. Furthermore, with this Christological interpretation of divine wisdom in the Ackermann, I challenge the widespread notion of a “Christological gap” in von Tepl's text.
Bernhard, Suffering, and the Value of Language
Authors: Rush Fred
Published: August 2014

It is almost a truism to say that twentieth‐century philosophy has been concerned to a large degree with the question of the relation of language to meaning. Much of the concern has had to do with making more precise or more perspicuous the relation of language to thought and to the world. The twentieth century was also a time of immense human suffering, but the relation of suffering, as both a dimension of the world and as an aspect of thought, to its linguistic expression has received less philosophical attention. This paper forwards select works from across the writings of the Austrian novelist and dramatist Thomas Bernhard as investigations of these topics. In setting out and evaluating some of Bernhard's signal artistic considerations of the topic, I argue that understanding his work as a literary equivalent to Wittgenstein's more philosophical treatment of some of the same issues does not limn the deepest structure of Bernhard's thought—even though Bernhard often encourages this identification. Bernhard is even more pessimistic than Wittgenstein on a number of core issues; consideration of Bernhard's work in light of Schopenhauer—also a thinker important for Wittgenstein—is more revealing.
Antioxidant capacity and functionality of oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) flour and crust in a new kind of fruity ice cream
Authors: Çakmakçı Songül , Topdaş Elif F. , Kalın Pınar , Han Hatice , Şekerci Pınar , P. Köse Leyla , Gülçin İlhami
Published: August 2014

In this study, the influence of milled crust and flour from oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) separately added at different levels (1%, 2% and 3%) on the physical, chemical, sensory, colour properties and antioxidant properties of ice creams were investigated. The increment of crust and flour level caused an increase of dry matter, acidity, viscosity, first dripping, complete melting and vitamin C content. Flour increased overrun values in ice cream. Our results indicated that lyophilised oleaster extracts contain remarkable phenolic compounds. It was observed that lyophilised oleaster extracts exhibited a moderate in vitro antioxidant capacity. The addition of oleaster flour and crust positively affected sensory properties. The sensory results showed that ice cream containing 2% oleaster flour was the highest scored by the panellists. Oleaster flour and crust increased the sweetness of ice cream samples. These results showed that considerable nutritive and functional improvement could be attained by the addition of oleaster flour to ice cream formulation so that it could be used as natural antioxidants in ice cream as a source of flavour with complacency.
Angiotensin I‐converting enzyme inhibitory and Ca‐binding activities of peptides prepared from tuna cooking juice and spleen proteases
Authors: Kasiwut Jirawadee , Youravong Wirote , Adulyatham Pittaya , Sirinupong Nualpun
Published: August 2014

Tuna cooking juice is a by‐product from the tuna canning industry. In this study, tuna cooking juice was hydrolysed by proteases extracted from the spleen. Tuna cooking juice showed the highest ACE inhibitory and Ca‐binding activities after hydrolysis for 270 and 180 min, respectively. The hydrolysate was further fractionated by ultrafiltration. The permeate exhibited highest ACE inhibitory and Ca‐binding activities when passed through 1 and 5 kDa cut‐off membranes, respectively. Gel filtration chromatography was used to determine the MW of bioactive peptides that exhibited highest ACE inhibitory and Ca‐binding activities. Those peptides that exhibited highest ACE inhibitory and Ca‐binding activities were the MW range of 238–829 Da and 1355–1880 Da, respectively. These results suggest that the tuna cooking juice and the spleen protease extract are a potential source of bioactive peptides that can be utilised as bioactive ingredients in functional food and nutraceuticals.
Molecular characterisation and stress tolerance of Escherichia coli isolated from dairy and dried milk‐related products
Authors: El‐Sharoud Walid M. , Yassin Mona A. , Ahmed Salwa F.
Published: August 2014

This study characterised the phylogenetic groups, pathotypes, antibiotic resistance and stress response of Escherichia coli isolates recovered from dairy and dried milk‐related products. A total of 54 isolates of E. coli were recovered from thirty‐three of 180 samples (18%) of these products. Representatives from all the four phylogenetic groups of the organism were identified, although groups A and B1 dominated groups B2 and D. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) strains producing heat‐labile toxin (LT) could be detected among the isolates and were found to be associated with the Kariesh cheese. Escherichia coli isolates showed single‐drug and multiple‐drug resistance to ß‐lactams and other antibiotic classes. The blaTEM‐1 gene was found to be associated with resistance to ampicillin but not to cephalothin. Escherichia coli survived heating at 50 and 55 °C for 60 min, but was undetectable after only 10 min of exposure to 60 °C. It also survived in the presence of 6% and 8% salt for 96 h and in pH 4.0 for 72 h.
Evolutionary dynamics of R2 retroelement and insertion inheritance in the genome of bisexual and parthenogenetic Bacillus rossius populations (Insecta Phasmida)
Authors: Bonandin L. , Scavariello C. , Luchetti A. , Mantovani B.
Published: August 2014

Theoretical and empirical studies have shown differential management of transposable elements in organisms with different reproductive strategies. To investigate this issue, we analysed the R2 retroelement structure and variability in parthenogenetic and bisexual populations of Bacillus rossius stick insects, as well as insertions inheritance in the offspring of parthenogenetic isolates and of crosses. The B. rossius genome hosts a functional (R2Brfun) and a degenerate (R2Brdeg) element, their presence correlating with neither reproductive strategies nor population distribution. The median‐joining network method indicated that R2Brfun duplicates through a multiple source model, while R2Brdeg is apparently still duplicating via a master gene model. Offspring analyses showed that unisexual and bisexual offspring have a similar number of R2Br‐occupied sites. Multiple or recent shifts from gonochoric to parthenogenetic reproduction may explain the observed data. Moreover, insertion frequency spectra show that higher‐frequency insertions in unisexual offspring significantly outnumber those in bisexual offspring. This suggests that unisexual offspring eliminate insertions with lower efficiency. A comparison with simulated insertion frequencies shows that inherited insertions in unisexual and bisexual offspring are significantly different from the expectation. On the whole, different mechanisms of R2 elimination in unisexual vs bisexual offspring and a complex interplay between recombination effectiveness, natural selection and time can explain the observed data.
Factors predicting the development of pressure ulcers in an at‐risk population who receive standardized preventive care: secondary analyses of a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Demarre Liesbet , Verhaeghe Sofie , Van Hecke Ann , Clays Els , Grypdonck Maria , Beeckman Dimitri
Published: August 2014

Aims

To identify predictive factors associated with the development of pressure ulcers in patients at risk who receive standardized preventive care.

Background

Numerous studies have examined factors that predict risk for pressure ulcer development. Only a few studies identified risk factors associated with pressure ulcer development in hospitalized patients receiving standardized preventive care.

Design

Secondary analyses of data collected in a multicentre randomized controlled trial.

Methods

The sample consisted of 610 consecutive patients at risk for pressure ulcer development (Braden Score <17) receiving standardized preventive care measures. Patient demographic information, data on skin and risk assessment, medical history and diagnosis were collected during 26 months (December 2007–January 2010). Predictive factors were identified using multivariate statistics.

Results

Pressure ulcers in category II–IV were significantly associated with non‐blanchable erythema, urogenital disorders and higher body temperature. Predictive factors significantly associated with superficial pressure ulcers were admission to an internal medicine ward, incontinence‐associated dermatitis, non‐blanchable erythema and a lower Braden score. Superficial sacral pressure ulcers were significantly associated with incontinence‐associated dermatitis.

Conclusions

Despite the standardized preventive measures they received, hospitalized patients with non‐blanchable erythema, urogenital disorders and a higher body temperature were at increased risk for developing pressure ulcers.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Improved identification of at‐risk patients can be achieved by taking into account specific predictive factors. Even if preventive measures are in place, continuous assessment and tailoring of interventions is necessary in all patients at risk. Daily skin observation can be used to continuously monitor the effectiveness of the intervention.
Geographies of Meaningful Living
Authors: Calhoun Cheshire
Published: August 2014

Because it is significantly unclear what ‘meaningful’ does or should pick out when applied to a life, any account of meaningful living will be constructive and not merely clarificatory. Where in our conceptual geography is ‘meaningful’ best located? What conceptual work do we want the concept to do? What I call agent‐independent and agent‐independent‐plus conceptions of meaningfulness locate ‘meaningful’ within the conceptual geography of agent‐independent evaluative standards and assign ‘meaningful’ the work of commending lives. I argue that the not wholly welcome implications of these more dominant approaches to meaningfulness make it plausible to locate ‘meaningful’ on an alternative conceptual geography — that of agents as end‐setters and of agent‐dependent value assessments — and to assign it the work of picking out lives whose time‐expenditures are intelligible to the agent. I respond to the challenge confronting any subjectivist conception of meaningfulness that it is overly permissive.
Smoking decreases structural and functional resilience in the subgingival ecosystem
Authors: Joshi Vinayak , Matthews Chad , Aspiras Marcelo , de Jager Marko , Ward Marilyn , Kumar Purnima
Published: August 2014

Aims

Dysbiotic microbial communities underlie the aetiology of several oral diseases, especially in smokers. The ability of an ecosystem to rebound from the dysbiotic state and re‐establish a health‐compatible community, a characteristic known as resilience, plays an important role in susceptibility to future disease. The present investigation was undertaken to examine the effects of smoking on colonization dynamics and resilience in marginal and subgingival biofilms.

Materials and methods

Marginal and subgingival plaque and gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected from 25 current and 25 never smokers with pre‐existing gingivitis at baseline, following resolution, after 1, 2 4, 7, 14 and 21 days of undisturbed plaque formation and following resolution. 16S cloning and sequencing was used for bacterial identification and multiplexed bead‐based flow cytometry was used to quantify the levels of 27 immune mediators.

Results

Smokers demonstrated an early pathogenic colonization that led to sustained pathogen enrichment with periodontal and respiratory pathogens, eliciting a florid immune response. Smokers also demonstrated greater abundance of pathogenic species, poor compositional correlation between marginal and subgingival ecosystems, and significantly greater pro‐inflammatory responses following resolution of the second episode of disease.

Conclusions

The ability of the subgingival microbiome to “reset” itself following episodes of disease is decreased in smokers, thereby lowering the resilience of the ecosystem and decreasing its resistance to future disease.
Commentary: Getting fathers into parenting programmes – a reflection on Panter‐Brick et al. (2014)
Authors: Ramchandani Paul , Iles Jane
Published: August 2014

Research, policy and clinical practice focussed on engaging and working with fathers and their children often seems to oscillate between extremes. Where policy documents relating to children's health and wellbeing do include fathers it is often in a restricted way, and similarly discussions about the role of fathers in the media are often one‐dimensional. It is sometimes hard to escape a feeling of despondency at the continuing exchanges, too often made ignoring or misinterpreting years of research regarding the importance of co‐parenting and the involvement of fathers and other carers. One of the great contributions of child and adolescent mental health professionals has been the drawing of attention to the importance of family processes and systemic thinking, yet in relation to parenting, this seems to have been increasingly overlooked in recent years with an increased focus on attachment or social learning inspired approaches for a single parent–child dyad. In this issue of the JCPP, in a thorough and timely review, Catherine Panter‐Brick and colleagues call for a clear change to the way parenting programmes are considered, studied and implemented. In this commentary, we reflect on this call and look at three challenges for CAMHS professionals.
Preparedness of final‐year Turkish nursing students for work as a professional nurse
Authors: Güner Perihan
Published: August 2014

Aims and objectives

To determine the preparedness levels of final‐year Turkish nursing students starting their careers as professional nurses.

Background

The transition from nursing student to professional nurse is challenging. One of the ways to help facilitate this transition is to determine how well students are prepared to start work. There are limited, but conflicting, results on this topic.

Design

Mixed‐methods study.

Methods

Undergraduate nursing students (n = 4490) in their final year of study from 74 Turkish universities were eligible to participate in this study. Of these, 1804 total students participated from 38 randomly selected universities. Data were collected through an investigator‐developed questionnaire (n = 1804) and focus group interviews (n = 57).

Results

Students felt highly prepared to start work (57·6%). Those who were older, male, graduates of a vocational high school or already working as a nurse felt most prepared. Students who felt that their education preparation and resources were adequate felt more prepared. Focus group interviews revealed that students felt confident in their knowledge of educational theory, but not in clinical skills.

Conclusions

Students may have felt prepared to start work, but insufficient clinical experience probably contributed to a lack of confidence in their skills. The resources of the school, the quality of the education, and the clinical practice environments were considered most important for the students’ perceived preparedness levels.

Relevance to clinical practice

An undergraduate education provides the foundation for successful nurse preparation. A good clinical environment along with a high‐quality education programme can help give students more confidence in their skills when they join the nursing workforce. Internship or residency programmes may also facilitate this learning. This is extremely important for safe, high‐quality patient care.
Agent‐Based Modeling of Growth Processes
Authors: Abraham Ralph
Published: August 2014

Growth processes abound in nature, and are frequently the target of modeling exercises in the sciences. In this article we illustrate an agent‐based approach to modeling, in the case of a single example from the social sciences: bullying.
Stability and Variability in Young Children's Understanding of Floating and Sinking During One Single‐Task Session
Authors: Meindertsma Heidi B. , van Dijk Marijn W. G. , Steenbeek Henderien W. , van Geert Paul L. C.
Published: August 2014

Intraindividual variability is a key component in explaining children's development and learning. Studying this type of variability on the micro‐timescale can help us understand real‐time constructive processes and the subsequent long‐term development. The aim of this article is to study the process of children's understanding of floating and sinking during one single‐task session. A total of 38 kindergartners were asked to explain the floating or sinking of 14 different objects. The results reveal that the majority of children showed a high degree of intraindividual variability. In general, most children had a decrease in variability of both content and complexity of explanations during one task session and stabilized in both complexity and content toward the end of the task. The analyses indicated that hypothesis testing was not related to changes in children's explanations. These results can be the starting point for further research about change on different, nested timescales.
Teachers' Understanding of the Role of Executive Functions in Mathematics Learning
Authors: Gilmore Camilla , Cragg Lucy
Published: August 2014

Cognitive psychology research has suggested an important role for executive functions, the set of skills that monitor and control thought and action, in learning mathematics. However, there is currently little evidence about whether teachers are aware of the importance of these skills and, if so, how they come by this information. We conducted an online survey of teachers' views on the importance of a range of skills for mathematics learning. Teachers rated executive function skills, and in particular inhibition and shifting, to be important for mathematics. The value placed on executive function skills increased with increasing teaching experience. Most teachers reported that they were aware of these skills, although few knew the term “executive functions.” This awareness had come about through their teaching experience rather than from formal instruction. Researchers and teacher educators could do more to highlight the importance of these skills to trainee or new teachers.
The Neuroscience of PowerPointTM
Authors: Horvath Jared Cooney
Published: August 2014

Many concepts have been published relevant to improving the design of PowerPointTM (PP) presentations for didactic purposes, including the redundancy, modality, and signaling principles of multimedia learning. In this article, we review the recent neuroimaging findings that have emerged elucidating the neural structures involved in many of these concepts. First, we explore the research suggesting that the brain utilizes similar structures to process written text and oral speech leading to neural competition and impaired performance during dual linguistic text/audition tasks (redundancy principle). Next, we examine research that demonstrates that the brain processes visual images in a manner different from and parallel to oral speech leading to improved performance during dual nonlinguistic visual/audition tasks (modality principle). Finally, we look at how the brain responds to contextual and direct attention cues (signaling principle). We link this research to PP design and suggest a number of concrete ways to implement these findings to improve the didactic strength of slide‐show presentations.
Simplifying Causal Complexity: How Interactions Between Modes of Causal Induction and Information Availability Lead to Heuristic‐Driven Reasoning
Authors: Grotzer Tina A. , Shane Tutwiler M.
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT—

This article considers a set of well‐researched default assumptions that people make in reasoning about complex causality and argues that, in part, they result from the forms of causal induction that we engage in and the type of information available in complex environments. It considers how information often falls outside our attentional frame such that covariation falls short, mechanisms can be nonobvious, and the testimony that others offer is typically subject to the same constraints as our own perceptions. It underscores the importance of multiple modes of causal induction used in support of one another when discerning and teaching about causal complexity. It considers the importance of higher order reflection on the nature of causality that recognizes the challenging features of complex causality and how it interacts with human causal cognition.
Positive and negative experiences of breast pumping during the first 6 months
Authors: Flaherman Valerie J. , Hicks Katherine G. , Huynh Justine , Cabana Michael D. , Lee Kathryn A.
Published: August 2014

For mothers with breastfeeding difficulties, pumping can be recommended to help establish milk production. However, pumping may present some barriers to successful breastfeeding. Mothers with milk supply concern may be at higher risk of barriers to successful breastfeeding. No previous studies have described experiences of pumping among mothers with milk supply concern. We conducted 10 focus groups of 56 mothers who had milk supply concern in the first month after birth. A paid, trained facilitator led groups in a semi‐structured approach. Sessions were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded independently by two investigators and analysed using grounded theory. We identified five themes related to the experience of pumping among mothers with milk supply concern: (1) additional control over breastfeeding from pumping: ‘I would feed and then give him … whatever I could manage to pump to him’. (2) Painful experience: ‘The first time I pumped my boobs hurt so bad’. (3) Pumped volume affected milk supply concern: ‘Pump and there was hardly anything coming out that's when I started to worry’. (4) Pumping interfered with other nurturing activities: ‘While you're pumping, you can't touch the baby’. (5) Frustration from inconsistent provider advice: ‘They told me to pump … and then said, “That's going to cause your milk to increase too much” ’. Mothers had positive and negative experiences with pumping. Clinicians should assess a mother's experience shortly after she initiates pumping, as further management and counselling may be necessary to avoid barriers to successful breastfeeding.
Unwanted childbearing and household food insecurity in the United States
Authors: Patel Shivani A. , Surkan Pamela J.
Published: August 2014

Household food insecurity is a population health concern disproportionately affecting families with children in the United States. Unwanted childbearing may place unanticipated strain on families to meet basic needs, heightening the risk for household food insecurity. We investigated the association between mother's and father's report of unwanted childbearing and exposure to household food insecurity among children residing in two‐parent households in the United States. Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort, a nationally representative cohort of US children (n ∼ 6150), were used to estimate the odds of household food insecurity when children were aged 9 months and 2 years, separately, based on parental report of unwanted childbearing. The majority of children were reported as wanted by both parents (74.4%). Of the sample, report of unwanted childbearing by father‐only was 20.0%, mother‐only was 3.4% and joint mother and father was 2.2%. Household food insecurity was higher when children were 9 months compared with 2 years. In adjusted models accounting for confounders, children born to mothers and fathers who jointly reported unwanted childbearing were at higher odds of exposure to household food insecurity at 9 months [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.97, 5.57] and 2 years (AOR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.12, 5.68). In two‐parent households, we found that children raised by parents reporting unwanted childbearing were more likely to be exposed to food insecurity and potentially related stressors. Further studies that prospectively measure wantedness before the child's birth will aid in confirming the direction of this association.
Consumption of highly processed snacks, sugar‐sweetened beverages and child feeding practices in a rural area of Nicaragua
Authors: Contreras Mariela , Zelaya Blandón Elmer , Persson Lars‐Åke , Ekström Eva‐Charlotte
Published: August 2014

Appropriate feeding behaviours are important for child growth and development. In societies undergoing nutrition transition, new food items are introduced that may be unfavourable for child health. Set in rural Nicaragua, the aim of this study was to describe the infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices as well as the consumption of highly processed snack foods (HP snacks) and sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSBs). All households with at least one child 0‐ to 35‐month‐old (n = 1371) were visited to collect information on current IYCF practices in the youngest child as well as consumption of SSBs and HP snacks. Breastfeeding was dominant (98%) among 0‐ to 1‐month‐olds and continued to be prevalent (60%) in the second year, while only 34% of the 0‐ to 5‐month‐olds were exclusively breastfed. Complementary feeding practices were deemed acceptable for only 59% of the 6‐ to 11‐month‐old infants, with low dietary diversity reported for 50% and inadequate meal frequency reported for 30%. Consumption of HP snacks and SSBs was frequent and started early; among 6‐ to 8‐month‐olds, 42% and 32% had consumed HP snacks and SSBs, respectively. The difference between the observed IYCF behaviours and World Health Organization recommendations raises concern of increased risk of infections and insufficient intake of micronutrients that may impair linear growth. The concurrent high consumption of SSBs and HP snacks may increase the risk of displacing the recommended feeding behaviours. To promote immediate and long‐term health, growth and development, there is a need to both promote recommended IYCF practices as well as discourage unfavourable feeding behaviours.
Poor dietary diversity and low nutrient density of the complementary diet for 6‐ to 24‐month‐old children in urban and ruralKwaZulu‐Natal,SouthAfrica
Authors: Faber Mieke , Laubscher Ria , Berti Cristiana
Published: August 2014

Infants and toddlers have high nutritional requirements relative to body size but consume small amounts of food and therefore need nutrient‐dense complementary foods. A cross‐sectional study included children aged 6–24 months, stratified in three age categories (6–11 months, 12–17 months and 18–24 months) and randomly selected from an urban (n = 158) and a rural (n = 158) area, both of low socio‐economic status, in theKwaZulu‐NatalProvince ofSouthAfrica. Dietary diversity and nutrient density of the complementary diet (excluding breast milk and formula milk) based on a repeated 24‐h dietary recall was assessed. For breastfeeding children, nutrient density of the complementary diet was adequate for protein, vitaminAand vitaminC; and inadequate for 100% of children for zinc, for >80% of children for calcium, iron and niacin; and between 60% and 80% of children for vitaminB6 and riboflavin. Urban/rural differences in density for animal and plant protein, cholesterol and fibre occurred in 18–24‐month‐old children. Fewer than 25% of children consumed ≥4 food groups, with no urban/rural differences. Higher dietary diversity was associated with higher nutrient density for protein and several of the micronutrients including calcium, iron and zinc. The poor nutrient density for key micronutrients can probably be ascribed to lack of dietary variety, and little impact of mandatory fortification of maize meal/wheat flour on infants/toddlers' diet. Targeted strategies are needed to enable mothers to feed their children a more varied diet.
A novel methyltransferase from the intracellular pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae methylates salicylic acid
Authors: Ludwig‐Müller Jutta , Jülke Sabine , Geiß Kathleen , Richter Franziska , Mithöfer Axel , Šola Ivana , Rusak Gordana , Keenan Sandi , Bulman Simon
Published: August 2014

The obligate biotrophic pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae causes clubroot disease in Arabidopsis thaliana, which is characterized by large root galls. Salicylic acid (SA) production is a defence response in plants, and its methyl ester is involved in systemic signalling. Plasmodiophora brassicae seems to suppress plant defence reactions, but information on how this is achieved is scarce. Here, we profile the changes in SA metabolism during Arabidopsis clubroot disease. The accumulation of SA and the emission of methylated SA (methyl salicylate, MeSA) were observed in P. brassicae‐infected Arabidopsis 28 days after inoculation. There is evidence that MeSA is transported from infected roots to the upper plant. Analysis of the mutant Atbsmt1, deficient in the methylation of SA, indicated that the Arabidopsis SA methyltransferase was not responsible for alterations in clubroot symptoms. We found that P. brassicae possesses a methyltransferase (PbBSMT) with homology to plant methyltransferases. The PbBSMT gene is maximally transcribed when SA production is highest. By heterologous expression and enzymatic analyses, we showed that PbBSMT can methylate SA, benzoic and anthranilic acids.
Endozoochory by slugs can increase bryophyte establishment and species richness
Authors: Boch Steffen , Fischer Markus , Knop Eva , Allan Eric
Published: August 2014

Herbivory can affect plant community composition and diversity by removing biomass and reducing light competition. Herbivory may particularly benefit low growing species such as bryophytes, which are frequently limited by light competition. Gastropods are important herbivores of seed plants and cryptogams, furthermore, they can disperse propagules such as seeds and spores via endozoochory. However, whether gastropod herbivory can reduce the dominance of vascular plants and thereby promote the germination and establishment of endozoochorously dispersed bryophyte spores has never been tested experimentally. Moreover, it is unclear whether these possible interacting effects can influence bryophyte species richness. Here, we tested for endozoochorous spore dispersal by slugs, in combination with sowing of vascular plants, in a fully factorial common garden experiment. Enclosures contained either slugs previously fed with bryophyte sporophytes, control slugs, or no slugs. After 21 days the bryophyte cover was on average 2.8 times higher (3.9% versus 1.4%) and after eight months the bryophyte species richness 2.6 times higher (5.8 versus 2.2) in enclosures containing slugs previously fed with bryophyte sporophytes than in the other treatments. Furthermore, after eight months high vascular plant cover reduced bryophyte diversity. On average enclosures without seed sowing harboured 1.6 times more bryophyte species than the ones with seed sowing (4.2 versus 2.6), indicating competitive effects of vascular plants on bryophytes. Our findings suggest that slugs are important dispersal vectors for bryophytes and that they can increase bryophyte populations and maintain bryophyte diversity by reducing the dominance of vascular plants.
Positive and negative biotic interactions and invasive Triadica sebifera tolerance to salinity: a cross‐continent comparative study
Authors: Yang Qiang , Li Bo , Siemann Evan
Published: August 2014

Exotic plant species may exhibit abiotic niche expansions that enable them to persist in a greater variety of habitat types in their introduced ranges than in their native ranges. This may reflect variation in limitation by different abiotic niche dimensions (realized niche shift) or phenotypic effects of biotic interactions that vary among ranges (realized niche expansion). Novel abiotic and biotic environments in the introduced range may also lead to genetic changes in exotic plant traits that enhance their abiotic stress tolerance (fundamental niche expansion). Here, we investigated how biotic interactions (aboveground herbivory and soil organisms) affect plant salinity tolerance using the invasive species Triadica sebifera from China (native range) and US (introduced range) populations grown in common gardens in both ranges. Simulated herbivory significantly reduced survival in saline treatments with reductions especially large at low salinity. Soil sterilization had a negative effect on survival at low salinity in China but had a positive effect on survival at low salinity in the US. Triadica survival and biomass were higher for US populations than for China populations, particularly in China but salinity tolerance did not depend on population origin. On average, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization was higher for US populations, US soils and low salinity. These factors had a significant, positive, non‐additive interaction so that clipped seedlings from US populations in low saline US soils had high levels of AM colonization. Overall, our results show that phenotypic biotic interactions shape Triadica's salinity tolerance. Positive and negative biotic interactions together affected plant performance at intermediate stress levels. However, only aboveground damage consistently affected salinity tolerance, suggesting an important role for enemy release in expanding stress tolerance.
Feedback between size balance and consumption strongly affects the consequences of hatching phenology in size‐dependent predator–prey interactions
Authors: Nosaka Megumi , Katayama Noboru , Kishida Osamu
Published: August 2014

In many size‐dependent predator–prey systems, hatching phenology strongly affects predator–prey interaction outcomes. Early‐hatched predators can easily consume prey when they first interact because they encounter smaller prey. However, this process by itself may be insufficient to explain all predator–prey interaction outcomes over the whole interaction period because the predator–prey size balance changes dynamically throughout their ontogeny. We hypothesized that hatching phenology influences predator–prey interactions via a feedback mechanism between the predator–prey size balance and prey consumption by predators. We experimentally tested this hypothesis in an amphibian predator–prey model system. Frog tadpoles Rana pirica were exposed to a predatory salamander larva Hynobius retardatus that had hatched 5, 12, 19 or 26 days after the frog tadpoles hatched. We investigated how the salamander hatch timing affected the dynamics of prey mortality, size changes of both predator and prey, and their subsequent life history (larval period and size at metamorphosis). The predator–prey size balance favoured earlier hatched salamanders, which just after hatching could successfully consume more frog tadpoles than later hatched salamanders. The early‐hatched salamanders grew rapidly and their accelerated growth enabled them to maintain the predator‐superior size balance; thus, they continued to exert strong predation pressure on the frog tadpoles in the subsequent period. Furthermore, frog tadpoles exposed to the early‐hatched salamanders were larger at metamorphosis and had a longer larval period than other frog tadpoles. These results suggest that feedback between the predator‐superior size balance and prey consumption is a critical mechanism that strongly affects the impacts of early hatching of predators in the short‐term population dynamics and life history of the prey. Because consumption of large nutrient‐rich prey items supports the growth of predators, a similar feedback mechanism may be common and have strong impacts on phenological shifts in size‐dependent trophic relationships.
InDeFENCEof theIn‐Group Historical Narrative in an Intractable Intergroup Conflict: An Individual‐Difference Perspective
Authors: Klar Yechiel , Baram Hadas
Published: August 2014

Groups, particularly when immersed in an intractable intergroup conflict, place considerable value on protecting and defending their historical group narrative. However, some group members are more narrative‐protective than others. InStudy 1, we introduce a new individual‐difference measure of motivation to achieve aFirmlyEntrenchedNarrativeClosurE(FENCE) and test it on several Israeli samples (N = 1132). InStudy 2 (N = 120), we show that in‐group glorification, right‐wing political orientation, and right‐wing‐authoritarianism, but not attachment to theIn‐group, nonspecific need for cognitive closure, or need for cognition, predictFENCEmotivation andBehavioralLack ofOpenness toCounternarratives(BLOC). InStudies 3 and 4, we show using international (N = 24) and Israeli (N = 78) samples that a belief in the zero‐sum nature of the conflict is related toFENCEandBLOC. InStudy 5, we demonstrate thatFENCEaffects quality of recall of conflict information. The potential merit ofFENCEin accounting for the variability among group members in protecting the group narrative is discussed.
A novel wheat bZIP transcription factor, TabZIP60, confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances in transgenic Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhang Lina , Zhang Lichao , Xia Chuan , Zhao Guangyao , Liu Ji , Jia Jizeng , Kong Xiuying
Published: August 2014

The basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) play vital roles in the response to abiotic stress. However, little is known about the function of bZIP genes in wheat abiotic stress. In this study, we report the isolation and functional characterization of the TabZIP60 gene. Three homologous genome sequences of TabZIP60 were isolated from hexaploid wheat and mapped to the wheat homoeologous group 6. A subcellular localization analysis indicated that TabZIP60 is a nuclear‐localized protein that activates transcription. Furthermore, TabZIP60 gene transcripts were strongly induced by polyethylene glycol, salt, cold and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. Further analysis showed that the overexpression of TabZIP60 in Arabidopsis resulted in significantly improved tolerances to drought, salt, freezing stresses and increased plant sensitivity to ABA in seedling growth. Meanwhile, the TabZIP60 was capable of binding ABA‐responsive cis‐elements that are present in promoters of many known ABA‐responsive genes. A subsequent analysis showed that the overexpression of TabZIP60 led to enhanced expression levels of some stress‐responsive genes and changes in several physiological parameters. Taken together, these results suggest that TabZIP60 enhances multiple abiotic stresses through the ABA signaling pathway and that modifications of its expression may improve multiple stress tolerances in crop plants.
Staphylococcus aureus bio‐products: New biological roles for a pleurodesis agent
Authors: Psallidas Ioannis , Stathopoulos Georgios T.
Published: August 2014

See article, page 1025
‘They said it was bronchiolitis; is it going to turn into asthma doctor?’
Authors: Gidaris Dimos , Urquhart Don , Anthracopoulos Michael B.
Published: August 2014

Acute bronchiolitis is a common paediatric disease of infancy. Its association with subsequent asthma development has puzzled clinicians and epidemiologists for decades. This article reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the role of acute bronchiolitis in the inception of asthma. There is little doubt that acute bronchiolitis is associated with an increased risk of recurrent wheezing throughout the primary school years although the direction of causality—i.e. whether bronchiolitis in infancy leads to asthma or it merely represents the first clinical presentation of predisposition to asthma—is uncertain. Existing evidence suggests that both host factors (e.g. prematurity, atopic predisposition) and acute viral infection characteristics (e.g. type of virus, severity) are operating in this relationship, perhaps with variable involvement in different individuals. Further clarification of these issues will help paediatricians provide evidence‐based information regarding the long‐term prognosis of this common disease to the families, and at the same time, it will facilitate prophylactic approaches and therapeutic strategies.
Do variations in paraspinal muscle morphology and composition predict low back pain in men?
Authors: Fortin M. , Gibbons L. E. , Videman T. , Battié M. C.
Published: August 2014

This longitudinal study aimed to clarify the longstanding controversy over whether variations in paraspinal muscle morphology (e.g., size, composition and asymmetry) are predictors of low back pain (LBP). A sample of 99 Finnish men were included in this population‐based longitudinal study. Data were collected through a structured interview, physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Baseline measurements of the lumbar multifidus and erector spinae muscles were obtained from T2‐weighted axial images at L3–L4 and L5–S1, and interview data were obtained at baseline, 1‐ and 15‐year follow‐ups. Few of the paraspinal muscle parameters investigated were predictors of change in LBP frequency, intensity or sciatica at 1‐ and 15‐year follow‐ups in the population‐based sample, and findings were not consistent across muscles and spinal levels. However, greater multifidus and erector spinae fatty infiltration at L5–S1 was associated with a higher risk of having continued, frequent, persistent LBP at 1‐year follow‐up. None of the relationships observed was confounded by body mass index or the amount of physical activity at work or leisure. This longitudinal study provided evidence that variations in paraspinal muscle morphology on MRI have a limited, if not uncertain, role in the short‐ and long‐term predictions of LBP in men.
Transnationalisation, Public Communication and Active Citizenship. The Emergence of a Fragmented and Fluid European Public Sphere
Authors: Bee Cristiano
Published: August 2014

This paper is focused on the emergence of the European public sphere debate. This discussion has become more and more prominent between scholars of European Studies who have given it both normative and empirical attention. This is due to a variety of reasons, but in particular the increase in research about the legitimacy of European integration, which has been the subject of a wide debate since at least the beginning of the 1990s. Firstly, the article critically assesses the normative arguments that have supported the development of the European public sphere, by focusing on the social, political and cultural dimensions of European integration. After having assessed this debate and underlined current challenges emerged in light of recent events (such as the euro‐crisis, the rise of euroscepticism and the rise in far right movements), the article then introduces the empirical research on the europeanisation of the public sphere, by looking at the development of an agenda that has more and more concentrated on the fragmentation and fluidity of such construct. This discussion is key to introduce the final part of the article, which focuses on the role of civil society in the broader European constituency and in the public sphere. The article highlights some of the ambiguities inherent to the current research agenda, by calling for a more comprehensive approach to study active citizenship in Europe that departs from a consideration of the NGOs activists as the main locus of analysis.
Who's Controlling Who? Personal Communication Devices and Work
Authors: Rose Emily
Published: August 2014

Personal communication devices have long been part of work life. In recent decades, the range of modes available has proliferated and their use has became widespread. This article examines the ways that personal communication devices have shaped workers' experience of work. It reviews four key areas of research on this topic: the ability to work in new times and spaces; the relationship between work and personal life; the fragmentation of work; and the pace and intensity of work. The article highlights how the issue of control is critical when attempting to understand the how and why of any effects arising from workers' use of these technologies.
Characterizing the Impact of Requirements Volatility on Systems Engineering Effort
Authors: Peña Mauricio , Valerdi Ricardo
Published: August 2014

This paper describes the results of a study aimed at increasing the understanding of the causes of requirements volatility, its impact on systems engineering effort, and its changing dynamics over the system life cycle. The objective of the research is to improve the ability of systems engineers to anticipate and manage the effects of changing requirements. The ultimate goal of this study is to develop a model for quantifying the impact of requirements volatility on systems engineering effort that can be incorporated into the Constructive Systems Engineering Cost Model. Based on a review of the literature and expert judgment collected through surveys in five workshops, we identify five observations that summarize the key considerations of requirements volatility.

First, a set of project organizational, technical, and contextual factors were ranked by subject matter experts in terms of their influence on requirements volatility. Their responses point to poor initial understanding of the system and customer needs as the leading cause of requirements volatility. Second, our results suggest that, while volatility tends to decrease over time, the number of requirements changes may increase during transitions between life cycle phases. Third, requirements volatility increases the functional size of the project and causes rework of engineering products, driving an increase in systems engineering effort. Fourth, the effect of requirements volatility on systems engineering effort increases the later the change occurs in the system life cycle. Fifth, the effort impact of a requirements change varies depending on the type of change (added, deleted, and modified).
Arabidopsis thaliana IRX10 and two related proteins from psyllium and Physcomitrella patens are xylan xylosyltransferases
Authors: Jensen Jacob Krüger , Johnson Nathan Robert , Wilkerson Curtis Gene
Published: August 2014

The enzymatic mechanism that governs the synthesis of the xylan backbone polymer, a linear chain of xylose residues connected by β‐1,4 glycosidic linkages, has remained elusive. Xylan is a major constituent of many kinds of plant cell walls, and genetic studies have identified multiple genes that affect xylan formation. In this study, we investigate several homologs of one of these previously identified xylan‐related genes, IRX10 from Arabidopsis thaliana, by heterologous expression and in vitro xylan xylosyltransferase assay. We find that an IRX10 homolog from the moss Physcomitrella patens displays robust activity, and we show that the xylosidic linkage formed is a β‐1,4 linkage, establishing this protein as a xylan β‐1,4‐xylosyltransferase. We also find lower but reproducible xylan xylosyltransferase activity with A. thaliana IRX10 and with a homolog from the dicot plant Plantago ovata, showing that xylan xylosyltransferase activity is conserved over large evolutionary distance for these proteins.