bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interactive direct and plant‐mediated effects of elevated atmospheric [CO2] and temperature on a eucalypt‐feeding insect herbivore
Authors: Murray T. J. , Ellsworth D. S. , Tissue D. T. , Riegler M.
Published: January 2013

Understanding the direct and indirect effects of elevated [CO2] and temperature on insect herbivores and how these factors interact are essential to predict ecosystem‐level responses to climate change scenarios. In three concurrent glasshouse experiments, we measured both the individual and interactive effects of elevated [CO2] and temperature on foliar quality. We also assessed the interactions between their direct and plant‐mediated effects on the development of an insect herbivore of eucalypts. Eucalyptus tereticornis saplings were grown at ambient or elevated [CO2] (400 and 650 μmol mol−1 respectively) and ambient or elevated ( + 4 °C) temperature for 10 months. Doratifera quadriguttata (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) larvae were feeding directly on these trees, on their excised leaves in a separate glasshouse, or on excised field‐grown leaves within the temperature and [CO2] controlled glasshouse. To allow insect gender to be determined and to ensure that any sex‐specific developmental differences could be distinguished from treatment effects, insect development time and consumption were measured from egg hatch to pupation. No direct [CO2] effects on insects were observed. Elevated temperature accelerated larval development, but did not affect leaf consumption. Elevated [CO2] and temperature independently reduced foliar quality, slowing larval development and increasing consumption. Simultaneously increasing both [CO2] and temperature reduced these shifts in foliar quality, and negative effects on larval performance were subsequently ameliorated. Negative nutritional effects of elevated [CO2] and temperature were also independently outweighed by the direct positive effect of elevated temperature on larvae. Rising [CO2] and temperature are thus predicted to have interactive effects on foliar quality that affect eucalypt‐feeding insects. However, the ecological consequences of these interactions will depend on the magnitude of concurrent temperature rise and its direct effects on insect physiology and feeding behaviour.
Survey of practices and policies relating to the use of complementary and alternative medicines and therapies in New South Wales cancer services
Authors: Raszeja V. M. , Jordens C. F. C. , Kerridge I. H.
Published: January 2013

Aims

To examine policies and practices relating to the provision, prescription and monitoring of complementary and alternative medicine and therapies (CAM) in conventional cancer services in NSW.

Methods

Self‐administered questionnaire sent to directors of all 65 eligible cancer services in NSW in 2009.

Results

Forty‐three services responded to the survey (response rate 66%). Only six (14%) services reported having formal policies about CAM. Most (n = 33, 77%) expected that patients would be asked about CAM use during their initial assessment. Eight services (19%) provided and/or prescribed CAM for patients, and most of these (n = 7) recorded details of CAM use in patients' records. Only four (9%) services permitted CAM practitioners from the community to attend inpatients, whereas 24 (56%) permitted inpatients to bring in their own CAM. Most of these services (n = 17) required medical approval for the use of CAM. Of the latter, most (n = 13) recorded the use of approved CAM, but only seven recorded use of unapproved CAM and only three refused permission to continue use of unapproved CAM.

Conclusion

Most cancer services in NSW recognise potential CAM use by patients and expect medical staff to ask patients about their use of CAM. While few cancer services provided or prescribed CAM, over half permitted inpatients to bring their own CAM into hospital. There was little control over the use of CAM, however, and monitoring was lax. Given the wide usage of CAM by patients with cancer, this lack of control may compromise clinical outcomes, with potentially dangerous consequences.
Illustrating the critical role of human dimensions research for understanding and managing recreational fisheries within a social‐ecological system framework
Authors: Hunt L. M. , Sutton S. G. , Arlinghaus R.
Published: January 2013

Effective management of recreational fishing requires understanding fishers and their actions. These actions constitute critical links between social and ecological systems that result in outcomes that feedback and influence recreational fishers' actions and the management of these actions. Although much research exists on recreational fishers and their actions, this research is often disconnected from management issues. One way to help to overcome this disconnect is to illustrate how past research on the social component of recreational fishing fits within an emerging coupled social‐ecological system (SES) framework. Herein, a conceptual SES is first developed with specific attention to recreational fisheries. This SES is then used to illustrate the importance of considering human dimensions research for articulating, studying and ultimately managing key outcomes of recreational fisheries (e.g. fish population conservation, fisher well‐being) using the example of harvest regulations and a brief review of past interdisciplinary research on recreational fishing. The article ends by identifying key research needs including understanding: how factors such as management rules affect the diversity of actions by recreational fishers; how governance and management approaches adapt to changing social and resource conditions; and how recreational fishers learn and share information.
Four new species of Typhlocharis (baetica group) (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Anillini) from southwestern Iberian Peninsula with notes on their biogeographical and morphological implications
Authors: PÉREZ‐GONZÁLEZ SERGIO , ZABALLOS JUAN P.
Published: January 2013

Four new species of Typhlocharis (Carabidae: Anillini) are described from the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, assigned to the baetica species group. T. primasp.n., T. secundasp.n. and T. tertiasp.n. (from La Palma del Condado, Huelva, Spain) are syntopic, and T. quartasp.n. (from Barrancos, Beja, Portugal) is the first species of the group with umbilicate series 4 + 4. They represent, respectively, the southernmost and westernmost distribution data for the group. The baetica group remains well defined and includes ten species. The diagnosis is simplified, with the confirmation that many morphological features characteristic of this group are widespread within the genus. The defining character is the presence of denticles in apical margin of elytra, not associated to the seventh stria or to the elytral suture. The new species provide morphological data that suggest the baetica and silvanoides groups are closely related. Distribution of both groups in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the presence of morphological characters that are considered plesiomorphic are coherent with the hypothesis of betic‐riffain origin of the genus. They also support the hypothesis of easy alteration of the umbilicate pattern between closely related species and the independent origin of apical denticles in the group compared with those present in other species of the genus. The presence of three well‐differentiated size ranges in syntopic populations suggest ecological diversification to avoid interspecific competition.
Hybridization and speciation
Authors: Abbott R. , Albach D. , Ansell S. , Arntzen J. W. , Baird S. J. E. , Bierne N. , Boughman J. , Brelsford A. , Buerkle C. A. , Buggs R. , Butlin R. K. , Dieckmann U. , Eroukhmanoff F. , Grill A. , Cahan S. H. , Hermansen J. S. , Hewitt G. , Hudson A. G. , Jiggins C. , Jones J. , Keller B. , Marczewski T. , Mallet J. , Martinez‐Rodriguez P. , Möst M. , Mullen S. , Nichols R. , Nolte A. W. , Parisod C. , Pfennig K. , Rice A. M. , Ritchie M. G. , Seifert B. , Smadja C. M. , Stelkens R. , Szymura J. M. , Väinölä R. , Wolf J. B. W. , Zinner D.
Published: January 2013

Hybridization has many and varied impacts on the process of speciation. Hybridization may slow or reverse differentiation by allowing gene flow and recombination. It may accelerate speciation via adaptive introgression or cause near‐instantaneous speciation by allopolyploidization. It may have multiple effects at different stages and in different spatial contexts within a single speciation event. We offer a perspective on the context and evolutionary significance of hybridization during speciation, highlighting issues of current interest and debate. In secondary contact zones, it is uncertain if barriers to gene flow will be strengthened or broken down due to recombination and gene flow. Theory and empirical evidence suggest the latter is more likely, except within and around strongly selected genomic regions. Hybridization may contribute to speciation through the formation of new hybrid taxa, whereas introgression of a few loci may promote adaptive divergence and so facilitate speciation. Gene regulatory networks, epigenetic effects and the evolution of selfish genetic material in the genome suggest that theDobzhansky–Muller model of hybrid incompatibilities requires a broader interpretation. Finally, although the incidence of reinforcement remains uncertain, this and other interactions in areas of sympatry may have knock‐on effects on speciation both within and outside regions of hybridization.
Lexicographic optimization of a permutation flow shop scheduling problem with time lag constraints
Authors: Dhouib E. , Teghem J. , Loukil T.
Published: January 2013

This paper considers the permutation flow shop scheduling problem with minimal and maximal time lags. Time lags are defined as intervals of time that must exist between every pair of consecutive operations of a job. The objective is to hierarchically minimize two criteria, the primary criterion is the minimization of the number of tardy jobs and the secondary one minimizes the makespan. We propose a mixed integer mathematical programming formulation which can be solved with the subroutine CPLEX. We also propose several versions of simulated annealing algorithm to heuristically solve the problem. Computational experiments to compare the proposed procedures are presented and discussed.
Clinical Findings and Prognostic Factors for Dogs Undergoing Cholecystectomy for Gall Bladder Mucocele
Authors: Malek Sarah , Sinclair Elizabeth , Hosgood Giselle , Moens Noel M. M. , Baily Trina , Boston Sarah E.
Published: January 2013

Objective

To report clinical findings and explore prognostic factors for dogs that had cholecystectomy for gall bladder mucocele.

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Animals

Dogs (n = 43) with gall bladder mucoceles.

Results

Diagnosis of gall bladder mucoceles was confirmed by histopathology and 74% were diagnosed based on preoperative abdominal ultrasonography. Intraoperative evidence of gall bladder rupture was noted in 10 dogs (23%), and 16 (37%) had evidence of previous leakage in the abdominal cavity. One dog had positive bacterial growth from the gall bladder content. The most common histopathologic findings in liver biopsies obtained at surgery were cholangiohepatitis, biliary hyperplasia, or cholestasis. Univariate analysis showed evidence of postoperative hypotension (P= .05) to be significantly negatively associated with survival. Significant difference in mean postoperative serum lactate (P= .034) and postoperative packed cell volume (P= .063) between dogs that survived and died was also noted.

Conclusions

Elevations in postoperative serum lactate concentrations and immediate postoperative hypotension in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy for gall bladder mucoceles are associated with poor clinical outcome.
International Financial Adjustment for China: A Financial Valuation Approach
Authors: Deer Luke , Song Ligang
Published: January 2013

International financial adjustment is the process whereby valuation shifts from asset price and currency changes result in relatively durable net wealth transfers across countries' international balance sheets. This paper applies a financial valuation approach to estimate the direction and the broad extent of recent international financial adjustments on China's international balance sheet. We estimate China's international balance sheet losses resulting from the valuation shifts over the period 2005–2010 and reveal that international currency shifts over the past decade have also generated a range of non‐balance sheet financial and monetary adjustment pressures for China. This paper also evaluates how China's evolving international financial policy arrangements could better mitigate China's exposure to international financial adjustments. These arrangements include a more effective currency mechanism and the mechanisms to internationalize the RMB to buffer international financial valuation shocks.
What Do National Poverty Lines Tell Us About Global Poverty?
Authors: Gentilini Ugo , Sumner Andy
Published: January 2013

The basic question about ‘how many poor people are there in the world?’ generally assumes that poverty is measured according to international poverty lines (IPLs). Yet, an equally relevant question could be ‘how many poor people are there in the world, based on how poverty is defined where those people live?’ In short, rather than a comparison based on monetary values, the latter question is germane to estimates based on a concept –‘poverty’– as defined by countries’ specific circumstances and institutions.

Estimates of poverty by national poverty lines (NPLs) and international poverty lines (IPLs) may vary in terms of technical grounds. But how similar are they? How different is poverty captured by comparable (in PPP monetary value) cross‐country measures as embodied by the IPL compared to that viewed in NPLs?

This paper offers a new perspective on global poverty. It does so by estimating the distribution of poverty across countries, regions and income categories based on national poverty lines (NPLs). Even though comparing NPLs across countries means comparing poverty lines of different monetary value, we argue that exploring “poverty” as a nationally defined concept by countries at different stages of development unveils important and often unnoticed findings.

By addressing the question of poverty as defined where those poor people live, this paper seeks to offer a new perspective on global poverty and at the same time extend thinking on the ‘middle‐income countries poverty paradox’– meaning that most of the world's poor do not live in the world's poorest countries

Using data from 160 countries covering nearly 92 per cent of world population, we estimate that globally 1.5 billion people live in poverty as defined within their own countries (by NPLs), a billion of which are in middle‐income countries (MICs) and – surprisingly perhaps – one in ten of world's poor live in high‐income countries (HICs).

Our analysis shows that NPL and IPL‐based estimates lead to similar poverty estimates only in a limited number of cases. In particular, we conclude that (i) there is a considerable difference between regional and national poverty estimates based on IPLs and NPLs – that is, differences for a same country could be as high as 55 percentage points in poverty rates, or about 45 million in the number of poor people; (ii) NPLs may be particularly important for analysis of poverty in MICs: indeed, their NPLs don't feed into the construction of IPLs. Hence, poverty at national level may not be adequately captured by IPLs themselves; (iii) NPLs are not substitutes for IPLs, but instead enrich and complement international analyses. Yet, there could be trade‐offs between the two, especially in terms of different development actors tracking different poverty estimates. Our findings also have implications for debates about global poverty targets and international assistance.
Early healing of the alveolar process after tooth extraction: an experimental study in the beagle dog
Authors: Discepoli Nicola , Vignoletti Fabio , Laino Luigi , de Sanctis Massimo , Muñoz Fernando , Sanz Mariano
Published: January 2013

Aim

To describe the early healing events in the alveolar socket during the first 8 weeks of spontaneous healing after tooth extraction.

Materials and Methods

16 adult beagle dogs were selected and five healing periods were analysed (4 h, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks). Mandibular premolars were extracted and each socket corresponding to the mesial root was left to heal undisturbed. In each healing period, three animals were euthanatized, each providing four study sites. Healing was assessed by descriptive histology and by histometric analysis using as landmarks: the vertical distance between buccal and lingual crest (B'L') and the width of buccal and lingual walls at three different levels. Differences between means for each variable for each healing period were compared (ANOVA; p < 0.05).

Results

B'L' at baseline was 0.45 (0.18) mm and decreased during the healing period to a final value of 0.18 (0.08) mm. The lingual width (Lw) remains almost unchanged while the buccal width (Bw) at 1 (Bw1) and 2 (Bw2) mm was reduced in about 40% of its initial value.

Conclusions

Minor vertical bone reduction in both the buccal and lingual socket walls were observed. A marked horizontal reduction of the buccal bone wall was observed mostly in its coronal aspect.
Experimental and genetic analyses reveal that inbreeding depression declines with increased self‐fertilization among populations of a coastal dune plant
Authors: Dart S. , Eckert C. G.
Published: January 2013

Theory predicts that inbreeding depression (ID) should decline via purging in self‐fertilizing populations. Yet, intraspecific comparisons between selfing and outcrossing populations are few and provide only mixed support for this key evolutionary process. We estimatedIDfor large‐flowered (LF), predominantly outcrossing vs. small‐flowered (SF), predominantly selfing populations of the dune endemicCamissoniopsis cheiranthifoliaby comparing selfed and crossed progeny in glasshouse environments differing in soil moisture, and by comparing allozyme‐based estimates of the proportion of seeds selfed and inbreeding coefficient of mature plants. Based on lifetime measures of dry mass and flower production,IDwas stronger in nineLFpopulations [meanδ = 1−(fitness of selfed seed/fitness of outcrossed seed) = 0.39] than 16SFpopulations (meanδ = 0.03). However, predispersalIDduring seed maturation was not stronger forLFpopulations, andIDwas not more pronounced under simulated drought, a pervasive stress in sand dune habitat. Genetic estimates ofδwere also higher for fourLF(δ = 1.23) than fiveSF(δ = 0.66) populations; however, broad confidence intervals around these estimates overlapped. These results are consistent with purging, but selective interference among loci may be required to maintain strongIDin partially selfingLFpopulations, and trade‐offs between selfed and outcrossed fitness are likely required to maintain outcrossing inSFpopulations.
Lessons learned from microsatellite development for nonmodel organisms using 454 pyrosequencing
Authors: Schoebel C. N. , Brodbeck S. , Buehler D. , Cornejo C. , Gajurel J. , Hartikainen H. , Keller D. , Leys M. , Říčanová Š. , Segelbacher G. , Werth S. , Csencsics D.
Published: January 2013

Microsatellites, also known as simple sequence repeats (SSRs), are among the most commonly used marker types in evolutionary and ecological studies. Next Generation Sequencing techniques such as 454 pyrosequencing allow the rapid development of microsatellite markers in nonmodel organisms. 454 pyrosequencing is a straightforward approach to develop a high number of microsatellite markers. Therefore, developing microsatellites using 454 pyrosequencing has become the method of choice for marker development. Here, we describe a user friendly way of microsatellite development from 454 pyrosequencing data and analyse data sets of 17 nonmodel species (plants, fungi, invertebrates, birds and a mammal) for microsatellite repeats and flanking regions suitable for primer development. We then compare the numbers of successfully lab‐tested microsatellite markers for the various species and furthermore describe diverse challenges that might arise in different study species, for example, large genome size or nonpure extraction of genomicDNA. Successful primer identification was feasible for all species. We found that in species for which large repeat numbers are uncommon, such as fungi, polymorphic markers can nevertheless be developed from 454 pyrosequencing reads containing small repeat numbers (five to six repeats). Furthermore, the development of microsatellite markers for species with large genomes was also with Next Generation Sequencing techniques more cost and time‐consuming than for species with smaller genomes. In this study, we showed that depending on the species, a different amount of 454 pyrosequencing data might be required for successful identification of a sufficient number of microsatellite markers for ecological genetic studies.
Independent sources of condition dependency and multiple pathways determine a composite trait: lessons from carotenoid‐based plumage colouration
Authors: Romero‐Diaz C. , Richner H. , Granado‐Lorencio F. , Tschirren B. , Fitze P. S.
Published: January 2013

Many colour ornaments are composite traits consisting of at least four components, which themselves may be more complex, determined by independent evolutionary pathways, and potentially being under different environmental control. To date, little evidence exists that several different components of colour elaboration are condition dependent and no direct evidence exists that different ornamental components are affected by different sources of variation. For example, in carotenoid‐based plumage colouration, one of the best‐known condition‐dependent ornaments, colour elaboration stems from both condition‐dependent pigment concentration and structural components. Some environmental flexibility of these components has been suggested, but specifically which and how they are affected remains unknown. Here, we tested whether multiple colour components may be condition dependent, by using a comprehensive 3 × 2 experimental design, in which we carotenoid supplemented and immune challenged great tit nestlings (Parus major) and quantified effects on different components of colouration. Plumage colouration was affected by an interaction between carotenoid availability and immune challenge. Path analyses showed that carotenoid supplementation increased plumage saturation via feather carotenoid concentration and via mechanisms unrelated to carotenoid deposition, while immune challenge affected feather length, but not carotenoid concentration. Thus, independent condition‐dependent pathways, affected by different sources of variation, determine colour elaboration. This provides opportunities for the evolution of multiple signals within components of ornamental traits. This finding indicates that the selective forces shaping the evolution of different components of a composite trait and the trait's signal content may be more complex than believed so far, and that holistic approaches are required for drawing comprehensive evolutionary conclusions.
Effect of Obesity on the Acute Inflammatory Response in Pregnant and Cycling Female Rats
Authors: Pohl J. , Luheshi G. N. , Woodside B.
Published: January 2013

Nonpregnant female rats have a lower inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) than males and, at late stages of gestation, the fever response to this immunogen is almost completely suppressed. We have shown in males that obesity exacerbates sickness responses to pathogenic stimuli. In the present study, we investigated whether obesity would have a similar effect in females and reverse some of the suppressive effects of pregnancy on the innate immune response. Lean and diet‐induced obese adult Wistar rats were randomly separated into either cycling or mated groups. On day 18 of pregnancy or in the metestrous/dioestrous phase in cycling rats, a single injection of LPS (100 μg/kg) was administered and rats were sacrificed 8 h or 24 h later. In pregnant females, LPS induced a higher increase in body temperature in obese rats only at the 24‐h time point and lower hypothalamic interleukin (IL)‐1β expression and higher circulating levels of IL‐1 receptor antagonist (ra) than their cycling counterparts. Conversely, there was no suppression of inflammatory signals in the white adipose tissue of pregnant rats. At 24 h post LPS, the cell surface marker CD11c and IL‐6 mRNA expression were increased in white adipose tissue from obese rats regardless of reproductive state, whereas IL‐1ra was highest in the LPS‐treated obese pregnant group. In cycling females, LPS induced a higher fever response in obese rats accompanied by higher circulating levels of IL‐6 and IL‐1ra, as well as an increase in circulating leptin only in the obese cycling group. In the hypothalamus, obese rats showed significantly higher expression of nuclear factor‐IL‐6 in at the 8‐h time point. Collectively, these results show that diet‐induced obesity in females is associated with a similar pattern of response to that previously observed in males. On the other hand, obesity had limited effects in pregnant rats, with the exception of white adipose tissue.
The photobiology of Heterosigma akashiwo. Photoacclimation, diurnal periodicity, and its ability to rapidly exploit exposure to high light
Authors: Hennige Sebastian J. , Coyne Kathryn J. , MacIntyre Hugh , Liefer Justin , Warner Mark E.
Published: January 2013

Periodic and seasonal exposure to high light is a common occurrence for many near‐shore and estuarine phytoplankton. Rapid acclimatization to shifts in light may provide an axis by which some species of phytoplankton can outcompete other microalgae. Patterns of photoacclimation and photosynthetic capacity in the raphidophyte Heterosigma akashiwo (Hada) Hada ex Hara et Chihara isolated from the mid‐Atlantic of the United States were followed in continuous cultures at low‐ and high‐light intensities, followed by reciprocal shifts to the opposite light level. The maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) as well as the photosynthetic cross‐section (σPSII) of photosystem II was higher in high‐light cultures compared to low‐light cultures. Significant diurnal variability in photochemistry and photoprotection was noted at both light levels, and high‐light‐acclimated cultures displayed greater variability in photoprotective pathways. When shifted from low to high light, there was only a slight and temporary decline in maximum quantum yield, while cell specific growth more than doubled within 24 h. Rapid acclimation to high light was facilitated by short‐term photoprotection (nonphotochemical quenching), reduced PSII reaction center connectivity, and electron transport. Short‐term increases in de‐epoxidated xanthophyll pigments contributed to nonphotochemical protection, but lagged behind initial increases in nonphotochemical quenching and were not the primary pathway of photoprotection in this alga. By 48 h, photochemistry of cultures shifted from low to high light resembled long‐term high‐light‐acclimated cultures. This isolate of H. akashiwo appears well poised to exploit rapid shifts in light by using unique cellular adjustments in light harvesting and photochemistry.
Myosin‐Binding Protein C DNA Variants in Domestic Cats (A31P, A74T, R820W) and their Association with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Longeri M. , Ferrari P. , Knafelz P. , Mezzelani A. , Marabotti A. , Milanesi L. , Pertica G. , Polli M. , Brambilla P.G. , Kittleson M. , Lyons L.A. , Porciello F.
Published: January 2013

Background

Two mutations in the MYBPC3 gene have been identified in Maine Coon (MCO) and Ragdoll (RD) cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Objective

This study examined the frequency of these mutations and of the A74T polymorphism to describe their worldwide distribution and correlation with echocardiography.

Animals: 1855 cats representing 28 breeds and random‐bred cats worldwide, of which 446 underwent echocardiographic examination.

Methods

This is a prospective cross‐sectional study. Polymorphisms were genotyped by Illumina VeraCode GoldenGate or by direct sequencing. The disease status was defined by echocardiography according to established guidelines. Odds ratios for the joint probability of having HCM and the alleles were calculated by meta‐analysis. Functional analysis was simulated.

Results

The MYBPC3 A31P and R820W were restricted to MCO and RD, respectively. Both purebred and random‐bred cats had HCM and the incidence increased with age. The A74T polymorphism was not associated with any phenotype. HCM was most prevalent in MCO homozygote for the A31P mutation and the penetrance increased with age. The penetrance of the heterozygote genotype was lower (0.08) compared with the P/P genotype (0.58) in MCO.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

A31P mutation occurs frequently in MCO cats. The high incidence of HCM in homozygotes for the mutation supports the causal nature of the A31P mutation. Penetrance is incomplete for heterozygotes at A31P locus, at least at a young age. The A74T variant does not appear to be correlated with HCM.
Citizen Participation and Congressional Responsiveness: New Evidence that Participation Matters
Authors: Martin Paul S. , Claibourn Michele P.
Published: January 2013

This article examines the influence of citizen participation, specifically voter turnout, on congressional policy responsiveness. We argue that higher levels of citizen participation signal to representatives greater surveillance of their actions by their constituents and, thus, a higher probability of sanction. Representatives respond to these signals by deploying resources in ways that provide better intelligence of district needs and preferences. As a consequence, higher citizen participation is rewarded with enhanced policy responsiveness.
A Cross‐National Analysis of Party Switching
Authors: O'brien Diana Z. , Shomer Yael
Published: January 2013

Though instances of party switching have been widely documented, there is little cross‐national research on this phenomenon. The prevalence of switching is therefore unknown, and the factors influencing this behavior remain unclear. Using the most comprehensive dataset on party switching ever constructed, we illustrate both that interparty movement is more common than previously assumed and that there are substantial differences in its prevalence across parties. To explain this variation, we examine the relationship between legislators' motivations, institutional arrangements, and switching. We find that motivational explanations are correlated with interparty movement and that institutional arrangements exhibit only limited direct influence on switching.
The construction of power in family medicine bedside teaching: a video observation study
Authors: Rees Charlotte E , Ajjawi Rola , Monrouxe Lynn V
Published: January 2013

Introduction  Bedside teaching is essential for helping students develop skills, reasoning and professionalism, and involves the learning triad of student, patient and clinical teacher. Although current rhetoric espouses the sharing of power, the medical workplace is imbued with power asymmetries. Power is context‐specific and although previous research has explored some elements of the enactment and resistance of power within bedside teaching, this exploration has been conducted within hospital rather than general practice settings. Furthermore, previous research has employed audio‐recorded rather than video‐recorded observation and has therefore focused on language and para‐language at the expense of non‐verbal communication and human–material interaction.

Methods  A qualitative design was adopted employing video‐ and audio‐recorded observations of seven bedside teaching encounters (BTEs), followed by short individual interviews with students, patients and clinical teachers. Thematic and discourse analyses of BTEs were conducted.

Results  Power is constructed by students, patients and clinical teachers throughout different BTE activities through the use of linguistic, para‐linguistic and non‐verbal communication. In terms of language, participants construct power through the use of questions, orders, advice, pronouns and medical/health belief talk. With reference to para‐language, participants construct power through the use of interruption and laughter. In terms of non‐verbal communication, participants construct power through physical positioning and the possession or control of medical materials such as the stethoscope.

Conclusions  Using this paper as a trigger for discussion, we encourage students and clinical teachers to reflect critically on how their verbal and non‐verbal communication constructs power in bedside teaching. Students and clinical teachers need to develop their awareness of what power is, how it can be constructed and shared, and what it means for the student–patient–doctor relationship within bedside teaching.
Academic disintegrity among medical students: a randomised response technique study
Authors: Mortaz Hejri Sameh , Zendehdel Kazem , Asghari Fariba , Fotouhi Akbar , Rashidian Arash
Published: January 2013

Objectives  Medical students, as tomorrow’s doctors, are responsible for their patients’ health; cheating may affect their academic knowledge and clinical skills. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of and attitudes towards academic disintegrity among medical students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).

Methods  Anonymous questionnaires including questions about various types of academic disintegrity were distributed among medical students during the clerkship and internship phases of the curriculum. Randomised response technique (RRT) was used to maintain the responders’ privacy. Because the study design guaranteed the confidentiality of respondents, the TUMS Institutional Review Board declared that formal ethical approval was not required.

Results  A total of 124 students were enrolled in this study, of whom 63 were in the clerkship phase and 61 were in the internship phase. Of these respondents, 29% (n = 36) were male. The most frequently reported type of academic disintegrity was found to be ‘impersonating an absent student in a class’ (93%) and the least frequent to be ‘legitimising absences by using bribes’ (5%). Only a small number of interns considered ‘buying hospital shifts’, ‘selling hospital shifts’, ‘impersonating an absent student’ and ‘helping others to cheat in examinations’ as representing academic disintegrity. Approximately one third of participants stated that the RRT increased their confidence in anonymity and 90% of students found the use of RRT not difficult.

Conclusions  Academic integrity is widely disrespected in different ways among medical students. Effective policies and interventions are required to control these misbehaviours in future doctors in order to optimise medical practice. Almost all respondents found it not difficult to use the RRT; the technique proved to be an effective and easily applied method of eliciting truthful responses to sensitive questions and represents an alternative to conventional anonymising techniques.
P2Y1 knockout mice lack purinergic neuromuscular transmission in the antrum and cecum
Authors: Gil V. , Martínez‐Cutillas M. , Mañé N. , Martín M. T. , Jiménez M. , Gallego D.
Published: January 2013

Background  Pharmacological studies using selective P2Y1 antagonists, such as MRS2500, and studies with P2Y1−/− knockout mice have demonstrated that purinergic neuromuscular transmission is mediated by P2Y1 receptors in the colon. The aim of the present study was to test whether P2Y1 receptors are involved in purinergic neurotransmission in the antrum and cecum.

Methods  Microelectrode recordings were performed on strips from the antrum and cecum of wild type animals (WT) and P2Y1−/− mice.

Key Results  In the antrum, no differences in resting membrane potential and slow wave activity were observed between groups. In WT animals, electrical field stimulation elicited a MRS2500‐sensitive inhibitory junction potential (IJP). In P2Y1−/− mice, a nitrergic IJP (Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine‐sensitive), but not a purinergic IJP was recorded. This IJP was equivalent to the response obtained in strips from WT animals previously incubated with MRS2500. Similar results were obtained in the cecum: 1‐ the purinergic IJP (MRS2500‐sensitive) recorded in WT animals was absent in P2Y1−/− mice 2‐ nitrergic neurotransmission was preserved in both groups. Moreover, 1‐ spontaneous IJP (MRS2500‐sensitive) could be recorded in WT, but not in P2Y1−/− mice 2‐ MRS2365 a P2Y1 agonist caused smooth muscle hyperpolarization in WT, but not in P2Y1−/− animals, and 3‐ β‐NAD caused smooth muscle hyperpolarization both in WT and P2Y1−/− animals.

Conclusions & Inferences  1‐ P2Y1 receptor is the general mechanism of purinergic inhibition in the gastrointestinal tract, 2‐ P2Y1−/− mouse is a useful animal model to study selective impairment of purinergic neurotransmission and 3‐ P2Y1−/− mouse might help in the identification of purinergic neurotransmitter(s).
Making the Case for Primary Care and Mandated Suicide Prevention Education
Authors: Stuber Jennifer , Quinnett Paul
Published: January 2013

During its 2012 legislative session, Washington State passed ESHB 2366, otherwise known as the Matt Adler Suicide Assessment, Treatment, and Management Act of 2012. ESHB 2366 is a significant legislative achievement as it is the first law in the country to require certain health professionals to obtain continuing education in the assessment, treatment, and management of suicide risk as a requirement to obtain and maintain licensure. However, ESHB 2366 does not apply to primary care providers, an important next step for legislation that has as its goal “to help lower the suicide rate in Washington.” This commentary addresses objections raised against the law and potential responses as Washington considers strengthening its own law to include primary care providers and as other states consider similar legislation.
The Associations of Physical and Sexual Assault with Suicide Risk in Nonclinical Military and Undergraduate Samples
Authors: Bryan Craig J. , McNaugton‐Cassill Mary , Osman Augustine , Hernandez Ann Marie
Published: January 2013

The associations of various forms of sexual and physical assault with a history of suicide attempts and recent suicide ideation were studied in two distinct samples: active duty military and undergraduate students. A total of 273 active duty Air Force personnel and 309 undergraduate students anonymously completed self‐report surveys of assault victimization, emotional distress, belongingness, recent suicide ideation, and previous suicide attempts. Among military personnel, rape, robbery, or violent assault was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward increased risk for suicide attempts, whereas physical abuse or battering as an adult was significantly associated with recent suicide ideation. Among undergraduates, unwanted sexual experiences as an adult and physical or sexual abuse as a child were significantly associated with increased risk for suicide attempt, but only unwanted experiences as an adult was significantly associated with increased risk for suicide ideation. Experiencing multiple forms of assault increased risk for suicide attempts and ideation in both groups. Results suggest that different types of assault contribute differentially to suicide risk in military versus undergraduate populations, but experiencing multiple types of assault is associated with increased risk in both groups.
Editors' Introduction: Why Formal Learning Theory Matters for Cognitive Science
Authors: Fulop Sean , Chater Nick
Published: January 2013

This article reviews a number of different areas in the foundations of formal learning theory. After outlining the general framework for formal models of learning, the Bayesian approach to learning is summarized. This leads to a discussion of Solomonoff's Universal Prior Distribution for Bayesian learning. Gold's model of identification in the limit is also outlined. We next discuss a number of aspects of learning theory raised in contributed papers, related to both computational and representational complexity. The article concludes with a description of how semi‐supervised learning can be applied to the study of cognitive learning models. Throughout this overview, the specific points raised by our contributing authors are connected to the models and methods under review.
Phagocytosis and Cytokinesis: Do Cells Use Common Tools to Cut and to Eat? Highlights on Common Themes and Differences
Authors: Deschamps Chantal , Echard Arnaud , Niedergang Florence
Published: January 2013

Eukaryotic cells with specialized functions often use and adapt common molecular machineries. Recent findings have highlighted that actin polymerization, contractile activity and membrane remodelling with exocytosis of internal compartments are required both for successful phagocytosis, the internalization of particulate material and for cytokinesis, the last step of cell division. Phagocytosis is induced by the triggering of specific cell surface receptors, which leads to membrane deformation, pseudopod extension and contraction to engulf particles. Cytokinesis relies on intense contractile activity and eventually leads to the physical scission of sister cells. In this review, shared features of signalling, cytoskeletal reorganization and vesicular trafficking used in both phagocytosis and cytokinesis will be described, but non‐common mechanisms and questions that remain open in these dynamic areas of research are also highlighted.
Measuring the World Economy
Authors: Badinger Harald
Published: January 2013

This article provides an empirical assessment of whether the world economy has become smaller in terms of economic distance over the last decades. We adopt a cross‐sectional spatial econometric approach, relating domestic output volatility to (distance‐weighted averages of) other countries’ output volatility, using a sample of 135 countries and rolling 10‐year time windows over the period from 1955 to 2006. Using descriptive measures, test statistics and spatial econometric estimates, we find that cross‐country interdependence was virtually insignificant in the early post‐war period but has increased strongly from the mid‐1960s to the mid‐1980s and remained at a high level since then. Results for the most recent period suggest that common shocks to output volatility have a magnified impact and roughly quadruplicate through international spillover effects, which are transmitted through both trade and financial openness.
Probability-Based Prediction of Degrading Dynamic Systems
Authors: Savage Gordon J. , Seecharan Turuna S. , Kap Son Young
Published: January 2013

This paper presents a methodology to provide the cumulative failure distribution (CDF) for degrading, uncertain, and dynamic systems. The uniqueness and novelty of the methodology is that long service time over which degradation occurs has been augmented with much shorter cycle time over which there is uncertainty in the system dynamics due to uncertain design variables. The significance of the proposed methodology is that it sets the foundation for setting realistic life-cycle management policies for dynamic systems. The methodology first replaces the implicit mechanistic model with a simple explicit meta-model with the help of design of experiments and singular value decomposition, then transforms the dynamic, time variant, probabilistic problem into a sequence of time invariant steady-state probability problems using cycle-time performance measures and discrete service time, and finally, builds the CDF as the summation of the incremental service-time failure probabilities over the planned life time. For multiple failure modes and multiple discrete service times, set theory establishes a sequence of true incremental failure regions. A practical implementation of the theory requires only two contiguous service-times. Probabilities may be evaluated by any convenient method, such as Monte Carlo and the first-order reliability method. Error analysis provides ways to control errors with regards to probability calculations and meta-model fitting. A case study of a common servo-control mechanism shows that the new methodology is sufficiently fast for design purposes and sufficiently accurate for engineering applications.
Investigation of resist filling behavior in microimprint lithography by computational fluid dynamics simulation and defocusing digital particle image velocimetry
Authors: Du Jun , Wei Zhengying , Li Shize , Tang Yiping
Published: January 2013

Resist filling behavior is crucial to the quality of final imprinted patterns in microimprint lithography (MIL). This article investigates the velocity field of the resist in microimprint lithography through numerical simulations and visualization experiments. To achieve the microscale velocity field of resist, a numerical model based on the computational fluid dynamics was built to predict the resist filling behavior, and the surface tension and contact angle were considered in this model. Meanwhile, a 3-D defocusing digital particle image velocimetry (DDPIV) was established. The spatial coordinates of the fluorescent tracer particles were derived from their DDPIV images. Time-resolved 3-D particle field inside the resist was obtained with the spatial coordinates. Particle tracking velocimetry was utilized to derive the velocity field from the particles' spatial position in the imprinting process. The investigation of the velocity field, including the horizontal and vertical velocity history, was carried out to directly describe the filling mode of the resist and hence determining the resist filling mechanism. The results of the visualization experiments and the numerical simulations were compared to obtain an in-depth understanding of the resist flow in MIL.
Neuromuscular induced phonation in a human ex vivo perfused larynx preparation
Authors: Berke Gerald , Mendelsohn Abie H. , Scott Howard Nelson , Zhang Zhaoyan
Published: January 2013

Considering differences in laryngeal anatomy, degree of control, and range of voice qualities between animals and humans, investigations of the neuromuscular process of voice control are better conducted using a living human larynx in which parametric stimulation of individual laryngeal muscles is possible. Due to difficulties in access and monitoring of laryngeal muscle activities, such investigations are impossible in living human subject experiments. This study reports the recent success in developing an ex vivo perfused human larynx model, which allows parametric muscle stimulation and observation of its influence on phonation of a virtually living human larynx in a well-controlled laboratory environment.
Invasive Plants Have Scale-Dependent Effects on Diversity by Altering Species-Area Relationships
Authors: Powell Kristin I. , Chase Jonathan M. , Knight Tiffany M.
Published: January 2013

The Scale of Plant Invasions

Many studies have shown large effects of invasive species on native species diversity, but at the same time, invaders (especially plants) have rarely been implicated in the extinctions of native species.

Powell
et al.

(p.
316
) noted that studies showing large effects have tended to be focused on smaller spatial scales, while those showing smaller effects have usually been on broader spatial scales. For such a scale-dependent effect to occur, invasive species must alter the shape of the species-area relationship (SAR). Comparing the differences in SARs with invaded and uninvaded communities of plants in three different ecosystem types in the United States revealed smaller effects of invasive species on biodiversity at increasingly broader spatial scales. Empirical data and simulations suggested that the observed patterns result from disproportionately greater influences of invasive species on common relative to rare species that result from a combination of sampling effects and differential responses to invasion.
Performance of Nanowire Solar Cells on the Rise
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: January 2013

Promising nanowire photovoltaics are finally hitting their stride, leapfrogging other decades-old technologies with their high-efficiency for converting sunlight into electricity.